A Silly Season Hoax.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 18, 28 October 1908, Page 11

A Silly Season Hoax.

This is the fag end of the newspaper “silly season,” and till the other day it really seemed that we should get through this trying period without any reference being made to our ancient friend tho sea-serpent. Editors had been eagerly on the watch for some signs of his annual autumnal appearance in British waters, but he came not, and sub-editor-s, seeking fo*r catchy headlines, were reduced to putting up such lines as these: — “NARROW ESCAPE OF A RABBIT.” “COFFEE BAGS IN DANGER.” (Factl) Then our dear old friend was reported as having been sighted ami killed by some brutal Irish fishermen off the Copeland Island. They had been wildfowling, and suddenly saw a huge serpentine creature appear among the shoal water surrounding I lie island. He was evidently in difficulties owing to the shallowness of the water, for he was “lashing the waters into foam” and rearing and twisting about as though in agony'. Tho fishermen put a few shots into him by way of welcome, but these only livened him up to more frantic efforts. Finally, his struggles landed him nearly high and dry, and after a prodigious - expenditure of powder and shot the fishers managed to kill the "terrible beast.” He was at least (50 feet long, fully six feet in circumference, covered with scales, anil possessed three huge fins, and "brilliant red eyes, five times as large as those of a large eonger eel.” It was "an awful looking thing even in death,” etc., etc. These and many more, appeared in a local newspaper, and .were published in a condensed form in many English, Irish, and Scotch journals. Meantime, a score of enterprising photographers hastened to the place where the corpse was stated to be lying, but the only dead monster they found was a wa-ter-logged bullock. It had been dead for many days, and was, as one disappointed camera-fiend put it, "loudly lamenting the fact.” Of seaserpent there was no trace, neither could the alleged slayers of it be found.