an unrecorded meaning of the word "pun" -- 1811

[George Thompson]

The passage below is from an 1811 newspaper; it's long, but in addition
to its philological interest it is a reasonably entertaining glimpse of
life in NYC in the good old days.

The word "pun" is used to mean "joke" in the most general sense, or
perhaps "prank".  It appears in this sense both in the newspaper's
story of the incident and also in the official police report that the
paper prints.  The word in the sense of a play upon words was more or
less new in 1811, and likely to have been quite new in America.  The
police magitrate may have used it under a misunderstanding, and have
been followed by the newspaper's editor.  But in its part of the story
the paper doesn't use any of the usual tricks that show that it is
using a new word -- putting it in italics or within "", for instance --
which would be an indication that the word or the sense was unfamiliar
the editor and that he had picked it up from the magistrate's report.

        A serious pun. -- Since Thursday evening last, the citizens
residing in the neighbourhood of Chapel and Anthony streets, have been
much alarmed by a very large assemblage of people before the door of
the house No. 142 Chapel-street, brought together from the
circumstances which are detailed in the following hand-bill.  The
occupants of the house refusing to open the doors, the suspicions of
the people increased, and such was their anxiety to ascertain the truth
of the story, that we are informed numbers entered the yard with spades
and shovels, and completely revolutionized the earth in order to find
the murdered man, but to no effect.  The Police, finding that the mob
increased, and fearful that some mischievous consequences might ensue,
determined upon a search, and last evening the doors were opened and
the windows of the house illuminated. -- During the search, the mob,
which by this time amounted to not less than two thousand persons,
waiting with anxious expectation to hear the result, were in the course
of an hour gratified with the report.  Garrit Gilbert, Esq. one of the
Police Justices, appeared on the stoop, and calling the attention of
the citizens, stated, that after a thorough search from the cellar
kitchen to the garret, in which every hole and avenue had been closely
inspected, declared that no suspicious circumstances appeared; and in a
neat and judicious harangue, exhorted the citizens to retire to their
homes, which was pretty generally complied with; and the street in a
short time resumed a quiet appearance.
        It is to be hoped from the serious consequences which had like
to have followed this pun, that our modern quizzers, who appear to be
so fond lately of playing tricks upon the community, will learn a
lesson that will prove to their future advantage; for had not the
proper authority taken this pun in hand as soon as they did, the lives
and property of our citizens might have suffered serious consequences.

NOTICE.
        A Rumor having gone abroad that a murder had been committed at
No. 142 Chapel-street, on account of a coffin having been left there,
which has caused a collection of people;
        For the satisfaction of the Citizens it is hereby declared that
the circumstances have been investigated, and tat the following is the
result, viz.
        A man by the name of HENRY CARD, applys (sic) to a Cabinet-
Maker in Banker -street, to have a Coffin made for his wife to be
buried in, and directed it to be sent to the corner of Anthony and
Chapel-streets: the carriers of the Coffin took it to the place
according to directions, but not finding any person here dead, and not
wishing to carry it about the street, begged the favour of Katy Butler,
who lives at No. 142 Chapel-street, to put it in her yard, until they
could find how it was intended for.
         Some jealousy arising from the circumstance of the Coffin
being covered up, which was done on account of the rain, it was
surmised that some person had been Murderer there, which caused an
investigation of the circumstance.  The whole is now admitted by CARD,
to be a PUNN of his own contrivance for the sake of some SPORT, and he
is now a prisoner in the Debtors Goal for the price of the Coffin.  The
citizens are therefore requested peaceably to retire, and thereby
prevent much trouble and anxiety to the inhabitants in the
neighbourhood.
        By order of J. DE LA MONTAGNIE, One of the Police Magistrates.
        New-York Evening Post, August 9, 1811, p. 2, col. 4

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.