SULLIVAN OR CLAMPETT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1940, 7 September 1889, Page 3

SULLIVAN OR CLAMPETT.

For some time past a man representing himself as G. T. Sullivan, a brother of J. L. Sullivan, the great pugilist, has been creating a sensation in religious circles. After a tour of the North Island, he arrived in Christchurch a short time ago, and commenced to hold services in the churches there. Somehow a doubt arose in the minds of some people, and it was assorted that his name was not Sullivan; that his real name was Arthur Clampett. We now gather from the Christchurch papers that a lady passenger who had just arrived in New Zealand by the Coptic paid a visit to Christchurch, and without being at all aware of the controversy concerning Sullivan, and, while casually looking into Mr Fountain Barber's window, exclaimed, “Oh, there is Arthur Clampett.” Her name is Miss M. Burns, sister of Miss Burns, dressmaker, Lambton Quay, Wellington. The young lady proceeded to her sister in Wellington, and the Telegraph wired to its representative in that city to interview her, with the result that he forwarded the following Miss M. Burns, dressmaker, Lambton Quay, assures me that she has no doubt that the person assuming to be Sullivan is Arthur Clampett. She was walking in Christchurch with a Mrs W. Wilson recently, when Miss Burns, noticing a photograph in the shop window, remarked, ‘Look, there’s Arthur Clampett.’ She did not then know that he was in New Zealand. She avers that he is much stouter that when she last saw him some six or seven years ago, but his features are unchanged. Miss Burns went to school in Waterford with the members of the Clampett family, and knew Arthur well. He was of a roving disposition, and of unsettled habits. He was the possessor of a good bass voice, and was in Waterford Cathedral choir. The last time she heard of him was about six years ago; he was a member of an opera company in Belfast.” A Press Association telegram says “The Ministers’ Association of Christchurch met on Wednesday to discuss the bona fides of Mr G. T. Sullivan, who has been conducting a mission in several Wesleyan and Presbyterian churches, as he is an alleged fraud, and not brother to the pugilist as represented. It was decided to send a deputation to interview him and report to an adjourned meeting on Thursday.” In consequence of Mr Sullivan not being present at the meeting on Thursday of the Christchurch Ministers’ Association, adjourned from Wednesday in order to give Mr Sullivan another opportunity to be present, a committee was again appointed to see Mr Sullivan, and the meeting adjourned to Friday afternoon at two o’clock.

The committee saw Mr Sullivan on Thursday evening, but as he had been away from town all day, and had returned only just in time for his mission service at St. Albans he agreed to meet them at noon next day. Mr Sullivan will doubtless have to produce some credentials. He has performed a great feat: he has jumped from the prizering into the pulpit, and it really is not an unreasonable thing to suspect such a sudden metamorphosis.