STUDENTS’ PRANK

Grey River Argus, 26 July 1941, Page 6

STUDENTS’ PRANK

Sir E. Wrench Dumped BY SYDNEY CREMATORIUM SYDNEY, July 24. An extraordinary incident was reported late to-night, apparently instigated and carried out by University students, and involving the kidnapping of Sir Evelyn Wrench, and dumning him some miles outside tne city, in the grounds of the Crematorium, where Sir ivvelyn found tne greatest difficulty in obtaining transport, due to petrol rationing, to get pack to the city. Sir E. Wrencn was to broadcast an address to-night, when a group ot men arrived at his hotel, ana informed him that substitute arrangements had been made owing to tne land lines having broken down. He obligingly agreed to accompany -*e men to a car, which whiskea him miles into the darkness. In the loneliness of a distant crematorium, he was left stranded, and it was some time before he realised that he haa been duned. He, however, is convinced he can identify “some of tne gangsters.” Tne incident follows closely upon a boycotted meeting of University students yesterday, which Sir E. Wrench was to address, but he refused, owing to the sparseness of tne attendance. ON NAZI BLACKLIST. SYDNEY, Jul- 25. Interviewed regarding his alleged kidnapping, Sir Evelyn Wrench said j he knew that he was on the German | blacklist for things he had said about Hitler, in the United States and New I Zealand. He said that the man who called at the hotel for him was of tne gangster t vr >e. Sir E. Wrench walked out of the hotel with him, to a ram- ■ shackle car. He was rather surprised that the Broadcasting Commission, should employ a man of such type, | and that it should send such a car,, but he thought it might be a car used l for night duty. Sir E. Wrench said I he thought it was only fair to Sydney i that the matter, should be reported to I the police, as it might damage Australia’s reputation for hospitality. Lady Wrench said that the whole affairs was a disgrace to Sydney A man, who said he was a University student, telephoned the “Herald at midnight, and said that Sir EWrench refused to sneak at the University, and had insulted the ViceChancellor. The rehearsed the “kidnapping” two hours before, and it went off -m-fectly. STUDENTS’ CONFESSION. KIDNAPPING A HOAX. (Rec. 11.30). SYDNEY, July 25. The undergraduates to-day confessed that last night’s kidnapping oSir Evelyn Wrench was a hoax, m retaliation for his refusal to address a meeting of the University Union on Wednesday. The students them- i selves boycotted the University Union meeting on Wednesday, only a I mere handful attending. I Sir Evelyn Wrench has to-day | taken the incident in good part. He is now prepared to admit that he was the victim of a students’ prank. He said he was well aware of what students were capable of doing, but he felt entitled to some sort of apology, 'in which case he would take the case out of the hands of the detectives.