FALSE WAR NEWS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2238, 26 August 1914, Page 6

FALSE WAR NEWS

LOCAL TOBACCONIST IN TROUBLE PENALTY FOR SCARING THE PUBLIC The fact that it- is an offence to propagate falso war news was forcibly brought before Gilbert Henry Price, a tobacconist, of Mercer Street, at yesterday's sitting of the Magistrate's Court, when he was charged, before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M.:— "That on August 22, at Wellington, in the time of war,:he did knowingly propagate false war news to the alarm of His Majesty's 'Subjects, wherefore complainant (the Crown) prays that tho defondant'inay be required to find sufficient sureties to keep the peace,- etc." Price had exhibited the following alarming statement in his window: — "War News: Groat naval engagement in the North Sea. Ten German warships sunk and five British warships, including H.M.S. Collingwood, on which the King's second son is reported among tho casualties." Mr. - W. Perry appeared for defendant, who entered a plea of guilty. Counsel stated that his client had informed him that the words used in the information were not exactly the same as were on the window. Instead of the words "great naval engagement" were tho words "reported naval engagement," while at the end of the notice were the words "not official.' The "news" had been given to defendant by an officer from one of the ships in .port. This officer had told him that a wireless messago had been' intercepted announcing the naval battle, and that the news would be publicly announced sooner or later. A notice had accordingly been placed by defendant oa his window, but on Mr. .E. Blundell informing him that it was not true, defendant had torn it down. Inspector Hendrey said that the defendant was a hairdresser and tobacconist . in, Mercer Street, and thoro was no doubt but that tills notice was placed on the shop window for the purpose of attracting trade, as the defendant was, under no .obligation to place war nows on his window. That the announcement did cause alarm was proved by the fact that a number of people who had gathered round the window challenged tho accuracy of the statement, whilo defendant offered to bet money that it was correct. It was only after Mr. Blundell had pointed .out that the notice was false that it had been pulled down. "It is,' concluded the inspector, "tho intention of tho police to take action in all' such cases, and when the offenders are brought before the Court will press for very heavy sureties." The Magistrate: "I. hope these pro■ceedings will have taught you a lesson and shown you the stupidity of your conduct. I.accept the statement made by your counsel that you were under the impression that tho new.s was authentic and will impose only 6mall sureties.," Defendant was ordered to enter into recognisances' to keep the peace■' towards His Majesty and his liege subjects for a term of twelve months, himself in the sum of £50, and two sureties of £25 each, and to pay Court costs 18s. One week was allowed in which to find the sureties. ■..' ;

AN OFFENSIVE SKIT.

POLICE ISSUE A WARNING. , For some days past Teprints of a skit published in an Auckland paper on tho cabled news that was being published by the daily papers have been exhibited in the windows and sold in more than one stationer's shop in Wellington. Serious objection has been taken to the reprint on account of its scare headings which are scarcely calculated to convey to tho public that what follows is the emanation of a cur-iously-disordered'imagination. The exhibition of one of the reprints in a city Bhop on Saturday evening made tho sidowalk opposite'impassable, and men fought their way close enough to read whatmust at such a time be set down ae wicked gibberish.

Yesterday the police warned the offending shopkeepers.to remove the skits from their windows on pain of beingproceeded against forthwith:

MOTOR RESERVE

MORE GIFTS ACKNOWLEDGED. Colonel A. Myers, Officer Commanding the Motor Reserve, reports the receipt of the following gifts in addition to those' previously acknowledged :— W, Duncan, Wanganui: One 18-24 h.p. "Austin" 5-seater motor-car. O. Shakespeare, Ngaio: £30, donation towards purchase 'TJradbury" motor- ' cycle. v G. H. Bridges, Wellington: One push bicycle.

A. Hatrick and Co., Wangamii and Wellington: One "Overland" utility truck] complete with spare wheel. Charles A. Thorpe, 'Wellington: One push bicycle. Bertram Dawson, Auckland: One motor-cycle. Vacuum Oil Co. Proprietary, Ltd., Wellington: £50 for purchase oil and' grease. Stewart Timber Co., Wellington: Timber for "Straker Squire" lorry Stanton and Evans, Wellington: £50, donation towards car purchased; free use of garage for cars and cycles prevented to Expeditionary Force. Proprietor and employees of City Car. riago and Motor Works, Wellington: Labour in building body for "Straker Squiro" lorry.. Rouse and Black, Wellington: Services rendered in connection removing and refitting tyres to "Straker Squire" lorry. Cycle and Motor Supplies Co., Wellington: Loan of "Morris Oxford" light car to Motor Reserve Office.

EASY-GOING MARINERS

SHOTS FROM THE AUCKLAND ■ FORTS. (By Telegraph-Press Association.) Auckland, August 25. Breaches of the port regulations providing that ingoing. and outgoing vessels must report to the examining ship in Rangitoto Channel are becoming frequent, and scarcely a day passes without a shot being fired across the bows of some small craft whose captain fails to observe) the regulations.