A CRUEL HOAX

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2921, 6 November 1916, Page 8

A CRUEL HOAX

PLAYED OA 1 UNDERTAKER

Somo person in Christchurcli is playing a mischievous and cruel joke (says tho "Lyttclton Times''). He is making almost a practice of ringing up au undertaker, stating that a certain resident has died, and asking that arrangements should be made for the funeral. The surprise and pain caused when it is discovered that there is no truth in tho reported death, apparently, is tho satisfaction the individual gets out of tho affair.

On Friday evening ho rang up a city undertaker, and stated that a. resident of Bottle Lake Road had died suddenly, and asked that arrangements stimrtd bo made for the funeral at tho Lin wood Cemetery at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Ho said that ho was the deccaseips son, and that ho was speaking liom uio oottlo Lake Hospital, which is a few doors from the residence of the gentleman named. Tho undertaker made the coffin, and inserted in Saturday's issue of tho "Lyttclton Times"'both the death notice and the funeral notice. Tho gentleman concerned was amazed to read the death notice on tho front page when he opened his paper ill tho morning. -Turning to the back page, his amazement was increased by reading tho announcement that his funeral would take place next day. .

Tiie obvious course was to ling up tn'e unuertaker. TrtTs was done in indignant tones, and the explanation was made that tlie telephone message had been accepted in good faith. To prevent the dastardly joko from going any further, the undertaker communicated with the "Star" and other evening journals, asTcing that the "false notices .should not be republished. , The undertaker states that this is the fourth time lie has been victimised in this way in ono week. Tho joko —iT'it-can bo called-a joke—has been perpetrated on him at different times during tho past ten years. Another undertaker, it is stated, received a somewhat similar message a short t-imo ago, hut ho hoard tho person laugh through tho telephone, and when ho mado sharp inquiries tho speaker Tang off. Communication -with tho Telegraph Oflico showed that ho had used the slot telephone,- and it is'thought that slot-tqlephones aro used in all instances.