RECALLED BY RADIO.

Shannon News, 28 January 1927, Page 3

RECALLED BY RADIO.

The message for a son to attend the deathbed of his aged mother in Sydney came through the night from the Sydney broadcast station, 2BL, on Tuesday, and • was successfully delivered in Dunedin within two hours.

Mr. E. A. Barnes, a retired grazier from New South Wales, who will leave Wellington by the Manuka to-day, told a Wellington newspaper reporter of the remarkable success of an endeavour by his brother to locate him in "New Zealand, though his actual whereabouts were not known.

A Dunedin reporter, who is a radio enthusiast, while listening-in at 10.30 o 'clock on Tuesday ' night, distinctly heard the announcer at the broadcast station, 2BL, Sydney, call out: — "We have a special message from the local police for our listeners-in in Now Zealand. Mr. Edward Albert Barnes, of Coogee, N.S.W., who is at present touring in New Zealand,, and whose postal address is G.P.0., Wellington, is informed that his mother is dying and he is requested to return Coogee,, N.S.W., at once. This message is sent at the instance of his brother, Mr. 11. G. Barnes, of Brook; Street, Coogee.'*"

The reporter happened to have a list of the guests at the various Dunedin. hotels. Later on he chanced to run his: eye through the list and found Mr.' Barne's name there. The pressman, telephoned the hotel proprietor, who awakened Mr. Barnes at 12. a() a.m. and gave him the message. Mr. Barnes rose, early that morning,;dispatched a cable message to his brother, who promptly confirmed the news by cable. As the latter stated that their mother, although.' critically ill (she is over 80 years of age), would probably live for another week, Mr. Barnes is hopeful that he will arrive home in time to see his mother alive. Mr. Barnes expressed his deep gratitude to the Dunedin reporter and to the announcer at 28L., Sydney, for having broadcasted the call for his return to Sydney. He had been touring New Zealand on a holiday trip with his wife,