BEN TILLETT HOAXED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12825, 26 July 1912, Page 5

BEN TILLETT HOAXED.

LONDON, June 15. Mr Tillett .announced at a Tower ..Bill meeting that he had received the following letter .from- Lord.. Devonport,* chairman of the Port of London Autho* rity :— ■■;.'■' House of -Commons- - June 12. Dear Sir,--rl am told you intend to shoot me. I regret I cannot toieet you at present, but should I do so, I shall certainly horsewhip you for a mischievous scoundrel who ought to be-shot.—*-Devonport; •** '7 „ Mr Tillett said, his reply was as'follows:— " r ." ' X '*' '" ■■- 7 Y My dear Lord Devonport, — I am in receipt tit your letter and the promise contained therein. I shalL hot shoot you on sight, not having promised you that service as yet.* -If I do, you may depend upon me honoring the fight better than- you and other members of your gang have honored theirs. I shall be outside the Mansion House at twelve, at Tower" Hill at one, an-f at the House of Commons outer lobby to-morrow. I shall act for 300,000 children and the other victims of your aordidness and inhumaneness. Bring your. whip. I wlh take your size into account and your whip, and will depend upon Nature's weapons.' Come along, 'if you are. not p scoundrel, .dear f.i-rd Devonport.— Ben Tillett. Lord Devonport telegraphed- last night: — Am not aware of letter referred to. Am not in correspondence with person named, or- any of his colleagues. ''I have .no reason to suppose the letter ia not. genuine," said Mr Tillett to a press representative. "The writing seems very like the way Devonport signs his napie.

. Writing, to a, friend in' Wellington, Captain, Hollis, of the new Tyser liner Makarini, states that during the recent labor upheaval in London he was warned that the men intended to attack the vessel one night while she was at the dock. ' The gangway was got up, the ship's hoses were' got ready 1 ,, arid extra police were in attendance, assisted' ' ny about a dozen of the civilian forces. This alertness prevented' ariy violence being attempted.