The Bogus Telegrams.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3180, 29 April 1879, Page 3

The Bogus Telegrams.

The following is the latest about the bogus telegrams or, as the Herald calls the joke, " The Cablegram Forgery," and there seems to have been a forgery of ■ome sort if the following statements are true which appear in this day's Herald :— We have received the following telegrams . from Mr Gillon, the manager of the Press Association, in answer to enquiries made by us :— [BT BLECTBIO TEtKGBAPH.] Wbiiinqtok, Monday. I telegraphed to our Sydney correspondent as follows:— " Out of which paper, and out of what date, did you take the cablegram stating that Vogel would resign agent-generalship, and that Reed would carry on duties pro tern" The reply I received was rather astounding, but decisive:— . ■

"Inever sent such a telegram. No such telegram has been published in Sydney papers."

The cablegrams came to me with the registered address of our Sydney correspondent upon' it, which appeared to stamp its genuineness, but it is clear that he did not send it, and did not know of its existence even if it were published. In some "special edition" of a few dozen copies, or ns an " extra ". to tend to New Zealand, to cover the forgery, and support the assertion that it was copied, that could not alter the forgery. Our correspondent knew nothing of it until he received my cablegram, and cannot find any publication;

4 p.m. Have ju»t obtained a copy of the Sydney Evening News of Monday last from the steamer Whakatipu. No telegram about Vogel in it. Passengers say the only telegram published lately in Sjdney about Vogel was one from here announcing his appointment to.subscribe stock. If published in Mcl bourne, that would not cover the forgery, because the message was sent us from Sydney, with our "cypher " word there upon it, and I paid the cost here. .

' The proprietors of this journal, to make ' assurance doubly sure,—that the whole Star story was utterly false, sent the following cablegram to the general manager of the Sydney Morning Herald :— "Was any cablegram from London pub* liihed in Sydney last week stating Vogel had resigned office? Please search papers carefully."

The reply received late last night was as follows :—

«'Sidney, April 28.—N0 such London message published ia Sydney.—H. G-eobgb." The following message was also wired to our (Press Association) correspondent in Sydney:— ■;" Wire to us fully re forged cablegrams. Concoctors here say was published in Sydney. Can you explain it P " ' The reply is not given in full for obvious reasons. However, it contained these statementst—

" Telegraph clerk described transmitter of forged messages. Have seen original writing which is unknown to me. It is not printed. Invariably despatch messages personally. The telegraph clerk's reason for accepting message from a stranger he states was that he thought it probable the presenter of the message had been deputed by myself to put in the message, bb he possessed a knowledge of the correct "cypher." How this knowledge was obtained by forger cannot ascertain yet. Hare seen Messrs Bennett and Heaton, of Sydney Evening News, who deny having received a communication from the Auckland Star. Cannot find previous publication anywhere."