Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-24

Hoaxers exist In every profession
and walk of life; they flourish in
every age and cline; they ply their
art either as a means of livelihood or
from the sole desire to gull the cred
ulous public. 1t was the latter which
melted the 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 In
dignation. says the London Globe.
Hook bet guinea that certain
modest dwelling In a quiet thorough
fare leading out of oxford street
would become the most Notorious
house In town, and set about VIM
ming his wager by addressing over
/ 900 letters containing orders TO
tradesmen, with the request that they
would at a certain hour on a certain
day deliver their goods at certain
house in Berners street.
Besides the unfortunate shopkeep-
ers, 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
comm ander-in- chief were among the
MANY victims that fell into the trap,
and. duly arriving at the appointed
| SPOT experienced most unceremonious
| treatment amid the turbulent and ex-
asperated throngs
Az the result of bet between the
Duke of Montague and Lord Chester
field that the former would, by adver-
/ Using an utterly impossible perform
ance, find fools enough to fill play
\ house, 1t was announced that on j an-
! nary 10, 1749, on the stage of the Hay
| market Theatre, a person would get
into a tavernf quart bottle and while
| there sing several songs.
4 On the evening appointed for the
4 accomplishment of this marvellous
/ feat the house was packed from floor
4 10 ceiling, among the expectant audi
ence being no less a parsonage than
4 the Duke of Cumberland. For while
i ali sat in patient silence, but, on the
4 curtain not rising, catcalls and whis-
Il ties soon swelled to open riot. Some
!; one. threw a.-lighted candle upon the
i stage. and a general stampede for
that part of the house immediately
followed, 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 Cumber-
lands loss: Found eIltangled In the
slit of a lady's demolished smock pet
ticoat, a gilt-handled sword Of mars
tial temper and length, not much this
verse of wearing, with the Spev Gu
rionsly engraved. on one, sideEand the
soheldt on the other; supp osed to be
taken from the fat sides of a GER
tain great general In his hastyi re-
treat from the battle of -Bottle. Nod
dlss, in the Haymarket. Whoever has
lost 1t may inquire for 1t at the sign
Of the Bird and Singing Land, in Rot
ten row."
"A hoax, equally diverting and with
no harmful issue, was that originAf-
ing with DAILY the manager of The
Dublin Theatre, who wagered thai
within twenty-four hours he cotild
. introduce perfectly meaningless
word into the English language, tt
effect which he chalked on every wal
to which he could gain access the
four letters @ U / 2, which at once
set all Dublin wondering as to theil
iEnificance-wonderi in vain, tn,
sole result of the general bewilder
ment being the circulation of a wore