The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-01-08
DR.. COOK AND FAMOUS HOAXES.

DIR. Cook seems to have been found guilty by
the jury at Copenhagen and by the American pub
lie of perpetrating huge swindle on the civilized
world. The hoax was colossal and Cook will for all
time have his name twined with the fellow who
burned Dianas Temple at Ephesus. When Weight,
the German shoemaker, posed as a captain of tic
Guards robbed and arrested the authorities at Koe-
penck, the world laughed. But in the Cook case
the whole world has been swinded and its anger is
something terrible The Cook joke will have its
place with other famous hoaxes, that were rather
unpopular in their day, but hugely enjoyed by many
whose sense of humor outclassed their sense of dig
nifty. Almost fifty years ago the citizens of Bir-
mingham England, were the victims of Captain
Wyndham," who announced himself as the courier
of the Queen of Dude, who, he said, was about to
pay the city visit. He sent invitations to hum
dred prominent people to dine with her Majesty,
ordered the finest wines, borrowed money and had
the whole town in an uproar On the night fixed for
the feast the dashing captain disappeared and the
civic authorities discovered they had been victim
lied.
Perhaps the most dramatic 'tioke" of modern
times was that improvised by gang of brigands
at FormimpopuE, Italy, not many years ago. 1t
was the day of the annual festival and great dra
billed for the local theatre to be presented
by Carazom and his company of actors and
tresses from Milan. Almost the whole population
of the little city were at the show. When the cur
tain went up the actors proved to be Mootata, the
brigand chief and his band of cutthroats armed to
the teeth The doors were guarded by few of
Mootata's cut-throats, who held the crowd while
4I,a IF f1oir
got away with 100000.
Rather more amusing was the hoax perpetrated
on the Mayor of Cambridge about twenty years
ago. He received telegram from the Hotel Cecil,
London, asking hi milf it would be agreeable to him
to receive the Sultan of Zanzibar that afternoon
and show him anything of interest in his city. The
Mayor at made the necessary preparations,
and then with his officials and special commit
tee, repaired to the depot to welcome his distin-
gushed guest. Four turbaned negroes accompa-
MED by an interpreter, aghted from the train and
were presented as the Royal party the Sultan him
self sending his regrets. The city was inspected,
a wine luncheon partaken of and rafting good
time enjoyed Crowds cheered the swarthy visitors,
who bowed, smirked and smiled. After they left
the city 1t leaked out that the royal Zanzibares
were Cambridge students. The mayor and civic
council were literally laughed out of office
Theodore Hooks hoax on a London fami!f.
moving in aristocratic circles, is the most famous
practical joke of modern times. The family for
some reason another had incurred the dislike of
Hook. On some pretext he had some thousands of
tradesmen and others call at the house in question
between the hours of three and four on certain
afternoon. There were soldiers. fremen, police
olo
bakers, butchers washerwomen grocerymen tailors
bringing thousands of pounds of supplies tools and
instruments which Hood had ordered in the name
of the lady of the house. SO great crowd gath
cred that riot ensued, and soldiers were sent to
restore order and disperse the people The victims
of the joke almost lost their minds and for days
after the exploit the air of the neighborhood was
saturated with the awful profanity of the gullibe
tradesnen and mechanics.
A recent swindle in Moscow is yet fresh in the
minds of jewelers.. woman, posing as the wife
of distinguished Russian statesman, drove to u
famous jeweler of the city and asked to be shown
some diamonds. She picked out magnificent
tiara and requested the privilege Of exhibiting it
her husband, leaving her maid at the store as
hostage. Some time after her departure. couple
of policemen entered the shop arrested the maid,
and told the jeweler he had been swindled They
then droxe off and that was the last of the dia-