The Escaped Nun Controversy.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1668, 26 March 1886, Page 2

The Escaped Nu n Controversy.

r - : - . i (Fi-om r the Ot'tgb Bkily&imes,}.; ,' : :\ : Sipce ti^t evening' wti6h ! Sir ?6#orr»lv Greji addresse^his lUsfc political jaddj:eßß; r Jn Djansdin, the Garrison Hall hasjßrob^ij ?#Bly! never been besieged .. iiy^'sucli 1 "ai it last . ] night, ! on; . Jthe.^occasiqn; of tne •ncounter ' be.twjeea\Mrfr Ip'Gpriiian' Auff^ay°anff 'Mr > Er6d F.ulton^of tKis city.^ Thecaih: nra-1 ceeds of the entei%lnm'9jnifc'(for.'ihe-..affair , sefjnied .to be regarded as something very : . sgjecial m the entertainment-line) are to be devoted to the —House r, fpr Fallen Womeii, an^ those interested m tho_ w«l. fare |of that excellent institution /must) ha,Ve!expeViijncea-a*thrill pf-isatisfactiqa'. as tljey-gazed^ upon--tlia. Jincoinfpftiibljri wedded multitude inthe hall last" night." "" 3?he jplatform, galler&s^and floor spac* fwere packed,.°theputer^ntrsnce-Ijan^tho same ; and eve'ntUelstaircase outside thftin--doors, a p'oinj'^bmv which the splinteir*-^ ing [of lanc&i-^n the«plitfdri» could: be heard, \vjts'u\ade to accommodate its coniplemen^df specUtors. Th^ \&- - !niosplier|j[as-tH v ereiore as warmVas- 5^ temper* of thefdiacussion, and that is say- ; ing ja" very/great ; deal. The order_.6f .battle wa% as^folloyv^t^The'Cfiadrman (Mrj A: C^3.eg*g)Vino:iK9l^nt!reJs.with the attacking force" (m the'^pei'son-'-of Mr Fiilton) on his right, and the defending ■(iii | the person of : Mrs ;r Aluf£ra^) on his ileftl. Mr Fulton was immediately supported by •MrjA.fl3runton,-whpappear^d •d|i Stne f^ace.loidt to ? be*an]all^;jbut s»i^-- ) sequently proved himself to ' Be' nolMng' 11 of the kind ; while nqarMrs Auffray sat her | husband and theißev^Mrf T^nL A score or two of clergy and laity arid the war correspondents of 'thejrarious news* papers occupied the rest of the, platform space. ; Owing; to the crowded. -statjs of, thej buildi.ng, J proceedings were ..{joWj-^ uienced" a quarter of ah hour . before, !tGa;> advertised; time, au'd : : it : - was yet fivd minutes tpjfll o^clock when, after.-: aliew , c words frbnithe. chairman,- Mr Fulton rose i f or j the. charge. He was m faultiest^: evening dress, and soonjproved himself [m fine speaking voice and m first-clan training- forrheavy; work m the gesticujat-^ iirig. linei JSomeJjttlg^yigor^ Was c'cftatnfy | neciessary, for the speaTcer*was receivoa^with a storm of hisses and applause (the

former greatly predominating), which was repeated at short intervals during ;*hjis! remarks. The -iiescaped nun '' meanwhile sat with statuesque itnmobilityi her left ''hamL-'resfiin'giUpQn; ;the .table-., frr !fro.ht fr 6f* hor-; -andt-ahe ■; vouchsafe*! ." nothing beyond' a p&tienfcsneer when ; Mr^j jFujton;' rafter' & string of platitudes, .upon the text " Magna est veritas et prevafai. bit" declared that though he was restricted to an. hour, the lady,mig'it after* ward8 f talkjtill dporQpdky. ' It 'may be. re* ' ported , as' a matter of dry fact, •' thttrthe - laurels of victory ; -fell"? to ; Mri' Auffray after a conflict of j two, houri an^ a Jialf,^ Asj a. controversy, the affair was un-^' questionably ianieV~bWt"'it^'Tpireßented^=»=^ good many points ofdnterestand amusement. Mr. Fulton!schi«f strength lay m ;h'isreasonan^Qi^yo^.:and;^a y!^^tionla> tiop so pa^ioira^Sjfe^^nyolyeSjsome li fctle personal ■ daiager; to '.himself and those m his; imfnefiate vicinity. v^lt wai probably the. vibleht manhofc e^»n' more th|n the matter; of^hisAdiicourse that drew upon hjm such frequent and tooiferouslaootihg' Irom^tnVf audiencer r^Otf example, when, he. declared thaV^^Btti*Aiiffray had" -playing mpoW one string up til} she had; become a veritable 'Pagariihi/the audiehce, x by' the. - tuuiult]i^ oupiridigriatipn, they, f .showed, evidently laboured under the impression" that'i6niii<' vituperative epithet of terrible force jhad •beeni( applied/ to \the y " espaped rinjn.'* JPhii was hard "finei, for Pa^ahini *j»/ pot such a very-disreputable character after all, and the denunciation was on* :of j the'iiiildefct^hatrpass^d .Mr. lips during:. tUe K course t/ oi, .fee evening." : Without followiig the lourriey ; ih detail, ; when I} .Mrj: pulton anasf'ap^jroached the point the gravamJeri n ot\)x\i ohargef,f(i.soived itself into thiri-^That the " e«-" ; iaaped nun" was- a Yankee show- woman, : arid : that she ; was; guilty of fobtaininjc : mpne>: uMer- ifalse , pretences, /and! .of blasphemy. ..Immense , uproar, dHrinjf •''•. Jwhich the speaker faced Mrs 'Auffray'r: with.cienphed fisfs, and^lrpye to annihilate her With a look. Btf^Aiiiffrayftinhedii^ herselt and continued to' wear an aspect of comparative cheerfulness, Jtml. her as-sailant-then turned to 4 the readih'g^fißer-'^^ :,tain' 'alleged I letters^ rdm th!e>i"c^ped>nuh: r - ».tq| the mother a ßuperJQr convent," " -which were publishedanl the i?o« c fo»rPifoV an cl. concerning which so vnjicii has J &een : heard of* 'iTJjftHfc^ proceedings, wereA T ar^ied by, a. .lively altercatiou between Mr Fulton arid 'a young ; gentleman * m? the front roWj^whom^ hj accused of having a " cricketerV mous^ tache — 11 hair on eacli-side." Almost the only passage at w.hich. the. aa*ajlant did secure soine^genuine" applause waa th|at wherein" HSrJ^yn|^^K|s;-6ffer to defray all ith^-co^^'offa^ii^liiiction against thos^ respo.nkiblejfdriihe^ publication of the lett^t«/W.hiclv Mre'Aimray declared to be ;forgen^Bi4-jßiit;:;]^^ Fulton soon afterword's -16stf^i8v¥dva;ditage by another injudicio^s^cofilict^itKHf'niember of the audienceT^'The rndividoal m qhestion, at a^ cesta.in CT ppint m the 'harangue exclaimed' '• Youre 1 no gentleman'^ ,;! ari#/M& I%lt6n'j ,g>undini( With) lnarvellous alacrity, anxuiusj like Shylock,'that 'rio*-vipi9ri'fßhoul.d:'lhayoj .^heLl .chance of stinging him twict, thundred 'fprthi ; " YouJlre^aviiar ,o't civilities not chiming m with the" " ' chairman's -.vieAs j.of ; idec.Qru|U i jM^Jful. .ton made the amende honorable as fol • lows : " I apologise tEis time to the chair>; : but (.with startling -i energy )n}t { ■ -anyone tells me again I am no gentleman, chair or nofchairjihefiß-a liar." So the play went on, Mr Fulton shaking his shirtcuffs m frenzied declamation, but unfortunately ito^adrance much logical argument. "i : rf ... : . (To be Continued.) .