Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-07
GIANT WHO COULDN'T TALK
And the Willy Press Agent Who Stood
BY and Profted

TT WAS long while ago that we were
l. talking of the Jersey Devil" the monu-
mental fake which emanated from the fertile
brain of Norman Jefferies: but. as he pre-
dicted at that time, some one has arisen to
deny that the thing was fake. CORE
spondent. writing from Mllville, y. j., and
signing himself Julius Colvin." declares that
an uncle of his who was "the seventh son
of seventh son, and therefore gifted with
second sight" had actually seen II. Ihe
uncle. however. is unfortunately dead.
There IL another story in which Jeferies
figured which may serve here to while away
an idle five minutes. and at the same time
show now easy 1t Is for resourceful press
agent to start something.
Some years ago, when Jefferies was press
agent for Bradenberg's Dime Museum. and
was, as usual, In Ill favor with the news
papers because of the many tricks he had
put over upon them in securing publicity
: for his house. -Barnum & Bailey's circus
had just brought into this country the Ar
abian giant. Hassan Ali. Jefferies went over
to New York and quietly made a deal with
the circus people for five weeks engage
ment for Hass. n at the Dime Museum here
before the circuU season started,
The big Arab was smuggled into Philadel'
phia, accompanied by a fellow countryman
of his who acted as interpreter, for Hassan
spoke nothing but the strange dialect pecu'
liar to the obscure Syrian province from
which he came. A special led had to be
built for Hassan, in a remote corner of the
museum. and it was some job to keep him
there unknown TO the people about the
house.
Having captured his freak, Jefferies began
to cudgel his brains for a plan to break
into pure reading matter about him. Fortu-
nately for him Hassan's guide, philosopher
and friend was called back 10 New York and
lcneries was left with that sun-burnt ele-
phant on his hands-and his hands were full.
speaking hands, Hassan possessed two OF
the largest In captivity With one of them
he could span the top of an ordinary bucket
and lift 1t from the floor. a bucket, by the
way, was what Hassan liked to drink from,
and his Partially was not for water. He
favored American whisky, and Jefferies had
to keep him supplied with this ardent stun
to hold him In his prison.
AS he sat watching Hassan, Jefferless brain
ABSORBED the big idea. He dressed Hassan
for promenade and took him down Ninth
street and out Market street to Twelfth.
There they stopped and the crowd which
had followed pressed around. When Has
sans back was turned Jefferies quietly slipped
away and from point of vantage across the
street watched what followed
Now, when Hassan had few full-szed
drinks under his belt he had habit OF
| reaching out with his big hands to push
out OF his way anything tnat happened 10
be before him. He hustled that crowd
around like ninepins and still the crowd
grew. 1t blocked the street Presently q
policeman appeared. but Hassan couldn't
| tell him what the trouble was because he
couldn't talk the Philadelphia police dialect.
| The cop decided to take him to City Han
| and there they locked him In cell. which,
| fortunately, was almost big enough.
An Interpreter was called from the Quarter
| Sessions Court---a man who knew every
| thing--but he couldn't solve Hassan-
| For several days the papers were full q
| news OF the stranger whom no one could
understand-and when the proper time cen]1
| Jsfferies claimed him ana HaGpsn All hoor1
hs> spgessuspt o 4 49, * EpcxI Z. s, 81