MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18927, 16 February 1927, Page 11

MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

MAN THRICE REPORTED DEAD. [THE FEEBS Bp«cUl terrfce.] AUCKLAND, February IS. The reported death of Mark Twain on ono occasion was deßcribed by the person most concerned as "grossly exaggerated*" It was an error of a kind that occurred in Auckland on Saturday mornin" iu connexion with Edward 0. Barrett, an ex-member of the United States Navy, and now an Auckland waterside worker. "Your husband has died in Auck-, land Hospital," was the brief intimation that was brought to the Barrett home in Federal utrcet on Saturday morning by a constable in uniform. There were no further particular at the mc.ncnt, nor even when another police constable arrived with documentary confirmation of the bad news. Weeing that Barrett had set out for his work in the best of health but a few hours before to go ou board the Northumberland, his wife assumed that there lind been n. tragedy ot.tho wharf, and solicitous neighbours endeavoured to comfort her while further enquiries wero made. The constable who had broken the news gave a lot of assistance, and after some time he got in touch with the hospital and ascertained that it was a case of mistaken identity, although the man who had died at the hospital annexe had the same surname. Mrs Barrett and her littlo boy of five years were waiting at the corner of the lane when Barrett arrived home on Saturday evening, and the neighbourhood assisted to share in the family reunion. Barrett took the whole matter very much as a joke, bui for the distress. caused his wife, perhaps for the reason that it is the third time in his life that he has erroneously been reported dead.