MATRIMONIAL HOAX AT HULL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 181, 26 June 1862, Page 6

MATRIMONIAL HOAX AT HULL.

About a fortnight ago there appeared iv the Guar" dian the following advertisement.:— "A gentleman, ased 29, of high respectability and education, Avhose pveseut income is £250 per annum, desires to be placed in correspondence with a young lady, amiable, good-looking, of good family, and with similar means, with a view to matrimony. Addiv-ss, in strictest confidence, and, if agreeable, enclosing carte de visite, M. 97, at the printer's." . 'A number of young- fellows at Hull replied to this advertisement and the bait was taken in Manchester. •The advertiser represented himself to be a Prussian by birth, carrying on a business as a commission a-ent, &c. in that city. Tim Hull young lady was ■ represented as being a Miss Wallis, having LloOO m cash, two houses, yielding an-annual rental of LlB each and with great expectations from a relation, some' ei<dity-four years of age, upon av'oec death she would receive an "additional L7OO. A most tender and lively correspondence to >k place, and the wileseekin" 'Prussian was in raptures with the.young laav's position. Ul'imaf.rlv anintervieAV was arranged to come off at Hull. The gentleman wished at first that the lady should meet him at Goole, but this Mie declined to do, and, therefore, he consented -to go to Hull. The Hull wags accordingly engaged the services of a vouug lady to meet him. The confiding fellow arrived from Manchester by the 7 o'clock tram on Thursday evening. He Avas most respectably dressed, and his manner appeared to be that of a person movins in a good ..-sphere of society. The young lady was dressed iii" "deep "nioiiriiing, having a veil, which'concealed her features, and she earned in her hand a small Avhite handkerchief, by_ Avhich she'Avas- to be recognised He soon espied the fair lady parading the platform, and he Avent up to her and accosted her in evidently the most polite terras The lady entered into conversation with him, and they walked the platform together for some minutes, duringAvhich they wereobjectsofconsiderable interest to a band of young fellows Avho were con- '• greeted about. The stranger, however, -seemed to pay no attention to the antics of these wags, being too much occupied with the young lady, upon whom lie appeared to bcstOAV a touching amount of attention. Presently, a cab was hailed, and the interesting couple seated themselves in it, and were driven to a house where they both alighted. It was not until the gentleman was fairly,seated in the front room that he discovered fie had been victimised. He was here met by about 20 " cousins " or " near relations of the lady, and, as is generally the case in mattcra of this kind, he Avas unmercifully assailed with jeers and indifferent jokes. After a time it wrs suggested that the matter might bo " made up " if he would stand a dinner and some wine for his tormentors. This he lie refused most resolutely to do, and said it was all a mistake; he had come to Hull on business, and he ha I never advertised for a Avifja. This statement availed him little, and his ruthless persecutors determined that an "unpleasant example should be made of him." He Avas seized, his - hat was smashed in his stick was taken from him, aud he was thrust miominiously into the .street. Here he was received by a crowd of about 200 men and boys who had assembled, and were in Ihe possession of the secret. He was knocked about "like a dog in a fair,' the people keeping up a continual chorus of 'Hows your ' Avife'(" " What about the two houses!' Have you got the £1,500 yet 1" &c He Avas pursued through several of the principal streets in the town, about two or three thousand people "chaffing" him on his way. At last he was conducted back to the railway station by two police constables, where he was kept in safe custody until the departure of the nisdit train for Manchester. An immense concourse unpeople waited to witness his departure—the mob speeding the parting, guest with a -farewell- groan.— Ladies' Journal, March 8. '