The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-25
LATEST FOREIGN GOSSIP.

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Frederick Graham. son of Sir John Ora
ham, of Larbert. Blair Drummond Is
very fine place, with good gardens and
extensive woodlands. The surrounding
scenery Is charming. and the estate af-
fords excellent shooting and fishing.
Blair Drummond was the seat of the
late Col. Home Drummond, for some
years member of Parliament for Perth
shire, on whose death the estate passed
to his relative. Capt. Home Drummond-
Moray, of Abercairney.
/ Not since the days Of the famous
Green Room jester, Theodore Hook, who
hoaxed towns and princes to his hearts
content. has the world laughed so much
as 1t has done during the last few
years owing to the escapades Of Ger
man jokers; for the Fatherland seems
| alive with men who desire to make ma
| tions laugh. First, there was Weight,
who seven years ago convulsed Europe
by masquerading as a captain of the
Prussian Foot Guards. He arrested the
Mayor of Koepenick, with the aid OF a
| Communicated detachment Of soldiers.
had his prisoner" conveyed to Berlin
under escort, and then made OF with the
municipal exchequer.
In 1909. there was an audacious raid
the building of the First Civil Law
Court of Berlin, quietly stole from one
OF the rooms. in which the judges met
to confer, the black caps and long black
gowns worn by the latter when on the
bench gained access to certain rooms,
made from documents relating to law
suits. in which considerable sums of
money were in question. judicial orders
for payment, which they presented to
collected about 5000 marks. 1t was one
Of the most audacious jokes on record,
and one almost feels sorry to report that
such inventive geniuses were ultimately
arrested and sent to prison for their
daring.
Germany as well as the other European
nations still are chuckling over the ex-
plot of the ex-sergeant, August Wolter,
who, by sending bogus telegram to the
military governor of Strassburg, an
nouncing that the Kaiser was arriving
to review the troops, caused the whole
garrison to be turned out OH full dress
parade. Wolter. having been attached
to the army in the telegraph department.
was familiar with the special mark at
tached to the imperial kilograms and the
cipher code.
+ Disguised as telegraph messenger. he
delivered the telegram himself, having
secured possession of it by sending a wire
to himself from a neighborng town. eras-
ing the few words, and inserting mes
sage from the Kaiser to the Military Gov
ernor at Strassburg.
The result was that 20, 900 troops turned
out. and that 10000 spectators congre-
gated, the event being made still more
impressive by the accidental appearance
overhead of new army airship. Sus-
picion was created when the Kaiser was
late in arriving, inquiries were set on
foot, and it was discovered that the
German Emperor, as matter Of fact.
was then at Koenigsberg, about 1000
miles away. And the browning point of
the joke was that wolter. who was ulti-
mately arrested, was among the most
interested OF the spectators who wit
messed the grand parade.
In England also the authorities have
been badly hoaxed at times. There was
the audacious Joke for instance, carried
out three years ago by five young men
and one young woman, who disguised
themselves as Abyssinian princes. two
of the party posing. respectively, as at
taches of the Foreign Office and inter-
prefer, and who travelled to Weymouth.
after telegraphing. and were conducted
with all honors over the British battle
ship Dreadnought- The commander-in-
chief of the home fleet at Portland re-
ceived the following message. prince
Makalin and suite arrived at Weymouth
at 400. Kindly made all arrangements to
meet them" The party received a splen-
did reception. They were greeted with
bands and flags, had good time. and
all the officers on board were pleased
with the event until the joke leaked out
a day or two later.
Nor is this the only naval hoax
which has been played, for in 1906 a
Spanish officer in uniform presented
himself at the main gate of Ports
mouth dockyard and asked for the
commander-in-chief. to whom he was
conducted. With many apologies, he
explained that he was from a Spanish
cruiser at Cowes. There was a mid
shipman On board very i'll. Would
England extend to this unfortunate
patient the courtesy of her naval hos
pital? OF course, everything was at
once done. Instructions were tele-
phoned to the Hasler Hospital for the
reception of the sick midshipman, and
with many thanks the Spanish officer
left, escorted by lieutenant to see
him to the boat, which he said was
meeting him. No boat was visible,