A PETONE PARSON

NZ Truth, Issue 123, 26 October 1907, Page 5

A PETONE PARSON

LOST IN THE LABYRINTHS OF LONDON. An Unpleasant Experience More Fully Related. A COCKNEY BEAK'S CONUNDRUM. A Lunatic, Pest, or Only Eccentric? HOPED HE WAS APPRECIATED IN NEW ZEALANP.

This religious journal, owing to extraordinary pressure on its very valuable space, or from any other old reasons too numerous to be specified, quite forgot the other day to mention the fact that the Rev. Mr Alexander Thompson, Presbyterian Meenister of Petone had returned from his travels abroard. Truth to tell this pious people's paper was quite ignorant of the fact that the Rev. Thompson even existed, and it would still have been m blessed ignorance of the cleric's, existence, or the fact that he was a Presbyterian minister of Petone, or that he had wandered abroad, had it not been for sundry newspaper paragraphs informing a highly- and deeply interested -world that Mr Thompson, dear old delightful soul, was back once more m THE LOARD'S VINEYARD AT PETONE, and that he had been welcomed and feted and made much of, and that last, but not least, his holiness had been interviewed, not only by the press of the Dominion, but, being considered some sort of curiosity that had wandered from New Zealand, the press of Scotland' had corralled him and got his opinions on mundane matters. Now, "Truth" does not propose to re-accompany Mr Thompson over his travels, and we will . say this much for him that when m Scotland he did the real, •right thing by New -Zealand. He boomed her for all he was worth. He did handsomely ; he left nothing unsaid. He was, to quote one paper "so enthusiastic over New Zealand, its climate, its fertile lands, its pleasures . and its prospects that the reporter to whom he unburdened himself even expressed the threat to come and visit the wonderful country for himself." Now, there can be no doubt that m booming our wonderful potentialities the Petone Presbyterian sky-pilot did us a good turn, and gave us a splendid advertisement. That was m bonnie Scotland. Let us see the sort of advertisement "his reverence" gave New Zealand m London. As "Truth" has observed, a Mr Thompson was "welcomed home." He was interviewed by a "Post" representative, and had a lot of things to say concerning his travels. The day following his "welcome home," the "Evening Post" published the following : By no means the most pleasant experience m England of the Rev. A. Thompson, of Petone, was his arrest m London and appearance before a magistrate. Mr Thompson told his audience at a "welcome home" last night that while slumming the great metropolis and taking good stock of his surroundings, he was accosted by a policeman, and asked "What was he doing ?" The visitor resented the interference, and to quote his own words, "lost his temper, and got run m."- However, explanations • were ACCEPTED BY THE MAGIS^ TRATE, and the New /Zealander allowed to. go. The narration of the story caused a hearty laugh last night. The narration of the story caused a hearty laugh ! Some folk are possessed of a keen sense of humor, some, perhaps, are a bit dull and would m the recital of such a story, find little to amuse them, and if they were "true blue" Presbyterians, the fact of their "meenister" being submitted to such an indignity would create m them nothing but a feeling of resentment that a respectable' clergyman could not go slumming and taking stock of his surroundings m London without being interfered with by some fool policeman, locked up and dragged before a Po-' lice Court Bench, to be made the butt and ridicule of a lot .of grinning, morbid-minded police _ court habitues. Now, Mr Thompson must be a curious kind of cleric, otherwise he would have posed as a. martyr and not relate his unpleasant experience of being run m to simply cause a hearty laugh. It is,perhaps, unfortunate that this parson did not quote from English papers of his unpleasant experiences. From the London "News of the World" of September 1 last this paper clips the following :— . PEERING CLERGYMEN.; "SETS WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD BY THE EARS." The Rev. Alexander Thompson, 50, said to be a Presbyterian minister, of Wellington, New Zealand, appeared at" the Lambeth Court to answer a charge of "using insulting behavior whereby a breach of the peace might have been occasioned."— P. C. Pye said he followed Mr Thompson up and down Wal-worth-road from 9.30 to 10.20 at night and saw him peer into the faces of children and young girls. Two young men had complained to witness of defendant's conduct AS DID SEVERAL GIRLS. The young men now gave evidence, saying they had watched defendant for two or three hours.— Mr Thompson,^ m the witness, box, explained that wherever he was he took an interest m the crowds that thronged the streets. He was shortsighted.—Mr Armstrong having addressed the Court for the defence, Mr Hopkins said : "Mr Thompson, your advocate has asked very forcibly what it has been proved you have done. Upon my word it is, perhaps, a little difficult to say. But this much I can tell you, that a Londoner doesn't come to a London police court . about an aimless wandering stranger, and whatever you did you managed to set the whole neighborhood by the ears. I asked myself what ' you

are— a lunatic, oae of the pests about the street, or only eccentric. I see you are due to go back to New Zealand, where I hope you are appreciated. You are free to go." "Truth" does not propose to offer any comment on the matter. The London Magistrate was quite at a loss to understand what Thompson's game was, and as the Magistrate heard the evidence and "Truth" CAN ONLY SURMISE IT, how can anyone at this great disi tance express any opinion as to whether the experience was painful or otherwise. As far as Thompson being appreciated m New Zealand is concerned, we can only say that he is not appreciated any more than any other parson, and parsons are not appreciated, they are suffered. Still, it certainly seems that the next time Thompson goes slumming he should have a chaperon with him, but then, perhaps, slumming would lose all its pleasures. Of course, Mr Thompson told London Magistrate Hopkins that he was taking an interest m the crowds. That might possibly be considered slumming by sky-pilot Thompson. But does slumming consist m peering into the faces of girls, and by so peering set the whole neighborhood by the ears ? It is just like the walleyed parson, anyhow, to be so rude and ruffle the fine feathers of young fellows, who were obliged to keep their eyes on the slumming cleric and were, because of his eccentricity, obliged still further to complain of him to the police. It is unfortunate "Truth" again says, that the reports of this painful experience are so brief, otherwise Mr Thompson, or Thomson, or whatever his name is, might be GIVEN THE JUSTICE HE DESERVES. Anyhow, the report from the London paper ill-fits with Thompson's assertion that the Magistrate accepted .his explanation. What .explanation did he give ? What did he do ? Why, the Magistrate was unable to say. To say the least, it looks very much as if the Petone Presbyterian pilot's black cloth saved him. It is just as well, therefore, that as much of Thompson's painful experience should be known to his flock and the public generally, and that, therefore, ia the reason "Truth" gives the painful experience the publicity it emi-* nently deserves.