Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-04-24
SOME FAMOUS HOAxES


SOME FAMOUS HoAxEs
Some Practical Jokes of an Earlier and
Less Prosaic Age Than Ours.
Hoaxers exist in every profession
and walk Of life; they flourish in every
age and cline; they ply their art either
sole desire to gull the credulous pub
lic 1t was the latter which melted that
prince Of practical jokers, Theodore
Hook, to perpetrate the most audacious
Of all hoaxes, the Berners- street hoax,
that for the time reused all London to
laughter and Indignation. Hook bet a
guinea that a certain modest dwelling
in quiet thoroughfare leading out Of
oxford street would become the most
notorious house in town. and set about
winning his wager by addressing over
thousand letters, containing orders to
tradesmen, with the request that they
would at a certain hour on a cetrain
day deliver their goods at a certain
house in Berners street. Besides the
unfortunate shopkeepers, who suffered
much loss through damage to their
goods, others were included in the
fun" The lord mayor, the lord chief
justice, the Archbishop Of Canterbury
and the commander in chief were
among the many victims that fell into
the trap, and duly arriving at the ap-
pointed spot, experienced most uncere-
monious treatment amid the turbulent
and exasperated throng.
AS the result of a bet between the
Duke Of Montague and Lord Chester
field that the former would, by adver-
tisin an utterly impossible perform
arce, find fools enough to fill a play
house, it was announced that on Janu.
ary 10, 1749, on the stage Of the Hay
market Theater, person would get
into a tavern quart bottle, and while
there sing several songs. On the even
ing appointed for the accomplishment
of this marvellous feat the house was
packed from floor to ceiling, among the
expectant audience being no less per-
sonage than the Duke Of Cumberland.
For a while all sat in patient silence,
but on the curtain not rising, catcalls
and whistles soon swelleG to open riot.
Some one threw lighted candle upon
the stage and a general stampede for
that part Of the house Immediately fol-
lowed, and in the melee that ensued
the Duke Of Cumberland lost his sword.
The papers, especially those Of the
Jacobite party, made great fun Of this
affair, and in old England appeared
this burlesque advertisement, having
reference to the Duke Of Cumberland's
loss: Found entangled in the slit of
lady's demolished smock petticoat, a
gilt t-handled sword Of martial temper
and length, not much the worse OF
wearing, with the Spey curiously en-
graved on one side and the Scheldt on
the other; supposed to be taken from
the fat sides Of certain great general
in his hasty retreat from the battle of
Bottle Noodles, in the Haymarket.
Whoever has lost it may inquire for 1t
at the sign of the Bird and Singing
Land, in Rotten row."
A hoax equally diverting, and with
no harmful issue, was that originating
with Daily, the manager Of the Dublin
Theater, who wagered that within "a
hours he could introduce perfectly
meaningless word into the English Ian
guage, to effect which he chalked on
every wall to which he could gain ac-
cess the four letters, Q U z, which at
once set all Dublin wondering as to
their significance-wondering in vain.
the sole result Of the general bewilder-
ment being the circulation Of a word
that has remained current till the
present day.
Astounding News by Express, via
Norfolk! The Atlantic Crossed in Three
Days! Signal Triumph Of Mr.. Menck
Mason's Flying Machine! Arrival at
Sullivan's Island Near Charleston, S.
c., Of Mr.. Mason, Mr.. Robert Holland.
Mr.. Henson, Mr.. Harrison Ainsworth
and Four Others in the Steering Bal
loon Victoria After Passage Of Sew
enty-Five Hours From Land to Land!
Full particulars Of the Voyage!" was
the announcement that headed an ar
ticle in the New York Sun, giving an
account of an aerial voyage across the
Atlantic. Nearly everybody believed
in the preposterous statements, and the
circulation Of the sole paper that had
the news increased by leaps, and title
of THE Balloon Hoax" is included
among the tales Of Edgar Allan Poe.
The imposture OF Chatterton-too
we'll known to need telling-was sur
passed in audacity by that of the
youth Ireland, whose Shakespearean
forgeries form the subject Of Payns
novel, THE Talk Of the Town" 1ncit-
ed by the almost universal acclaim
with which some spurious signatures
and minor documents Of the poet were
received, he had the hardihood to dis
cover some unpublished plays by the
masters hand, one Of which, "Volti-
germ" was produced by Sheridan at
Drury Lane. It's stilted bombast, how
ever. disgusted and undeceived the
critics and public, and Ireland, finding
his position no longer tenable, made
full confession Of his knavery. More
extraordinary still was the hoax perpe-
trated by the erudite George Psalman-
azar when successfully personating a
converted native Of Formosa. What
little knowledge he possessed of the
east was supplemented by invention.
He composed an imaginary language,
while from his brain was evolved a
fictitious history Of Formossa, This,
owing to the palpable errors it contain
ed, led to detection, people refusing to
credit the statement that the natives
sacrificed $4,000 male infants annually.
London Globe.