CONFUSED IDENTITY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 12 August 1925, Page 4

CONFUSED IDENTITY.

MOTHER’S DEATH WRONGLY BELIEVED. DISTRICT FAMILY’S EXPERIENCE, All incident such as one reads of in novels, but raielv hears of in real hie, occurred this week -to residents on the WiiiliL Road, near Hawera. It emphasises the statement often made that “truth is stranger than fiction.” The l'act s are these: Mr and Mrs Stenning left last week on a visit to Christchurch to see their relatives, and incidentally to have a look at the Grand National. At home in Hawera were the two sons, and a niece aso lives here. On Monday a. telegram reached them addressed to “Stenning, Hawera,” and gigned “Ivv,” the'name of a relative, stating ‘‘Mother ill.’ This was followed by others, stating, first.. “Mother died last night.” Then, “Funeral arranged for Thursday.” The boys, naturally, were terribly Dset. They made arrangements to go down, and a telegram wa s sent to say that they would cross on Wednesday. Then came the extraordinary part of the affair. Telegrams came to the Fovs, to the niece, and to Mr Pine, a near neighbour, all couched in the same strain, to the effect that Mrs Stenning wa-s quite wel', and asking what was the matter. Still another telegram came from the same source as the first, hoping that the recipients would coine to the funeral; and messages of sympathy began t-> arrive from many parts of the Dominion. * Now it is quite clear’that Airs Stenning, of Hawera, is quite well, and that the'occurrence has arisen through Mie death of a re’ative, whom, apparently, she and Mr Stenning had not seen in Christchurch. It is an experience which those concerned are- not likely to forget, and the unusualness of the incident- is accentuated by the iact that all the telegrams received irom Christchurch wore quite genuine.