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Show CIIEIIULOUS LONOO.NEI'. A ECCCESSKUL HOAX IinifETTtATED OX TIIEBBlTiai rUBUC MAJ.-Y YEARS AGO. One of tlio celebrated hoaxes of history tooV place lu LonJoa, January Janu-ary 16, 17-19. Sorau unknown pvt-sOHntlvettlsnl pvt-sOHntlvettlsnl that lie would ou that evening In tho Ilaymarket Tlicatro, play 011 n common walklng-cane tho mui-ic of every instrument then used; that 1 he would while on the stage get Into a common quart bottle, bot-tle, and while inside would elogrev-enil elogrev-enil songs and permit any perron to handle the bottle; that hu would, if any oi the spectators came masked, tell who they were, and that In a private room lie would produce the representation of Kny dead person and tnal.e him speak. In spite of the absurdity of this advertisement, the house was crowded. The Duke of Cumberland was one of the distinguished dis-tinguished fuols present. The ieo-pie ieo-pie waited patiently for the phenomenal phenom-enal performer to arrlvc.but when he failed to appear they began to get angry. They 1iLsm.i1 nod (.homed until a pcrton connected with the theatre came forward and announced announc-ed thai If there was no performance the money would lu refunded. Somebody in the gallery tuggitted that if the spectators would pay double dou-ble ptlces of admission the conjurer would go Into a pint bottle. The crowd laughed, but soon made a charge upon thestage. Cumberland was In a fury, and wanted the theatre the-atre pulled down. lie drew his sword, but somebody wrested the weapon out of his hand. Most ofthv audience rushed out of the theatre pell-mell, many losing their hats, cloaks, wigs and swords, but some remained insldo and gave vent to their rage by tearing up the U'liches, smashing up tho scenery and pulling down the boxes, bringing the debris into the street, where, they made a big bonfire eflL Tbe cuitaln was hoisted over tho blazing pile as a Mag. It was never known why the hoax was perpetrated. The proprietor proprie-tor of tbe theatre was honest iu his inteulion to -refund the admllon money, and lie would have done to hail not tlie crowd destroyed his property. It is thouglittliecoiijurer simply tested the credulity tf the public. C'icago ..Veira. |