Ananias - Sapphira Club (liars)
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 24 Feb 1893 p 4
The Ananias and Sapphira club is a unique organization whose birthplace is Crawfordsville, Ind. It is said to be the rarest aggregation of lying sports men to be found anywhere over whose farcical deliberations the Hon. EC Snyder judge of the Montgomery Circuit court presides with much gravity deciding the worthiness of the stories – told to be entered in the archives. NY Times.
The above item has gone the round of the papers of the country. It shines forth in the plate matter of the cross roads county weekly and scintillates among the miscellaneous matter of the metropolitan daily. It has been before the world for nearly two years. Such a fame!
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 22 March 1890 p 3
The Famous Club of this Name Added Two Honored Names to Its Roll. The Ananias and Sapphira Natural History Club has secured a couple more members, which if they keep up their luck will add glory and renown:, to that historic combination of imaginative und picturesque liars. They are non professionals, and were, admitted without a dissenting voice, when they lisped out the stories. Buck Brothers, the strawling blonde cop, was the first to got in. He came into the presence of the Boss Prevaricator a few evenings since and told of how upon a certain time he had started out with a very small hook and line to capture a few mimics in one of those spring branches .. of .. Rock River. He had good sport and finally felt a heavy pull. He felt a jerk and landed a bass, which weighed when dressed 2 ½ pounds. “Now,” he said, "the mystery is why my line did not break or how the great fish came to be where he was," No one smiled, no one doubted. The Boss Prevaricator at a sign from his brethren stopped forward and placed the badge of the brotherhood (a brass lyre) upon Buck's breast and hailed him as Munchausen Professor of the Piscatorial Art.
Fred Bandel was the next to knock for admission, and he knocked not in vain. Fred, and Kaiser, his dog, had been hunting a few days ago, and it became necessary for them to cross the creek where the current was quite swift. Fred passed in safety, his gigantic form squelching all aspirations of the current to toss him about but Kaiser was not so fortunate. The current got him and swept him down toward a pile of drift wood. Fred could not rescue him, and he was carried under, his master supposed, to death. With what joy it was he saw Kaiser appear after a time on the opposite side of the drift, and bearing in his jaws the flopping body of a bass which weighed six pounds no smiles no one doubts, and again the lyre of brass was pinned on and Fred was escorted to the chair of the D. Willis Cox, Professorship of Dogs and Fishes a position which he will grace with honor to himself and the great club of which he is so worthy a member.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 10 May 1895 p 3
Last Monday "Rev." Wm. Wellford was fined §10.35 for carrying a pistol. He claims to come from Fredericksburg, and has a circuit, but he remained in this city over Sunday and had a circus. He is charged with pointing a pistol at a fellow's nose, which led to his arrest for carrying a concealed weapon. He paid his fine and departed, a wiser though poorer man. When he was before the Mayor he first said he never drank any beer in his life, and then he acknowledged to having treated twice in the Valley saloon and drinking himself. The Mayor told him he was a good subject for the Ananias Club, and the preacher told the police, after his release, that the Mayor was very rude for speaking in such a manner to him, a minister.
CLUB
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 26 May 1888 p3
For a long time Ben Crane has been endeavoring to break into the Ananias and .Sapphira Natural History Club, but it was a failure. Ben couldn't tell one of sufficient magnificent to stand among that galaxy of magnificent amateur liars. Saturday morning he made the connection and was at once elevated to the Walker Coward and Columbus Cruse Professorship of Bass. Ben’s story was to the effect that he had at one sitting caught 150# of bass, thus beating the championship record 110 ½ pounds. No words were spoken but the Boss Liar and most Eminent Generalissimo place upon his forehead the seal of election and a stillness as of death followed. The story was so far ahead of anything yet told that it staggered every member.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 21 July 1888 p 3
The following extract from a letter from Mit Scott now at Guthrie, Indiana buying blackberries will set aside all doubt which may have arisen in the minds of the public as to his fitness in being made a member of the Ananias and Sapphira Club: One the greatest curiosities to be seen in this country is an armless boy, nine years of age, who can write, pick blackberries, throw rocks at birds and do as much with his feet, as many boys can with two hands. Where the arms should be are short, grisly protuberances, one about six inches long, with which he can pinch a nickel as tight as anyone. He has pockets all over him. and with the toes of his left foot he can put articles in either pocket. Just now the only thing lacking to make this a complete community is a "chigger master." Several applicants for the position have come out. but the record of each one is faulty, and they will probably all fail of confirmation. It may be that while sojourning here I may witness a murder or I the administration of justice by the White Caps. If I am so fortunate I will at once communicate the news to you. The White Cap country is near here or at least like the milk sick region. It is just over in the next township.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 24 Sept 1897 p 3
Tom Robinson on Monday received a letter from Harley Ornbaun at Mackinac. In t his letter Mr. Ornbaun stated that he and PO Rudy had gone fishing off Snow Islands and had caught a muscalungue which weight about 60# and was over 5’ in length. In its frantic efforts to get off the hook it pulled Mr. Ornbaun out of the boat and all but capsized the frail craft in 150’ of ice cold water. It was landed after nearly 3 hours of hard and wildly exciting work. There was a called meeting of the Ananias and Sapphira Club at Brown’s drug store last Monday to take action on the applications of Messrs Ornbaun and Rudy.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 25 June 1897 p 4
“East Garfield” – The moles have been very bad here this Spring and some of the stories told about them would do credit to any Ananias and Sapphria Club.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 11 Feb 1898 p 2
“Wingate news” – There is talk of organizing an Ananias and Sapphira Club here. The is excellent material for such a club and all that is wanting is for someone to set the ball rolling.