Antedating of "Rafferty's rules"

[Hugo]

Today's OED WOTD: "Rafferty's rules" (14 Dec 1918)

Here's one from a 1916 war poem about a soldier's helmet. Could it have a
wartime origin?

The Globe and Sunday Times War Pictorial (Sydney, NSW : 1914 - 1917)
Saturday 8 April 1916 p 4 Article:

[Begin extract]
Furlong by furlong, aye, inch by inch,
>From the sniping shot to the cold-steel clinch–
Fists, "rough-housing," any old tools–
He got there each time by "Rafferty rules."
[End]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/100574472?searchTerm=%22rafferty%20rules%22&searchLimits=l-textSearchScope=*ignore*%7C*ignore*|||toyyyy=1920|||l-word=*ignore*%7C*ignore*#pstart9467700

Hugo

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