Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1883 — Children of a Journalist’s Brain. [ARTICLE]

Children of a Journalist’s Brain.

The so-called “Aztec Children,” once exhibited by Barmun, were first brought to this country by a Spaniard, who had purchased them from a,tribe of wandering Indians in Honduras. He arrived with them in New Orleans, early in 1856. At that time the New Orleans Picayune had on its editorial staff Mr. James E. Otis., The enterprising Spaniard requested Mr. Otis to write np a notice of the two curious children. Mr. Otis spun off over onehalf a column, in which he reviewed the history of the Aztec tribe of Mexico, desdbed minutely the appearance of the children, and concluded his article by declaring that they were the sole survivors of the onoe-powerful Aztec race. The children were named the Aztec children and no one save their owner and Mr. Otis knew the true story of their lives. Immense success met them wherever they were exhibited, and all over the country the now famous children were objects of daily discussion. At the Boyal Academy, Berlin, a long and hot discussion was held as to whether the children were genuine Aztecs, and two eminent professors from the academy were sent to Mexico to trace the origin of the Aztec tribe. By some means the two professors managed to find Mr. Otis, and about four years after the story was written this latter gentleman was surprised by a visit from the professors, who explained the object of their cal). Mr. Otis, after a quiet laugh, confessed tbe joke, to the disgust of the two searchers for truth. The professors were astounded, but started immediatly for the academy at Berlin, where the hoax was explained, and Amerioan and journalists were roundly denounced. The Aztec children continued to draw large crowds,however, and probably few persons to-dav arc cognizant of their real history. —New York World.