The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-04
BIRMINGHAM's "ALCALDE.

From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 Dr. Frederick A. Cook should have brought his proofs to Birmingham, in- stead of presenting them to the University of Copenhagen. The University of Co., penhagen was entirely too critical. Bir- mingham is the natural home of "the bluff"
 The "Alcade of Jamaica has been hav ing the time of his life in Birmingham. After a week of entertainment, attention, laudation and newspaper advertising, the ''Alcalde of Jamaica" has disappeared with every promise unified, owing a $6 board bill and nobody has ever seen trace of that Jamaica fortune with which he was going to bless Birmingham per sons and Birmingham institutions. When | the "Alcalde of Jamaica" appeared to give Birmingham a thrill of sef-import- ance in the prospect of entertaining such distinguished and wealthy guest, a bridge carpenter working on trestle at Ensley disappeared.
 | The bridge carpenter took off his over alls, washed up and boarded car for | Birmingham one Thursday night. The | following day the "Alcalde of Jamaica" | appeared in a Birmingham hotel with a magnificent bluff and romantic story of one E. D. Ennis, who had died in Jamaica, leaving huge fortune to his old sweetheart, Birmingham girl, and va | rious bequests to Birmingham institutions. | "The Alcalde' was a rather rough look | ing specimen, about the last man in the world that would have been selected for | iot, lot nd ff,-a or chosen to dsperse a huge fortune. Be- sides that Jamaica is an English posses sion, and what it would be doing with an office known only in Spanish countries | nobody could surmise.
 Did ssThe Alcalde's" story go? It did. He played his string out to the finish. The newspapers printed column after column about him. preferred space next to pure reading matter They even printed his picture, which was mistake, for when people outside of Birmingham gazed upon his counterfeit presentment they began to suspect that Dr. Cooks successor was do- ing business in Birmingham.
 But Birmingham had one delightful week of thrills with 'The Alcalde," and like the girl, who has had an unfortunate love affair, cruel fate cannot deprive her of the pleasure of memories. ''The AL calde was proudly escorted from spot to spot of interest in Birmingham. Report CTS followed in his wake, an honorary escort of publicity. "The Alcalde' ad- dressed the inmates of charitable institu- tions who were lined up to hear him be- cause they could not help themselves and 1t Is part of their misfortune to have to hear such addresses. "The Alcalde," when he spoke maltreated the English language in way that no patriotic Briton would do. But 1t all went in Birmingham.
 | Willing workers were securing the city and taking excursions to other cities to locate the sweetheart of the wealthy E. D. Ennis who died in far-off Jamaica, but whose heart was still faithful to his Blr- mingham romance. Trustees of various charitable institutions camped upon the trail of the impostor in the vain hope that he would make good his promise to distribute thousand-dollar bills along his way The walters In his hotel fought for the privilege of waiting on him, and when a bell boy executed an errand for him he always endangered his own neck in his haste.
 But the scenes that knew "The Al calde" know them in him no more. Ht disappeared at the end of one week as swiftly and as suddenly as the bridge car penter of Ensley had disappeared at tht end of the previous week. Fortunately one or two drafts he wanted signed. ont for mere trifie of $4000 were not signed The Birmingham man will be fooled by blufr until the time comes when 1t begini to cost money. He will take a romantic story until there is a suggestion that h' l sign draft~as "a mere matter of form. , | That's business and the visitor who get a Birmingham business man to affix hi
 signature to big draft will have to hay, something besides a romantic story. It is probably national weakness bu r the American people have a snealIing re
 gard for g "bluffer'' even as they lov, humbug according to Barnum "The Al
 calde" enjoyed the week. Birmingham was vastly entertained at the same time s and the city had a laugh over the who'll
 affair Except for the cruelty of the hoal
 played on the young woman who wal
 promised fortune by the imposter tn whole affair is a joke which Birmingham r enjoys quite as much as anybody on tn
 outside