FAMOUS HOAXES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12613, 25 November 1926, Page 6

FAMOUS HOAXES

NEW ZEALAND SHEEP “VERACIOUS” DOPE STORY. , ? ontributor the “Newcastle Weekly Chronicle” recalls that about 40 years ago the London “Times” gave an account, under the heading “A Strange Story,” of a marvellous method of transporting sheep from New Zealand to England, and the narrative was copied into many papers in the kingdom. The heading wascautious, as .“The Times” had been hoaxed in i 836 by a story giving details of living animals inhabiting the moon, and was more wary on this occasion. Briefly told, the story detailed the outcome of experiments by an Italian professor, Signor Rotitsall (suggestive name!), who had wonderful trees, which yielded saps one of which were injected by hvpodermio syringe into the veins of the sheep, which at once fell to the ground, to all appearances dead. The carcases could be packed into a ship’s hold like logs of wood, and sent to England. On arrival the bodies were taken to pasture land, when a second hypodermic injection of the fluid from the other tree was made, and then the supposed dead sheep leaped into vigorous life, and began to feed voraciously! The veracious narrative wound np by stating that the “professor” had departed to South America for further supplies of the wondrous sap. As he has not yet returned, this marvellous “discovery” is probably lost to the world.