MISTAKEN FOB A PREMIER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2313, 5 October 1908, Page 1

MISTAKEN FOB A PREMIER.

A “DOUBLE” OF SIR THOMAS BENT.

A NEAV ZEALANDER’S AMUSING EXPERIENCES.

To bo mistaken for a Premier is an • experience that does not befall many men, but Mr. Edmund Wickes, who has resided for many years in Grey- | mouth, of which town he was tho third mayor, and who has just re- ; turned from revisiting Melbourne af- 1 ter an absence'of 44 years, had (says: tho Christchurch correspondent to the “Dominion”) some amusing adventures consequent on having been mistaken for Sir Tihos. Bent, the Premier of Victoria. Mr Wickes’s first intimation of what- was in store for him came from a fellow passenger oil tlie steamer - from the Bluff, ivho asked him if his name was Bent, and j on being informed that it was not, he said that tho West Coaster was a true double of tho Victorian Premier. On landing at Melbourne ho was astonished to see two policemen salute him on boarding the Wainui, of which steamer his son is engineer. His son was greeted with tho remark, “Hullo 1 You’re ill good company. You’ve got Sir Thomas with you.” For five weeks Mr Wickes was being continually stopped by Melbourne citizens who shook hands with him and congratulated him oil his recovery. At his' hotel there wero numerous people who wanted to be introduced to “Sir Thomas,” and even a closo personal friend of Sir Thomas’s was deceived by tho resemblance with his son (Mr E. A. Wickes). . Mr Wickes had an invitation to see tho men off tho American Fleet at Flemington Racecourse.. They went out in a cab, and on arrival found that vehicles wero being prevented from driving up to the entrance, but as soon as those in charge of the arrangements saw “Sir Thomas” in the cab they allowed it to proceed. After witnessing the torchlight procession of fire brigades, Mr Wickes decided to stay the night at his son’s hotel. Rising at his usual time, 6 a.m., Mr Wickes found that breakfast would not be ready for some time, and he decided to dine out. Entering a restaurant he sat down at a table, but was invited by a waitress to go to the private room. Nothing loth lie complied with the request. Hearing some feminine giggling outside the door he invited 'the waitress in. To his astonishment one of them remarked: “We know you, Sir Thomas, you have been out all night; oh, fie.” On another occasion a gentleman came up to him,. and after congratulating him on his restoration to health, said : “I beg to state tint I have found all the papers, except one.” “Well,” replied Mr Wickes, “you had better go and look after that'other paper, for, I am not Sir Thomas Bent.” He then boarded a tram, leaving tile gentleman cogitating oil -the apparently scurvy manner in which he had been treated. Some of Mr Wicke’s friends endeavored to .arrange a meeting between the two Sir Thomasses. This was found impossible, but Mr Wicks saw the real Sir Thomas in all the glory of his Windsor uniform at the Fleet function at Flemington. air Wickes’s friends got his photograph taken, and a copy was to bo sent to tile Victorian Premier.