Detroit evening times., 1943-09-05
A Title F0|r
Practical Jokers
70 Shoot At



4 duration. is open TO competition
! The championship is that OF premier practical
joker and the former undsputed filler tall serious
faced Hugh Troy former artist in New York city is
reported o switched Army Ife.
For years now. Hugh has set such pace in
creating practical jokes that there is wel-esabHHed
pattern for -cn3tnR'ieF-te follow
best-knoWn feat-,Sas when hc a confederate
spent whole day digging up part OF busy Now York
street which they had placed barriers 10 close ot
the whole bUCt tTartrc- Dressed in overans they
chattrd cop tIe beat, ate Their lunch and
finished their -riPP4HR-tiP 5elAeSt day +tff
appeared Another day and another passed Finally lrse
people the nelghborhood called the public @nsis part
ment to find out that the excavation hoaZ-
Then there The time when Hugh and friend had
carpenter make them bench exactly like those New
York City parks Then the two took their purchase 20
Central Park and calmly policeman stroict
into view As the cop neared them Hugh and ms friend
got up picked up bench and began to carry
Not long aerward in front Of city judge they produced
their bill of sale from the carpenter and demanded and
apology from the policeman.
Hugh already enjoying his practical jolung
Undergraduate members OF the editorial STAFF Of
The Cornell Widow campus humor magazine used 70 tel
how his brought up election TO the board time
and again only 10 have the secretary always give the IN
formation that Troy social probation again fol-
lowing one of his pranks
"Pure-Troy' insane routine wherein confederate
of Hughs boards a subway train m Nep York city
and straphappy any other sCayng passenger
Hugh then boards the tram stop tro later.
While fellow passengers galt tho Joker walks down the
10 his friend and. without utterng word plucls
handkerchief from the breast pocket Of Tho couedraes
coat, blows his IT stuns the handkerchief back
into the pocket and unsuing walks back
Give Hugh just little time and you get a MASTER
piece day while Ithaca "A Cornell journalism stl-
dent tephoued She had drawn Hugh tho subject
interview for her class assignment
Hugh bit slcptca, suspcctinc.a gag. hut told
the girl to come ahead. anyway She d.t HgNeycr not
f4t-+r mt Itr-0bod solemn C1HfoIcrato Opened the
door thrust hands bowl and
the other lighted candle bowed io" ana told her Tho
Master would be out presently sretjHg her TO wait,
sitting cross-legged the front lawn
A few moments elapsed and from the house the n
fptp att Fltfl
bare leg Hugh camoufagcd in weird Oriental cpugomer
while the nabbcrgasted girl trembling with
fear and surprise hcmmed and hawed there trans
WItttd through he confederate doubling as interpreter
the beginning OF the requested interview But The
Master doing the questioning, asking hcr what
used for her compeXon that ne could the
back 20 the women of his country
What scared the student away finally tho appear
ancc OF a friend the Troy family visiting Ithaca who
had been photographjng snapped the scene
Hugh's favoritc gags depends upon his height
which is well six feet He places quarter dollars
high lodges his home and then time later whom
he is with an nnsec'ne aeqnaniaT' tho artist reaches
up and reclams after protesting lack of while
waiting for bus street Hugh likes 10 tell of tho
work of contemporary wit who after secing the trick
done astoundcd him not long 10y srropttiousy
taking from of his fayoritc hiding places the quarter
and substituting dimes and nickel
However, time this unusual height proved
10 be the major defeat the champion
a friend, Or Scuss, the cartoonst, teephoncd Hugh
and invited the anly unral,si a night
at the Selss house After Hugh politely accepted the
prospective asked favor Hugh would sop
at downtown hotel for escortess young woman friend
Hugh OF course. giucously accepted But waiting the
hotel lobby, Hugh aghast whom from the elevator
strodc his ady-for-t evening Sho handsomely
dressed in sparkling formal clothes But she lttle
more than three feet tail ALWAYS the gentleman Hugh
in towering top hat and tails had to escort the little lady
TO his hosts home
This Hugh relates his most disconccrting expert
For, not until much later did either hc any OF
the other guests who had to smother politely their laughter
Hugh danced and walked about with the tiny woman
learn that the bodevug host had hired the little lady
for the evening from circus side show.