BOGUS ORDERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 272, 12 July 1932, Page 3

BOGUS ORDERS

SYDNEY RESIDENT VICTIM OF NUMEROUS HOAXES. TAUNTED AT 2 A.M. SYDNEY, June 30. The biggest series of hoaxes perpetrated in Sydney for many years, which involved the victimisation of the Lunaey Department, the ambulances, fire brigades, tradespeople and civilians, is being investigated by the police. The hoaxes were devised and arranged by some mysterious person or persons with the objeet of victimising a well known Marrickville dairyman; but they led to such astounding results, not without humour, that the police are making 'every effort to trace those responsible. The hoaxes commenced shortly after lunch last Friday, when two nurses arrived at the dairyman's honxe in the Lunacy Department's transport waggon. They said- they had come to take charge of two mental cases concerning which the department had received urgent teleph'one messages. The dairyman told the nurses they must have been given the wrong address, but he had no sooner bidden them good afternoon than 12 Yellow taxis arrived to take guests to a surprise party. The taxi men went away disgusted. Fire! Ambulance! Five minutes later,two fire fnotors, hlowing shrill sirens, turned . up to . put a fire out. They were followed immediately afterward by an ambulance waggon from the Newtown-Mar-. riekville station. The next arrival was of a different sort. He called a quarter of an hour after the ambulance left, with an apparatus to kill cockroaches. And while he was being told the story of the hoaxes by the irate dairyman a young woman arrived with two pomeranians which she said she brought in answer to a telephone call. She was followed by a man with a ton of wood. The dairyman's doorbell continued to work overtime, and while he was contemplating what action ha would take, a poulterer drove up with crates containing nearly 100 young roostefs which he said had been ordered the day before. A Loud "Ha! Ha!" The procession seemingly ended at nightfall, but while the dairyman and his family were discussing the affair after dinner, the doorbell rang again. This time it was an agent for a big suburban firm with a brand new motor cycle. Even after th'e family retired the "joke" went on. Twice the dairyman was awalcened about 2 a.m. by the ringing of the telephone. Each time he answered a gruff voice shouted, "Ha! Ha!"