December 13 Monday – The New York World ran an article, “Mark Twain in Vienna” p.6, that contained Sam’s reply to the question, had he ever seen the like of this Austrian parliament?

“Not quite!” said Mark Twain. “A scene I witnessed in America once was what approached it most nearly. It was when one gentleman had gone off on another gentleman’s horse—by mistake—and was caught and brought back. Well, there was an assembly then something like this Reichsrath that began by hanging the accused and then sat in judgment of him afterward. I dare say a good deal of the language then used was like what I heard tonight, but which, to my regret, I did not always catch correctly” [MTCI 329-31].