GREATEST HOAXER

Evening Star, Issue 23175, 26 January 1939, Page 2

GREATEST HOAXER

PRIME MINISTER'S BROTHER-IN-LAW SOME FAMOUS INSTANCES Mr Neville Chamberlain, our seriousminded Prime Minister, had the world’s greatest hoaxer for a brother-in-law. He was William Horace do Vere Cole 1—“ Molar ” Cole, Mrs Chamber- ■ lain’s brother, who died in the South of France two years ago at the ago of 56 with 8.7. successful hoaxes to his credit. “ Molar ” Cole began his famous hoaxes in 1905 while he was at Cambridge. Ho dressed up ns the Sultan of Zanzibar and arrived at Cambridge on an “official” visit, , ■ The Mayor and Town Clerk turned ’ out in their official dress to welcome him, and after inspecting the city he was taken round the colleges. His next hoax was to dress up as a navvy and dig a hole in Piccadilly. When there was a nice big hole in the middle of the road and all the traffic has been dislocated, the nevvy disappeared. When the famous llagship Dreadnought was stationed at Portland the Commander received a message that four Abyssinian princes were coming.to inspect the ship. When the party arrived there were the four princes, a princess, a Grand Vizier, and an interpreter. Mr Cole was the Grand Vizier, and the “ Royalty ” and the interpreter were his • friends.

Mr Cole looked extremely like Mr Ramsay MacDonald. Once, he managed to obtain one of Mr MacDonald’s visiting cards and travelled up to his constituency to. address a meeting of workmen.

He gave a fiery Tory speech and staggered his audience. When the real Ramsay went to address the meeting of the same men he found himself strangely unpopular. One day-Mr Colo " followed ' Commander Lodker-Lampson, M.P., down Whitehall.-shouting “Stop, thief 1” The M.P. was taken to tho police station before Mr Cole owned up- .... But Commander Locker-Lampson managed to get his own back the next day. He had Mr Cole’s obituary notice published in u leading London newspaper;