The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-26

wa r--one which millions believed for
time at feast-was the story that
from 100000 to 100000 Russian
| troops had arrived in England from
Archangel. These troops. so the early
stories ran, were moved by night
across the United Kingdom in cars
with the shades drawn down, and at
any moment were likely to appear on
the western front with the troops of
Great Britain, France and Belgium.
The story was first printed in New
York. 1t spread throughout America
and was cabled abroad and doubtless
sent by wireless to Berlin. The Eng
lish censorship offered no official de-
NAL or affirmation OF the story, but
| for time every steamship from Eng
land reaching New York brought
! some individual who imagined he had
i seen the trains
Kitchener let the hoax run without
doing anything to stop it. Whether it
had any effect on the Germans 1t is
hard to tell, but amateur strategists
/ conducting the war from office chairs
saw great possibilities in 1t to stop
4 the great German drive on Paris
1t was the romantic Clarence Regi-
/ maid Hodson, who, as Ernest Schil-
| Ter" pirate, seized the Matoppo, a
4 British freighter, off Sandy Hook
single handed and scared Sc men into
submission. that secured the greatest
laugh for his adventure. The 23-
year-o1d son of an English father and
a German mother, he stole on board
the Motoppo and with the aid OF re-
lvolver held up the captain.
4 Hodson, after capturing the ship,
was more interested in getting some
thing to eat than in anything else, for
/ he had gone without food for three
days
AS q result a cake intended to be
eaten in celebration of British victor
les was cut up at once for his con-
sumption. Sleep finally led to Hod-
scA's capture, but the episode amused
81 America and doubtless Germany.
Il What amounted to a pratical oke
was played on the Germans by the
Belgians in Brussels The Germans
Il announced grand concert of German
music at the opera house. Syndicate
of Belgian bankers and brokers
bought all the seats except one and
the royal box. Gen. Baron Won Bis
sing was delighted at this evidence
! that the Belgians were not averse in
times Of foreign occupation to lister
) to g. German concert. But on the
night of the concert not a single Bel
gian used his ticket. When Won Bis
, sing arrived at the opera house it was
r emuty save for one solitary auditor, &
: German landstrum soldier.
t Some American youths of Morris
town, N. Y. had fun early in the wal
/ with the Canadians. At the time al
: sorts of rumors were being circulated
. of German tnvasfons OF Canada. Nor
. ristown is on the American side of tn,
I international line opposite Brockvilfe
!, When three fire balloons went up on,
I evening the mayor of Brockville re
! ported to Premier Borden that .thre
? air planes had crossed the borde
Q from the United States, that s.the fir
: from them illuminated the streets Q
/. / Brockville' and that latter a search
: light had been played upon the cit
. the airplanes proceeded in the direc
! ton Of Ottawa"
= The Premier Immediately notifie
: the military authorities the towe
. light and the lights around the Pal
) lament building were extinguishet
II and with windows darkened the Cs
q madam Parliament met.
Berlin particularly the West EN-
e hoaxed itself over a rumor that SCI
t, bia had surrendered and that its Ell
l.
N rumor was started by the ringing
n church bells for the meeting of II
Is General Synod. Some individuals n
le knowing the reason concluded tn
what they had been hoping had con
to pass and that the bells were rur
to announce Teuton victory.
Ii Everywhere appeared Germa
Austrian, Bulgar and Turkish flag
Ell The rumor lasted until the afterno,
y, newspapers came out with stat
ir ment that ''the situation Of our troo
I'D in Serbia is splendid, but the enen
or has not reached the end Of her resis
ms ance.''
d. A profitable hoax was played up
a German submarine off the coast
ireland by the captain of the stear
TO ship Director,
ne Suspecting that at any moment t
o. Director might be in the danger OF
he instructed the ships carpenter
saw a big spare spar into three piec'
ng which the crew painted black. The
by pieces of wood were then mounted
Loo II they were guns.
When e. suluaSine- approached, {