HALLOWE’EN: Today, when you take stock of the wreckage left behind from Halloween tricksters, just know you are not alone. And the All Hallows’ Eve shenanigans have been happening for more than 100 years.
The Era recounted on Page 1 of the Friday, Nov. 1, 1901, edition the shenanigans from the night before.
“Hallowe’en Observed: Young Bradfordians Had a Very Rough, Enjoyable Night.”
“Hallowe’en was celebrated in the city last night in the usual manner, which included the breaking down of fences, removal of signs and the customary pranks of Young America. In consequence of Mayor Greenwald’s action in placing 16 officers under Chief Murray, on duty throughout the evening, the damage to property was light in comparison to former years. A number of young ladies masquerading in male attire, and about the same complement of young men in female dress, were caught by the patrolmen, but no arrests were made with the exception of two boys. The latter will be given a hearing before the Mayor at 11 o’clock this morning.
An effort was made by several of the more vicious of the celebrators to tear down the railing at the approach to the Davis street bridge, resulting in the arrest of one of the offenders. The street car track on Mechanic street was covered with grease and oil and considerable time elapsed before the employes could remove the obstruction so as to permit the cars to ascend the hill.
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A few more comments on local mischief-makers spilled onto Page 3 that day under the “Random Notes” headline:
“All Hallowe’en was celebrated in the usual manner. Alleged humorous depredations by boys were quite numerous. The fusionists observed the occasion by holding a ‘party-smashing’ pow-wow.
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“A cruel hoax was perpetrated by telephone on a girl who dwells in the Fifth ward. A person pretending to be her beau phone her to meet him at a certain trysting place and she went there. The trusting lass waited for over an hour while the conspirators in the case kept watch on her. When the love-lorn maiden saw that it was all a fake she returned sadly to her home. Then the conspirators told about it and intense indignation has been developed on the part of the deceived girl. She has decided that wireless, heart-to-heart talks are better than long range interviews with an invisible person.