Poultry, Fire Brigade And Lunacy Ambulance

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 September 1932, Page 8

Poultry, Fire Brigade And Lunacy Ambulance

AMAZING SERIES OF HOAXES VICTIM TAUNTED ON ’PHOINE AT 2 A.M. SYDNEY, June 30. The biggest series of hoaxes perpetrated in Sydney for many years, which involved victimisation of the Lunacy Department, the ambulances, lire brigades, tradespeople and civilians, is being investigated by the police. The hoaxes were devised and arranged by some mysterious person or persons with the object of victimising a well-known Marrickville dairyman; but they led to such astounding results, not without their humour, that the police are making every effort to trace those responsible. The hoaxes commenced shortly after lunch last Friday, when two nurses arrived at the dairyman’s home in the Lunacy Department’s - transport waggon. They said they had come to take charge of two mental cases concerning which the department had received urgent telephone messages. ' The dairyman told the nurses they must have been given the wrong address, but he had no sooner bidden them good afternoon than 12 Yellow taxis arrived to take guests to a surprise party. The taxi men went away disgusted. Fire! Ambulance! Five minutes later two fire motors, blowing shrill sirens, turned up to put a fire out. They were followed immediately afterwards by an ambulance waggon from the Newtown-Marrick-ville station. The next arrival was of a different sort. He called a quarter of an hour after the ambulance left, with an apparatus to kill cockroaches. And while he was being told the story of the hoaxes by the irate dairyman a young woman arrived with two pomeranians which she said she brought in answer to a telephone call. She was. followed by a man with a ton of wood..

The dairyman’s doorbell continued to work overtime, and while he was contemplating what action he would take a poulterer drove up with crates containing nearly 100 young roosters which he said had been ordered the day before. A Loud “Ha! Ha!” The procession seemingly ended at nightfall, but while the dairyman and his family were discussing the affair after dinner, the doorbell rang again. This time it was an agent for a big suburban firm with a brand new motor cycle. Even after the family retired the • 1 joke ’ ’ went on. Twice the dairyman was awakened about 2 a.m. by the ringing of the telephone. Each time he answered a gruff voice shouted, “Ha! Ha!”