1914 - Jan 8 Hoax

“The detective department does not confine its sleuthing to the tracing of criminals by any means. One of the biggest ‘hunts’ of the year on; and it will go hard with the ‘hunted’ if he is ever caught”

Hamilton Herald. January 8, 1914¹

All three members of the Hamilton Police department’s detective force were not amused, not one bit.

On January 8, 1914, the Herald carried reports emanating from the department that the detectives were collectively being hoaxed.

Detective Sayer on arriving home was confronted by members of his family asking him why he had told some many clothes cleaners to call for a suit of his clothes :

“ ‘Clothes cleaners?’ inquired the detective in surprise.

‘The first two clothes cleaners had each been given one of the detective’s suits to press. A joke was scented, however, and the people in the house refused to hand out any more clothes to the third, fourth and fifth pressers to who called.

“Scarcely had the detective ensconced himself in his easy chair for the evening than a sixth, seventh and eighth presser called in rapid succession for a suit to take away. Had each of them been given what he asked for, the amiable detective would have been forced to appear for duty this morning in a monocle and cuff links.”

¹ “A Big Hoax : Some Joker ‘Put Up a Job’ on the City Detectives : They’re After him “ He’ll Get ‘His’ If He Is Caught.”

Hamilton Herald. January 8, 1914

Detective Sayer was not the only victim. The following morning, the detective rooms at police station on the King William street, were besieged:

“A file of grocers, bakers, real estate men, insurance brokers, hatters, laundrymen and beggars called on the detective apartment, each stating that he had been sent there, having been told that the detectives wanted to see him.

“The climax came when a Chinese demanded some ‘washee’ from Inspector Campbell. The inspector did not have any available ‘washee.’ This had no effect. The inspector’s patience was exhausted and at length he fetched out an old collar from one of the drawers and sent the Celestial away, his wrinkled face wreathed in smiles.”¹

As the Herald of January 8, 1914 was hitting the streets in the afternoon, it was learned that Detective Bleakley’s home was being besieged by every type of caller from laundrymen to plumbers.

The detectives, collectively, vowed to use their finest investigative powers to determine who was behind the hoax :

“Needless to say the ‘joker’ has a warm time ahead of him if caught.”¹