FAKED OUTRAGE STORY

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 16 (Supplement)

FAKED OUTRAGE STORY

Public Mischief Man Sent to Prison .... Tale of Flash-lamp Fight and Cartridge

Described by the judge as “a typical exhibitionist,’’ and warned that such conduct might land him eventually in a lunatic asylum, George William Atkinson (27), an unemployed labourer, was sentenced at Durham Assizes to four months’ imprisonment for creating a public mischief. During the recent bomb outrages m London and certain provincial towns, Atkinson came into the limelight by reason of a dramatic story to the police of an encounter he alleged he had had with two strange men on the main L.X.E. Railway line, ■ear Ferry hi 11. With overalls torn, and scratches on face and hands, Atkinson stumbled into Turnsdale Junction signal-box shortly after 5 o’clock on the morning of February n, in an apparently distressed condition. Later, to the police, he declared that he had seen a flash-lamp “messing about” near a bridge on the line, and on going to investigate, saw two men. One ran away on seeing him approach. but the other, he said, attacked him and then made off. Atkinson also declared he found on the line an explosive cartridge. Mr Grotrian, prosecuting, stated that when the police examined the line they found no sign of a struggle, and became suspicious of Alkinson’s story. Subsequently Atkinson made a voluntary statement in which he said:

‘‘l wish to say that the whole story . is false, and I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused. I thought probably the publicity might help me l to get a job.” t Denial of “Confession” Atkinson, in the witness-box, refuted this alleged ’‘confession,” in- > sisted that the original story he told I was true, and further alleged that the ■ police “wheedled” the statement out ' of him, and he signed “for the sake ! of his wife and kiddies.” ; Mr Grotrian, cross-examining: If , your original story were true, you would have been a national hero. Why » should you have signed a confession I saying it was untrue? t Atkinson replied that he was “a 5 greenhorn in police methods.” After the jury had found Atkinson guilty. Detective-Sergeant McKeowen 1 threw an interesting sidelight on the - case. Twice since the railway incident, ) he told Mr Justice Wrottegley, Atkinson had reported to the police stories of alleged attacks upon him. These, - on investigation, had been found to be groundless. i The Judge: In other words, he is a typical exhibitionist —one of those 1 people who imagine things?—Detec--2 live McKeowen: That is the position. Telling Atkinson, a married man ? with two children, that he hoped he would try to give up such foolish i habits, the judge passed sentence of : four months' imprisonment.