A SINGULAR PRANK.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1924, Page 1

A SINGULAR PRANK.

SENSATION ON S.S. MANAIA

AUCKLAND, June 30

AVhab appears at the moment tn be nothing more than u crack-brained escapade cm the part of an officer was the cause of a rumour that there Intel been sensational doings on the s.s. Malinin last night. Shortly after nine o’clock Constables Corcoran and Shields were notified ’Jiy the steward of the boat that ho had returned a little before that time from leave ashore to find tlio third officer, B. G. Allen, hound hand and foot, and hanging partly suspended by the wrists Iront a rope down the hold. They investigated and found Allen with his wrists badly chafed and arms painfully numbed. The steward stated that when he went on the boat about 9.15 p.m. lie heard cries coming front the hold and found the officer with liis ankles and wrists hound by a rope, Ins feet resting on a run about halfwav up tlie ladder leading to the hold and his wrists also bound and tied to a rope bringing front the top of the hatch, so that he was swung out iront the ladder, and the greater part of hi- weight tell on his wrists. AA'ith great difficulty the steward cut the officer down and I reed hint, and he then notified the police. Allen stated that two friends ha i come on the ship earlier with a. pair of boxing gloves to have a bout with him. and then went to the hold as the most private spot. There he stripped lor the Lout, will'll the two others seized him and suspended him as he was found. He had only a loin cloth on when found, but a peculiar feature was that tied to bis feet at one end and to his hands at the other was piece of broom handle, to which was lashed a table knife, the knife end being beside bis wrists. Alien said that bis friends bad perpetrated a joke on him and lie declined to give their names. So I'ar as the constables could find there was nothing interfered with on the ship, of which the officer was the onlv occupant until the return of the steward, but tliev were struck ,by the fact that si quantity of straw had been raked in a heap directlv below where Allen had been suspended and wore rather sceptical of his talc. 'I liev could not see any sign of a struggle, such as might lie expected from a vigorous man of about twenty-live years and something approaching fourteen stone in weight. This morning the matter was taken up by Detective M’Hugh, and it ended in a confession »by Allen that his tale to the constables was lalse. and that on the spur of the moment- he tied himself up in the manner staled. He could give no reason, except that it was just an impulse and nothing further has transpired to suggest any sinister motive. Allen is a voting man who joined the ship as third officer a little over a month ago. and was due to sign of! this week.