A news embargo led to a witchcraft trial – shades of Drudge, Jon Snow etc
Mar 1, 2008 Whacky
The HMS Barham, a 29,000-ton battleship, was hit by three German torpedoes in the Mediterranean Sea. It sunk on November 25, 1941. Mrs Helen Duncan held a séance and correctly told the fate of the Barham. She said she saw a sailor who told her that his ship, the Barham, had sunk.
Mr & Mrs Henry Duncan.
The British Admiralty was displeased. It had with-held this news to boost the morales of its navy and Armed Forces. It also rallied the citizens with good news of hope. Mrs Duncan was deemed a traitor when she revealed top secret and confidential news. She was observed from 1941 until 1944. She was arrested in 1944 and tried under the ancient 1735 Witchcraft Act. She was the last person to be jailed under this act. This act was repealed in 1951.
So, was the Australian press that revealed Prince Harry’s deployment in Afghanistan a traitor? Would a non-British subject like Matt Drudge be deemed as a traitor? Would Jon Snow be perceived as a turncoat?
Tags: HMS Barham, news embargo
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