A CRUEL HOAX

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1250, 16 February 1872, Page 3

A CRUEL HOAX

In the Freeman of Saturday, Nov. 26 an advertisement notified that a gentleman (named) would open that afternoon a dancing academy at an ad dress in Kingsland's Park, Poitobello, and would inaugurate the season by performing in full Highland costume the Sword Dance, the Gillie Galium, the Strathspey, and other dances. During the day, orders purporting to be from the same address were left at numerous establishments in the city, and at most of the shops in the vicinity. About four o'clock the first results were manifest on the arrival at Kingsland park of a dray laden with porter. The astonishment of the inmates at beholding this consignment may be imagined. While the burly drayman was scratch ing the poll of perplexity, another cart rattled up, stocked with barrels of oysters, followed by several costermon-o-ers' carts laden with vegetables. After these came some tons of coal, and then an immense van, filled with articles of household furniture. Matters thickened apace. Some butchers' carts were the next to arrive, and then an expensive wedding trousseau, which was succeeded by a large proportion of the contents of a hardware shop, and some cases of champagne. Among the last, items to arrive were half-a-dozen cans of oil, a coffin, and a boat. Tt is unnecessary to dwell on the amazement, disgust, and anger produced among the inmates of the house, the messengers, and the general neighborhood, by a course of ci re urn stances so unexpected. Nor was ths state of affairs rendered less bewildering by the appearance of the guests and intending pupils, who had been invited for the seance of the evening, and who must have looked singulaily foolish as they saw the hoax in which they had been made to act. It was not until late in the afternoon that the owner of ihe house ceased to suffer from the visits of people who had been like himself the victims of a spirit of wacgery or malice which cannot be too strongly condemned.