crowd had assembled, and delivered into the hands of a person, who was evidently
Emile Ollivier.
his confederate, what he pretended was an official despatch, which gave an account of a great battle having been fought in which the French were victorious, taking forty guns and twenty-five thousand prisoners, among whom was included the Crown Prince. A spark of fire failing upon a magazine could hardly have produced a greater explosion. The assembled multitude broke out into the wildest shouts, and the contents of the despatch were repeated from mouth to mouth, and men ran in every direction communicating the joyful intelligence. The people rushed into the streets; the tricolor was everywhere displayed; men embraced and kissed each other, shedding tears of joy; shouts, vociferations, and oaths filled the air, and such a delirium was never before witnessed. Rue Richelieu, the Boulevards of Montmartre and the Italiens, and the Rue de la Paix were filled with people singing the Marseillaise. Everybody declared that the news was true; the official report had been seen and closely scanned, and there could be no doubt of its correctness. Madame Sass, a distinguished opera-singer, was found in the street, and the crowd insisted upon her singing the Marseillaise from her carriage, which she did three times amid transports of enthusiasm. In another part of the streets the multitude forced another distinguished singer to mount to the top of an omnibus, also to sing the Marseillaise.
Soon the furor of the enthusiasm began to abate; and some persons were wise enough to suggest that it would be well to inquire more particularly into the news, and to see whether or not it should be confirmed. The result of the inquiry was that it was a stupendous hoax. The songs at once ceased, the flags were taken in, and the victims of the canard began to feel indignant. As the affair originated at the Bourse, the cry was raised in the crowd "à la Bourse!" and away the people went, breathing vengeance against the money-changers and speculators, who, it was alleged, had taken advantage of the
Fac-simile of a Note from M. Ollivier.
false report to get the benefit of a rise of about four per cent. in the stocks. Never were money-changers
