THE UNCONVERTED ATHLETE

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 490, 19 July 1890, Page 5

THE UNCONVERTED ATHLETE

ARTHUR GLAMRETT INTER.

VIEWED.

.Wellington, July 16. One of the Star reporters who interviewed Arthur Clampetb, alias Sullivan, prior to his departure from Auckland about twelve months ago, was able to again interview the unconverted athleto soon after ho arrived at Wellington by the Ruapehu, from London, yesterday. I met Clampett walking up the wharf in company with a lady and gentleman and little girl, and on seeing me he immediately stopped to have a chat, his recollection of the former interview in the Star Hotel, Auckland, boing still fresh in his memory. Having shakeu hands with his friends and kissed the little girl, ho placed himeelf at my disposal, and having made an adjournment to the Occidental, once again made me the confident of his singular experiences. In the first place I questioned him as to the correctness of tho statement, made by himself at our former interview, and these, as reported, he admitted wore absolutely correct. lie had been credited with making an assertion to tho effect that he must have been drunk when he gave that interview, and he now denied emphatically having made any such statement. “Indeed,” he said “ I was as sober as J am now and knew purfec ly well what I was saying. The only incorrect statement I made to you,” he proceeded, “ was that I made £I,OOO out of the religious racket in New Zealand. I actually only made £3OO beyond my expenses. £SO of that amount was given to me by one party.” As to his experience sirtce leaving Auckland Clampett said:—“After arming at San Francisco I went on to Texas._ Subsequently I went to Chicago and Now York and everywhere I found that copies of a New Zealand Methodist publication containing an exposure of my religious career in this colony had preceded me. When I went to England I found the same paper, and my own friends were turned against mo. In consequence of this 1 was thtown on my resources. I gave lectures on New Zealand, and spoke in the highest terms of this country, but here again my New Zealand experiences dogged my footeteps, and I had, perforce, to resort to gambling. I did not box, myself, bub made some money by backing others. While I was in London I received from a resident of Christchurch forty guineas to pay my passage back to New Zealand. They asked me to come back to Christchurch and make a confession, but I am done with the religious racket now. W hen I arrivod here there was not a friend on the wharf to meet me. The religious people, you see, are not prepared to * restore a brother in a spirit of meoknes,’ and therefore I in- ' tend to resort to the ways of men of the world, who know more than they do. 1 used the money sent to. me for a ticket, and took passage by the Ruapehu, but I have plenty of inoney arid intend to retprq the fprty guineas £o the dopop I intend henceforth to pursue my qwn profession as a professor pf physical culture, giving my gymnastic exhibitions, and lecture op my past experiences, throughout the world, I have written to Professor Miller, of Melbourne, asking him to join mo, and if he consents, I believe we will do well. I intend to proceed from here to Dunedin, and will visit Auckland again without fail later on.” Further conversation of a general character brought the interview to a close. Clampetb is well dressed, and carried himself with the same self-pos-sessed deportment as on the occasion of his former visit. He has evidently been doing a lot of muscular exercise,but still possesses tho neat clerical look and persuasive ways which formerly enabled him to ensure a good reception amongst the religious j brotherhood almost everywhere he wont. He denies he ever on any occasion since leaving Auckland attempted to impose upon the religious denominations, and asserts that he finds his own profession much I more remunerative.