The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-05
A HUGE APRIL JOKE.
BETWEEN 30 AND 40 OF IT. E.
 GLADsTONE,S MEMBERS FOOLED

Led Wild Goose Chase to Residence
 of William Reeves Where They Ex-
 psctsd to Dine but All They saw Was
 Funny Face at the Window.
 Local fraternal circles. especially the English and Scotch societies. have been laughing heartily the past few days over the huge April fool joke perpet- rated upon the members of W. E. Glad stone lodge, Sons of St. George, on Fri day last
 At S:15 on that evening between thir- ty and forty able-bodied men met at the green expecting to either repair to Stewards cafe and enjoy the hospital ity of Treasurer w. Reeves, of Glad stone lodge, or, if his invitation proved hoax, to catch him unawares at his residence and compel him to recom- pense them by treat there. But alas. for them not only did the spread at Stewards prove myth, but the plan to get even" emanating ostensibly from one of the victims, Brother Crute, was found to be also part of the cunningly laid scheme; and upon arriving at the residence of Brother Reeves on Dwight street the crowd found the house dark, and when they pressed the bell button it lighted up q transparency in the hall which exhibited grinning face and a legend reading: Reeves is never home on April first; he is out fooling his friends"
 This is the third year in succession that Brother Reeves has successfully conspired to hoax his fellow members of Gladstone lodge on April first, and when the crowd realized that they had been sold again it looked for a time as if the riot act would have to be read on Dwight street, and when further inyes- tigation discovered q gentle and court ly inscription on the rear door reading, "Go home, you poor slobs,' pandemo- nium reigned.
 1 Many of the victims, in expectation of the banquet, had had no supper; some of them had walked long dis tances to the place of meeting, and all l AltlA VI AdlAlPCQ liOlll IllG SISCIA u EolGN- arts and thence to Dwight street, so some allowance must be made for the fury of the famished ones. Some of the hot-headed victims proposed to break into the house, believing Brother /, Reeves to be in hiding there, but calm CT counsel, aided by suggestion that they adjourn to a neighboring cafe prevailed, and the crowd finally took themselves off. It is said that a few hours later they appeared to be feeling much better, and remarks were heard to the effect that they would tender their congratulations to Brother Reeves when they had the opportunity. | few of the invited brothers escaped through lucky chances. Brother Hardy | was seen rushing up Church street, but was too late to join the crowd. Press l ing business kept Brothers B. E. Scott and F. Stevens away, while Brothers I T. H. Smith and w. J. Horrocks were /, in hiding all day for fear Brother Reeves would catch them.
 l It is probable that a trial will take place in St. George hall in the near fu- ture, but whether the plotter or the vic- tims would be tried could not be learn ed. in case 1t is the former the follow ing witnesses will be called by the pros ecution:
 c. E. sheldriclS, W. H. Teasdale, H. R. Bidwell, G. Stevenson, M. H. Clark, T. G. Burton, w. G. Cox, E. A. Robin son. F. w. Stevens, T. H. Smith, T. Tennessee, F. Butler, S. Tipper, G. I. Burt, c. Hodson, T. Dickerman, J. H. King, R. R. Worsel1, J. H. Keys, F. B. Tipper, J. Hague, w. J. Bayliss, W. A. Crute, A. Bayliss, B. E. Scott, W Hod- son, w. H. Warmingham, E. s. Robin I son, F. J. Knight, w. H. Teasdale, jr.,
 T. Pettitt, J. Vernon, w. T. Gendall, J.
 Hardy and J. J. Wilkinson.
 In the meantime Brother W Reeves
 is wearing the smile that won't come off.