The Washington herald., 1914-05-18
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
May l9 l6wo New York Newspaper Published Alleged Peena6sa
Of Pdeat Lincoln Appshtg National Fast Day and caag for
40000o More Men for the Union Aues-a Celebrated Hsax
tcusunsht. sk)

Fifty years ago today two New York
newspapers published an alleged procla-
nation of President Lincoln appointing .
national East day and calling for levy
of 10000 more men for the Union armies.
The document began as follows:
Executive Mansion, May II, 1854
"Fellow-citizens of the United States:
In all season and exigencies it be-
comes a nation carefully TO scrutinize its
line Of conduct. humbly to approach the
throne of grace and meekly 70 implore
forgiveness, wisdom and guidance.
For reasons known only to Him 1t has
been decreed that this country should
be the scene of unparalleled outrage and
this nation a monumental sufferer of the
nineteenth century. With a heavy heart,
but an undinlinished confidence in our
cause, I approach the performance of
duty rendered imperative by my sense
OF weakness before the Almighty, and
OF justice to the people.
1T is not necessary that I should tell
you that the first Virginia campaign un-
der Lieut. Gen. Grant. in whom I have
every confidence. and whose courage and
fidelity the people do well to honor, is
virtually closed. He has conducted his
great enterprise with discreet ability. He
has inflicted great loss upon the enemy.
He has crippled their strength and de-
feated their plans. In view, however of
the situation in Virginia the disaster at
Red River, the delay at Charleston and
the general state of the country. /, Abra-
ham Lincoln. do hereby recommend that
Thursday, the 26th day of May, A. d.
1854, be solewnly set apart throughout
these United States as day of fasting,
humiliation. and prayer
The call for 900 more men from is
to 45, followed. The document purported
to bear the signatures Of the President
and the Secretary of State.
Victims of q Hoax.
duced profound sensation, particularly
in Washington. The administration has
tened to send out dispatch, signed by
the Secretary of State, denouncing the
paper as ''an absolute forgery" and stat
ing that mo proclamation Of this kind or
any other has been made or proposed to
be made by the President"
An executive order from President Lin
coin was sent to Gen. John A. Dix, COM
manding at New York, directing the
arrest of the editors OF the New York
World and the New York Journal of
Commerce. in which the paper appeared,
for printing matter of "a reasonable
nature, designed to give aid and COM
fort to the enemies of the United E,ates."
Gen Dix was also ordered to take pos
session of the printing establishments
and suspend the publication of the Of
Tending newspapers.
Manton Marble. publisher of The World,
and Gerard c. Hallock, one of the pub
fishers of The Journal of Commerce,
were arrested. By 10 p. m. May IS, the
Washington authorities were convinced
that the prescribed newspapers had been
made the victims of a hoax and released
remained in the possession of a military
guard, however, until May 20, when the
ban was lifted. Both papers appeared as
usual on May q.
Meanwhile, S1,eoO reward for the appre-
hension of the perpetrator Of the hoax
was offered by B. H. Craig, the manager
of the Associated Press: The World and
The Journal of Commerce offered $50
more; the United States marshal, Robert
Murray, another $500, and a subscription
paper was started among the business
men for additional money for rewards
On May Is the officers and employees of
the telegraph company. which was said
to have received the proclamation over
its lines, were arrested. They promptly
proved their innocence.
Excitement over the hoax ran high in
New York. especially in the financial dis
trict, as the bogus call for more troops
was apparently intended to affect the
stock market at home and abroad.
There was no cable then. but the
steamer Scotia had sailed for Liverpool
May IS. Copies of the World and Of the
Journal of Commerce were in her mail.
but galley slips from the New York Her
aid. calling attention to the hoax, were
hurried to the postoffice and also went
on the Scotia
Author of the Hoax.
The whole strength OF the Secret serv-
ice staff at New York was employed to
find the author of the hoax. They
learned that the bogus proclamation had
been written on manifold. or tissue pa
per, and had been sent to all the city's
newspaper offices at an hour when the
morning papers were nearly resdy for
the press
The writing of the operator who wrote
the night messages of the Associated
Press was carefully initiated At the
World and Journal Of Commerce ofnces
the editors had gone home and Less ex-
perienced employees rushed the copy
to the printers. In other Offices the edi-
tors, not satisfied with its style, with
sheid 1t. No copy was left at the Tribune
Office as the editorial room was closed
for the night
BY May 20 enough clews had been OBJ
tained by the Secret Service men. through
certain Wall street brokers. to indicate
that Joseph Howard. tr.. the city editor
Of the Brooklyn Eagle, was the author OF
the hoax. Mr.. Howard was a member OF
Henry Ward Beechers Plymouth Church
Sunday school. and a friend Of the great
preacher The senior Joseph Howard
was a desson in Plymouth Church.
Mr.. Howard was arrested at his office
May %. According to contemporary |
account he acknowledged to Gen. Dix
his authorship Of the hoax. 1t was evil |
dent he had not realized that IT would |
prove such serious anEsir. He had
thought such hoax would harm mo-
body and that IN The resulting depres-
sion OF stocks and rise in the premium /
On gold some money might be made. 10 |
carry out this plan Mr.. Howard had
been Obliged to led himself 10 tho del
agns Of certain genuine stock sanhaers. ]