The Halifax Comet. — 1893-09-09 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

HOW MARK TWAIN WAS FOOLED BY HIS PRINTING-OFFICE ASSOCIATES. "About twenty years ago," said the manager of a theatrical troupe to a Cleveland reporter, "I was a printer on the Virginia City Enterprise, and Mark Twain was on the local staff. Mark and I roomed together across the divide,' in a place known as Gold Hill, about a mile from Virginia City. In those days th 6 divide' was considered one of the most dangerous places for miles around, and scarcely a night passed but what somebody was waylaid, robbed, and murdered. But the boys on the Enterprise were never molested by highwaymen, and would think nothing of from town to Gold Hill after the paPrikearM gone to press, generally at about two or three o'clock in the morning. Mark Twain and I would frequently go home together, but occasionally he left for home earlier, for, as I said before, he was doing local work and I was setting type. He was a very droll, dry sort of fellow, delighted in practical jokes, and the boys had to be constantly on the look-out for fear of some new scheme that Mark would spring on them. A man named Dan or Mike McCarthy—l don't exactly recollect which—was foreman of the composing-room. One fine evening, dote mined to get oven with Mark, we, in company with the staff, held a secret meeting, sad unanimously concluded, to get even' in the shape of an immense practical joke, which the boys were getting ready to play on him at the first favourable opportunity. Sure enough, the long-lookedfor arrived; we held another secret meeting during Mark's temporary absence, appointed a committee of four to act as full-fledged highwaymen, dressed them up in the regulation outfit, masks and all, and instructed them to lay in wait on the divide,' and, when they saw the gentle Twain approaching, ask him to Stand and deliver.' Everything worked to perfection. I left the office on some pretence or other, and told Twain that I could not accompany him home that morning. We fixed things up with foreman McCarthy, who was chosen as his companion, and was instructed to show no resistance,but throw uphis hands immediately upon the appearance of the typo-bandits. The two victims left the office about three o'clock in the morning. Mark was unusually happy, as it was a bright moonlight night, and said he was just in the right mood to enjoy a good walk. But what was his astonishment when, completing one-half of the distance, the two travellers were confronted by the four highwaymen, masked and armed to the teeth, with cocked revolvers pointing at their heads, kindly requesting them to halt and deliver their valuables. McCarthy was the first to throw up his hands. Mark, evidently filled with terror, followed his friend's example. keeping his arms in that position while the ceremony of going through McCarthy's pockets was in progress. For the sake of appearances McCarthy was relieved of his valuables; then the fun began with the unfortunate humorist, who was robbed of everything but the clothes on his back, including his watch, jewellery, and a sum of money. Glad to escape with his life, he hurried home, terribly annoyed, and badly frightened. The day following the plunder was examined by the 'boys who were in the secret; all the trinkets and mor.ey were neatly packed up in