The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-18
the MONARCH
OF ALL LIARS,
Report Of Mu|haItOn's Death
One Of His Own Hoaxes.
IS NOW RESTING IN TEXAS.
Suns sf ihr Famous Lies With Which To
has Fooled Scientists 10
ihs Past Years.
IS NOW RESTING IN TEXAS,

Despite the recent rumor Of his death,
news comes from remote corner OF
Texas that JOSEPH Mulhatton the most
ineenioas contriver OF hoaNes Of his tlme'
has recently turned up In that part OF the
country.
II Is now in order for the newspapers
10 be on their guard. for in his prime
Mulhatton perpetrated and got into cir
cuIation through various important
newspapers hoaxes that would have made
Baron Munchausen feel like an amateur
and there Is no guarantee that he won't
go into the business again
fhe last previous definite news OF MN
was some nNe years aSo' ,Ws,rrssa ~ "hs
wilds of California To recuperate from
his arduops mental labors. soon atter
il was rlmored that he was dead. and ms
years of persistent silence gave support
10 the rlmor.
Mulhatton had been a truthful CONNER
ciai traveller for years before the passion
for big story telling took possession OF
him. One day "a occurred To him mat
the newspapers of his Locality weren't IN
tereSting enough. so he proceeded 10 nVen
them up with the products of his imasi-
nation.
The Pittsburg Leader was the medium
selected and he kept the editors busy
Publishing denials of the little hoaxes he
got up about well-known people
Presently these personalities CALLED
genius In larger held.
About this time the first crematory in
tho United States was erected At Little
Muihatton wrote an article announcing
that a creamation would take place at
q. date two weeks ahead Of the compile
tion OF the furnace. and Little Washing
ton soon had an army OF reporters 10 en-
tertain. besides special artists from the
Illustrated papers.
When they found the crematory un-
finished and discovered that there was no
corpse. they sought for Mr. Mnlhatton To
supply that important omission. but he
was far away.
PETRIFIED GEORGE WASHINGTON.
1t was In 1875 that Mulhatton got up his
first really imposing fake. He dis
covered that the remains Of George
Washington were petrified. and that
some well-known citizens who were very
desirous OF seeing the Washington monu-
ment completed were about to remove
the petrihed body TO the exposition at
philadelphia. 10 place II on exhibition
during the Centennial year.
An admission OF 30 cents would be
charged, the money TO be used in finssh-
Ing the monument. This was printed and
newspapers tecmed with letters favora-
bic and dcnunciatory.
Alexander X. Mcclure. editor OF the
PHILADELPHIA Times. was particularly
vigorous In the denunciation of Mulhat-
tons idea, while the Pittsburg Gazette
supported IL warmly.
stories. according 10 his own account,
were what might be called plain lies. !"
hut he went TO Kentucky, and after he
had breathed the inspiring air OF that To-
cality for a while he began TO take pride
In his work and produced some sparkling
In In ls77 he Visited visited the he Mammoth Mammoth cave
and promptly evolved out OF his inner
conscionsness another great cavern. IA
river. river 1 to Ply upon the waters aS OF Of Which Which
steamboat was being built.
The editor OF Frank Leslie's wrote for
sketch of the town near which the cave
waselocated and wrote for pictures OF the
cave. With an artist friend. Nulhatton
nlied this order. and the articles and pie
tures were printed In Frank Leslie's IL
The cave was so brilliant a success
that he followed IL M. with other caves.
until he had nearly the whole of Ken
lucky ringing hollow 10 the footstep.
GEESE AS RANCH EMPLOYEES.
Animal stories we're very popular then.
MuIhatton concentrated his powerful in
teilect upon the domestic goose. and the
result was n highly detailed and interest
ing account of Texas cotton plantation
Kept In order by flock OF trained geese
The geese carried under their necks
gourds filied with water 40 that each
goose could drink out OF its neighbors
gourd. Zach goose did the work OF two
men in wedding
The story concluded with the prediction
that. "if the farmers experiment is as
successful as he thinks ii Will be. IL Is
only question OF a few years, until the
whole cotton crop of Texas will be weed
ed out by the ordinary goose"
This WAS regarded by many news
papers. particularly in the south, as an
important agricultural departure.
Nulhattons Texas meteor story attain
ed the proportion OF an International
Fort Worth Gazette. and was the making
of that paper. An -.ssoclated Press agent
swallowed the story whole and telegraph
cd II all over the country.
On the day after the story was publish
cd the Gazette received Ili telcgrams ia
regard 10 the matter. Three OF them
came from Europc--one from tho Lon-
don Times one from the Edinburgh
Scotsman. and one from the Paris Gau-
lois
The editors OF these enterprising papers
teicgraphed for correspondents TO get fun
particulars and To draw on them for the
necessary funds
The meteor was said to have fallen az
Williams ranch. 1T covered an acre of
ground IL plunged 200 feet IN the ground.
and stood eighty feet above il: II came
down red hot and steaming fling tho air
with suiphurous smoke and noxious gas
es, and killing all the cattle. 4 family
Of Mexicans were struck and buried 90
feet IN the earth"
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
The newspapers Of tho country contain
81 columns OF interviews with nstin-
Fuirhed scientists regarding the meteor
and thousands Of letters were sent to the
postrnafter Of Fort Worth. asking for
further particulars
He was 50 indignant that he gave out
word that n Mulnatton ever came 10 Fort
Worth he would shoot him on the spot
kfitruaFd. however he relented and in-
yif~d the famous prcyaricator 90 dine
with him.
The Gazette had 10 employ special
CORPS ~ writers 20 reply 20 the letters re-
cei,ed. besides getiirg ont thousands %
expisnatory circulars
Nulha ton next wrote an extended ac-
count % the discovery ~ fhe Host art 81
ma king msiicable glass. The story vas
told With such sweet simplicity and care
<tI g.tfffffr tI.frH ftsnf The