A CRAZY IMPULSE
“ You might have created a serious public panic,” said Mr Justice Lewis to William Henry Wood, aged 26, when at Leeds Assizes he sentenced him to six months in the second division for effecting a public mischief. Wood, a Post Office telephonist, admitted sending out an air-raid warning of the approach of enemy aircraft during the crisis. Mr H. B. Hylton-Foster, prosecuting, said Wood had been given a secret code to be used for the sending of such a message if it became necessary. As a result of Wood's actions all preparations were made by the police, 260 individual telephone calls were sent out, fire brigades throughout a large area in Yorkshire—as well as police officers everywhere—stood by, and the police at 69 different pointg were kept on duty until it was discovered that the call was a hoax.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 23704, 11 January 1939, Page 18
Word Count
142A CRAZY IMPULSE Otago Daily Times, Issue 23704, 11 January 1939, Page 18
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