South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-24
Getting the News
BY FIRED c. KELLY.

WASHINGTON.-J Hays Ham
mond, the celebrated mining engineer,
is said to believe firmly in the posi-
bilities of mind-reading. And this be-
lief is based entirely on one of George
A. McClellan's practical jokes.
Mcclellan is a former indianapolis
newspaper publisher, but he has de-
voted much of his life to the develop
ment OF the practical joke; and just
offhand we should say that he is about
the most ingenious practical joker this
country can boast Of today. And none
is too humble or too exalted to be
picked for one of McClellan's vic
tins. The greatness of John Hays
Hammond bothered Mcclellan not one
whit.
The story is that Mcclellan and
Hammond and another man were din
ing together one night. and Mcclellan.
with diabolical cleverness, turned the
conversation TO the subject of mind
reading, just because he had heard
that Hammond took no stock in such
stuff. He had arranged also with the
third member of the party TO act as
his confederate.
They discussed a number of the per-
picking feats OF the professional
mind-readers on the stage, and Nc
Clellan insisted that he believed in
them. Hammond pooh-poohed any
such idea, and said they were all just
tricks.
1.-The reason am inclined TO believe
in them" remarked Mcclellan, mod
estly. lis because / was born with
gift at mind-reading myself. For ex-
ample take coin from your pocket
any coin at all-and note the date
on 1t. I'll try 10 tell you what the
date is. Obviously, there could be no
trick about that. have had no OPP
portunity TO see the money in your
pocket"
Hammond took out a half dollar.
Look at the date intently and
think about it," direcIed Mcclellan.
While Hammond was doing So Nc
Clellan's confederate sitting next TO
the victim glanced over and saw the
date and Immediately looked off into
his cigar. He gave eight little puffs
for the second number--the first
number being. Of course. one-nine
for the second number, and four for
the third. So Mcclellan knew that
the number on the coin was 1894.
IT guess there is something in mind
reading" Hammond is said TO have
admitted.
Within a night or two after that
Mcclellan played another little joke.
He was dining at a hotel with a party
that included George Oliver. Jr.. son OF
Sen. Oliver OF Pennsylvania Oliver
was called TO the phone just after the
waiter took the order. and in his alb
sence Mcclellan happened to think OF
the joke. He called the waiter over,
explained TO him that Oliver was on
his way 20 a private sanitarium and
that he was in a pitiable mental con-
dition.
Above all else" said Mcclellan,
"the man must not have a knife or
fork III his hand. We can trust him
with a spoon all right, but the mo-
ment he gets hold Of knife or fork
he loses control OF himself and wishes
TO hurt somebody. Now. here's
dollar for you. and do be careful"
When Oliver came back the first
course was oysters on half shell. The
waiter gave him just q spoon to eat
them with
Here. here, yelled Oliver. Where's
my oyster fork?"
That's all right" soothed the
waiter. who disappeared nervously.
as II 10 get fork. and did not return
for some time.
Oliver fumed and fretted and Nc
nla1f4u auwxeSre6 that he might as