{2{e           CRAZY HOAXES


{1 {aOne of the {cgreatest {ahoaxes of all time {finvolved {aone of the world's most
famous buildings - the {eEiffel Tower{a, built originally for the {eParis
Exhibition of 1889{a, and at that time among the {btallest structures {ain the
world.  Although it was {bintended {athat the tower should be {fknocked down {aafter
the exhibition it has remained in {eposition {ato this day, and is still one of
{cFrance's {amost popular {btourist attractions.
{aThe tower is {f300 metres {ahigh, is made of {g12,000 {airon girders joined by over
{g2.5 million rivets, {aand is said to {bweigh {aover {g7,000 tonnes.
{aIn 1925 two very bold tricksters, {bCount Victor Lustig {aand {gDaniel Collins,
{amanaged to sell the {bEiffel Tower {anot {eonce, {abut {gtwice!

 {aThe way they did it was surprisingly simple.  {gThe Count, {aan Austrian, booked
himself a suite in a Paris hotel and invited five wealthy businessmen all of
them scrap metal merchants to meet him there.  When they arrived he made
them take vows of {bsecrecy, {aand then proceeded to tell them that, although it
was kept a closely guarded secret, the {bEiffel Tower {awas in a {gdangerous
condition {aand would have to be {bpulled down.  {aHe asked the businessmen for
offers for the scrap metal, all {e7,000 tonnes {aof it, and explained that the
secrecy was because the {fgovernment {awere desperate to avoid a {bpublic outcry
{aover the {gdemolition of this much loved national monument.

 The {gfive businessmen {aeach put in a bid and the Count accepted the highest
one, which was from a scrap metal merchant called {cAndre Poisson.

 {aAt his next meeting with {bMonsieur Poisson {athe {gCount {aintroduced {bDaniel
Collins {aas his secretary and Poisson gave them a cheque for several hundred
thousand francs, accepting their word that the necessary legal documents
would be sent to him in a few days.  Within {gtwenty-four {ahours {bCount Victor
{eLustig {aand {bDaniel Collins {awere out of the country.

 Naturally, they expected {gPoisson {ato go to the {bpolice, {abut he didn't.
Realising the trick that had been played on him, he felt far too {ffoolish {ato
report it to anyone.

 As time passed, {bLustig {aand {fCollins {arealised how successfully their plan had
worked.  They returned to Paris and, within a few dyas, had repeated the
whole trick again, selling the tower to another gullible scrap merchant.
This time their victim did go to the police, but the two con men {sfled {athe
{bcountry {aand never brought to {gjustice.

{a They were probably {ginspired {aby a {bScotsman {acalled {fArthur Fergusson, who two
{ayears before, in {g1923, {amanaged to sell three famous London landmarks to
{bthree {adifferent {cAmerican tourists. {a He sold {gBig Ben {afor {f£1000, {bNelson's
Column {ain {bTrafalgar Square{a for {e£6,000, {aand received a{b £2000 {adeposit for
{bBuckingham Palace, {awhere {dKing George V {awas {gliving {aat the time!

 With the {gmoney,{b Ferhusson{a went to America, where in {fWashington he managed to
sell the {aWhite House, {bby pretending to be a {ggovernment agent. {a With this
money he moved to{b New York, {awhere the {gStatue of Liberty{a hangs out.
{dFergusson {aexplained to an Australian visitor that plans were afoot to widen
the{g harbour, {awhich meant that the statue had be taken to pieces and {gsold.
{dFergusson {apersuaded the Australian to buy the statue for {b$100,000 {aso that he
could {fre-erect{a it in {cSydney Harbour.  {aThe Australian raised the money and
his {bbank's suspicions. {a On their advice, he contacted the {gpolice{a who
promptly arrested {dFergusson. {a He was imprisoned for {ffive years,{a and
although, on his release, he gave up selling {bancient monuments,{a for the rest
of his life he was able to live {dquite comfortably{a on the money he had
already made.

  {bSphinky{a/{gGhost {a  Source:{bCrazy Hoaxes{a