AMUSING MISTAKES.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3847, 28 April 1881, Page 1

AMUSING MISTAKES.

[OHAMBBB* JOITBNAL.] Droll mistakes are of course endlew. Here are a few culled at random :- A London paper gare an account ot another case of mistaken identity m connection with a distinguished P«f«»**£ An aged couple in high life who were celebrating their golden wedding, by way of concluding the festmties on that occasion, adjourned with the children and their respective belongings to a theatre, in I which to accommodate so large a party two boxes had been knocked into one. Ihe eldest son, who strong^ resembles liis Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, stepped forward and occupied the centre seat with the ladies of the party beside him; upon which the orchestra struck up the National Anthem, and the audience rose to their feet en masse, the innocently unconscious party of course doing tftp same themselves. „ There is no doubt that people of rather unusual proportions had an awkward time of it when the claimant was as large. A story goes that a corpulent gentleman once took a box at the Canterbury Hall. First one person then another eyed him, until at length the counterpart of the Claimant became the centre of .pbserration. A cheer arose, the singing was suspended, and an oration was the result- The supposed Sir -Roger rose, and bowed hit acknowledgment. But this was not enough. He must speak. The manager announced that " fcir Roger" had a cold, and could not speak. Fearing the consequence, if the audience discovered their mistake, he had the " Claimant" removed as quietly as possible in a cab and sent in a roundabout way to his home. The intoxicated bricklayer who squared up to a post and maintained a one-sided fight, affords an absurd illustration x>f mistaken identity if we can rely upon newspaper reports, such ludicrous incidents are surpassed by, what is said to have happened in the neighbourhood of Morecombe. Some time ago the body of what was supposed by the discoverer to be a human being was found lying on the beach near the place above named, having undoubtedly been left there by the receding tide. The usual preparation for holding an orthodox inquest was put in force and kept going until the examination of a medical man proved the suspected human corps to be but the carcase of a monkey, which had probably been thrown orerboard fivm some ship, and which so clearly resembled in appearance a human being as to require a doctor to tell the difference. Such a mistake either looks like a gross flattery upon a dead monkey or an unconscious satire npon human nature, calculated to delight all believers in Darwinian theory A not unnatural mistake was that made by the policeman who arrested a Dublin youth under what appeared to be suspicious circumstances., The young gentleman referred to was at a party in the Irish capital, and joined with great spirit in a game of forfeits. Amidst the fun and merriment, it was proposed to regain his forfeits he should pay a risit to the turf stacks on the adjacent canal bank and bring, some turf into the room. Thinking only to the diversion that his return with an armful of turf wonld create he immediately hastened to the place indicated, filled his arms, and was in the act of returning, when to his horror he became aware that a policeman was in pursuit. Almost paralysed with fright he dropped, his burden, and awaited the officer's arrival.

"O, constable," he stammered, " Tie been playing a game of forfeits, and was told to bring some turf from the canal into the house.

" Not a bad story ; but you'll hare to come with me," declared the constable.

There had been continued complaints of turf-pilfering; so. regardless of his protestations, the unlucky youth was locked up for the night. The first intimation his merry making friends received of his whereabouts was when next morning they heard that he had been explaining the mistake to the presiding magistrate, who fortunately comprehended the case in a moment, and dismissed it. ,

A misconception as ludicrous, but in which a policeman figured less creditably than the one just referred to, took place in the Isle of Man. At a Deemster'b Court in Ramsay, a Jew was about to be sworn to gire eWdence. As Jews are always sworn on the Old Testament, and not the new, the Deemster requested the constable in attendance to fetch an Old one. After a while that worthy returned and handed to the witness an ancient looking dilapidated book which, on being examined, prored to be a New Testament. The Deemster's attention being called to it, he asked the constable why he had not brought an Old Testament, to which the innocent reply was: " Please, your Honor, it was the oldest one I could find."

An amusing blunder was ouce made by a dyer, who was given by a farmer four flannel shirts to be dyed a fast grey color; instead of which he died them blue*. On wearing the garments, the color came out of them so . that, as the farmer curiously expressed it, "he looked like a Eed Indian;" and as it cost-him several shillings in baths to turn himself into; a white man again, he sued the dyer, and obtained damages.