The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-01-23
DR.: Cooks North Pole Exploit
Ranks LL1ith the Great Moon
Hoax; Cardiff Giant, the .Keely
Motor Fakes G @3%er
UOrLd-FunzOuS Frauds

quest Of Shapiro, the British
museum refused to allow Ganneau
the examination of the strips that
were exhibited to the public Gam
neau was able to show convincing
proof that the strips were of a
spurious nature.
The forger had taken the lower
of some scrolls of the law
and written his variants of Deu-
showed traces of the stylus used to
mark off the original columns, over
which the new writing extended
without regard to them.
In the history of art perhaps the
most noted imposition was the sale
of tiara, termed THE Tiara Of
King Saitapharnes," to the Louvre
mann for 100000. Hochmann claim
ed that it had been found in the
sepulchre of Saitapharnes, third
century ruler of Greek colony, in
the Crimea, and he accounted for it's
remarkable brilliancy by the fact
that during all the years, it had lain
protected from the light by the close
confines of the tomb.
M. Clermont-Ganneau thought 1t
strange that the tiara had suffered
so little from the ravages of time
and he examined it more closely
4holly lllle IlulCdllOIS lie IOunu
pointing to the probability that the
tiara had recently been made, and
he sent for jeweler in Odessa
named Rouchomowski.
He promptly admitted that the
tiara had come from his workshop
and he furnished ample proof of his
claim, even going so far as to allow
the authorities of the Louvre to con-
fine him in a cell while he made a
segment of the tiara for purposes Of
Early in the nineteenth century
an enthusiastic band of archaeo-
logists exploring the town of Ban
bury, in England, came upon an an
Gent stone bearing the following in
scription: "SEOGEH SREVE EREH
WCISUME VAIL LAH SENS Sc
OTREH NOS GNIR DINA SIRE GNIF
REHNOS GNIRES ROHYER GAN
OED IRYD ALE NIFAE ESOTS
sORCY RUB NABOT Els ROHK
CO CAED IR."
This was debated for a long time
as specimen of some ancient for
gotten language. Then the man who
mad first pointed out the stone sent
communication to the meeting Of
that if they read the inscription
backward some light would be
thrown on it. They then found it
was merely the old nursery rhyme:
Ride cock horse to Banbury
Cross to see fine lady ride on a
and rings on her toes, she shall have
music wherever she goes"
This occurrence was the basis of
the very, amusing episode described
by Charles Dickens in THE Pick
wick Papers" when the Pickwick
h4
ton which proves to read, "bfll
Stumps, his mark"
The most successful impostor Of
history was the Russian, known as
The False Demetrius," who actual
~ occupied the throne of Russia for
son of the Gear Ivan the Terrible,
supposed to have been murdered nv
Boris Godunoff. He exactly resem-
bled the dead prince and was great
ly beloved by the people during his
rule. although he incurred the en-
daughter. of a Polish prince, sus-
pected his deception and believed
that an old woman whom he called
his nurse was really his mother. The
wife called upon the mother to swear
upon the cross that Demetrius was
old woman was afraid to do this, and
thus condemned her own son. This
episode is shown in an accompanying
1t led to the exposure
and death of poor Demetrius.
Up to few generations ago
hoaxes and practical jokes Of
a robust type were the COM
monest form of humor. The
cat hoax was a joke of this
character, perpetrated in the
city of Chester, England, in
SIS. just previous to the BAN
ishment of Napoleon l to the
Island of st. Helena. Hand
bills were distributed saving
that st. Helena was overrun
with rats. and that three dol
lars would be paid for every
run grown tomcat, two dollars
and half for every full grown
female cat, and so cents for
every kitten that could feed it.
self. On the day appointed
nearly all the cats in England u
were brought into Chester The g
city was filled with men, wom-
en- and children carrying cats.
When the people found that
no one was there to buy the
cats riot took place, and the
cats escaped Five thousand
OF them were killed outright