Hoaxer gave message of Nixon’s death

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32861, 9 March 1972, Page 15

Hoaxer gave message of Nixon’s death

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) NEW ORLEANS, March 8. The United States Coast Guard said today a hoax message was transmitted by a Coast Guardsman to 22 units along the Gulf of Mexico during President Nixon’s China visit to the effect that Mr Nixon had been assassinated and that World War 111 had been declared by VicePresident Spiro Agnew, United Press international reported.

In response to an inquiry the Coast Guard’s Eighth District headquarters in New Orleans revealed: “a hoax message was transmitted on an intra-district teletype net to 22 units of the eighth Coast Guard district on the morning of February 27, 1972.” The Coast Guard said: “The gist of the message was that the President had been assassinated and that World War 111 had been declared by the Vice-President” However, a Coast Guard spokesman said: ’The message was immediately recognised as spurious at the district office, verified, and the units on the net de-alerted."

The spokesman said that “in view of the seriousness of sending unauthorised messages of any nature on the Coast Guard communications circuits, an investigation was launched to identify the perpetrator who was subsequently allegedly identified as a watch-stander at a small

Coast Guard station in Texas.”

As a result of “his inexplicable admitted behaviour in committing this grave offence,” said the spokesman, "the man is presently undergoing medical evaluation.” He said that “investigation as required by the uniform code of military justice is also being conducted prior to initiating any charges against the accused.” The Eighth Coast Guard District comprises the states of New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.