An Evangalistic Imposter.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3188, 25 April 1889, Page 2

An Evangalistic Imposter.

! A curious obapter of religious im- , position has just come to light in Liverpool. A "converted actor" named Smith, wlio has recently been holding evangalistic meetings in Bryom Hall in that town, gave out , that his success in the cause of total abatinenco had resulted in the con. version of a prominent brewer, |who as a thank-offering had handed over : a large sum of monoy, out of which ho (the actor) had settled LIOO a year on another evangaliat, Bennett Anderson, who lias charge of Bryom Hall, and another £IOO a year on the Bev. Cliarles Garret in recognition of his serviccß in connection with the Liverpool town.mission, L7OO to the Wesleyaii Chapel, Waterloo Place, Dumfries, and £l5O to the Congregational Chapel, Dumfries, his native town;, LSO to the Maxwelltown Good Templars, £l4O to the Carlisle Primitive Methodists, L 250 to the Ardwick Primitive Methodists, Manchester, and LIOO. to . the Leyenshulme. Gospel Temperance Mission, beside 12s per;week to a Liverpool working men's .missionary. Smith next called upon a well-known firm "of London' Solicitors and requested them to' draw .rip a postnuptial settlement for £oiooo out of his windfall of £14,000, and the solicitors were also instructed to draw out a will providing for two daughters of Mrs Turnbull,' of Dumfries, with whom lie lodged. Mrs Turnbull, towards whom he has behaved most cruelly, she having borrowed £SO to meet his legal expenses for transferring the brewer's property, is now absolutely destitute,. her home jn Dumfries being sold up. Hs also arranged with a Liverpool estate agent for ahouse, which was to be cleaned and otherwise adorned to suit his ajsthetic tastes, arid also with a firm of house furnishers iu Liver-, pool to provide all that was required up to £SOO, All went well, and Smith wits made: much of till a few daya agor wh'oii; the- bequests - and settlements wero by arrangement to have been signed aud attested at his solicitor's, 'He failed to put-in an appearance, and inquiries made have opeiied the' eyes of Smith's dupesthat his real, name, is. John Thompson, that he has been a sdldier, a policeman and a Scene-shifter at a theatre iu Liverpool,; and has,avery questionable reputation j that lie has successively married three wives, and paying his. addresses as a : single: man to a young ' lady in Liverpool : who has devoted herself to missionary work. Smith also had invited a number of missionarier from Dumfries, Whitehaveu, Manchester, and other places to" associato" themselves ! withhimin .carrying.pii a Seamen|s, 1 Mission in Liverpool,\;which,-heed-less to state, is a bogus institution so , Smith is concerned. He is ! being sought after -by the, Liverpool ■ police, and the only' pset left'in the possession of his- landlady for board'' M lodging js a'box'iii,bis room, which on being opened was found to ! be empty,