THE WELLINGTON PROPHET EXPOSED.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 26, 31 July 1894, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON PROPHET EXPOSED.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, — Certain statements having lately appeared in the various papers relative to a certain Eugene resident in Wellington, called a spiritualiat and prophet, I was induced to call on him, with the result that I am convinced he is neither the one nor the other. He is not a clairvoyant, neither does he profess to be. Spiritualists are conversant with the laws of metaphysics and dynamics — not so "Eugene." He has been styled amongst a certain class, as a healer, and of late a prophet, and in order to further promulgate his theories gave a lecture on boiled and raw water as an important integral part of his teachings, and as being the cause of all diseases. I tested him on this matter with two samples of water — the one from the Wellington reservoir, and the other boiled, with the result that he declared the boiled water to be the better of the two, and this after he had declared in his lecture that the boiled water was the cause of all diseases, etc. I still further tested him from known scientific standpoints but found him quite contradictory. With respect to his theories on the earth, life, man and evolution, tested from the same standpoints, they were simply conglomerations of stupidity, and entirely wanting in reason and pbilosophy; in fact all through I found him thoroughly unscientific. Respecting his prophesies which have caused no small amount of excitement, I found gentlemen occupying honorable and lucrative appointments, sacrificing their homes, giving up their life policies, and in other ways realising their capital in every conceivable way, that they may be able to quit New Zealand about September next as, according to this man's so called prophesies the whole of New Zealand, Western Australia and Western America is "to be blown up." The sea waves are to rise 5 miles high and sweep all life off those Continents and generally affect the whole world. Africa alone being the one place exempt, and to which he and his disciples propose to migrate, and for this insane statement there are those to be found who are giving up homes, etc. He has even gone so far as to assert his claim to be known as The Christ, one and the same; I assured him he was not the only Christ the world had had, our asylums held too many of them, but, fortunately for humanity at large, under safe restraint. I cannot come to any other decision than that he is creating this fuss as a safe means to cover his retreat to a place where he will be perhaps better able to play upon the credulity of blacks and Negroes. I think all of his disciples are under a psychic spell. — I am, etc., F. E. Chamberlain. Feilding, July 13th, 1894.