Clampit, The Pious Fraud.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5674, 5 November 1889, Page 3

Clampit, The Pious Fraud.

/ FULL ACCOUNT OF THE INTER f\ VIEW.

A CLEVER SCOUNDREL.

A WARNING TO RELIGIONISTS.

10WN COBBBSPONDENT.I

\pt TELECIBAra.J

Auckland, Last night The following is a full account of the interview between Sullivan (orolamp.t)and the Tueklanct Star reporter :-Clampit, who now calls himself San tier, makes no secret of the fact that his who c mission was a fraud. He laughed .heartily when he related how on arrival m Auckland he S'uud it necessary to be identified at the Bank He had to go to one of the brethren. When be reached his bouse he fell on his knees and confessed his sins. He thought that was a, splendid joke The reporter bowing, introduced himself and explained the object of his visit " Fire away, said the converted athlete; «' what do you want to know first ?" " Well, suppose you start from the boeinning ? What is your name, and where were you born?" _ " Right," said Clampett; " put this; nut it down; it's very important. My name is Arthur' Clampett. I was born iv Waterford, and I am thirty years of ago. Got th'it all down ?" . "Yes. Now tell me what you amused yourself with before you left ' Ould Ire- "« Right. Before I left the Old Country I was tbe champion athlete of Ireland. Put that down ; it's very important." _ J* And quite true, I hope?" ■*$T" Oh, yes, that's right. Then I went to New York, and I came out here with Clarence Whistler, the wrestler, and Gerald Byre, actor, five years ago." " You did not go in for religious work on this occasion, did you ?" " No, never till I was stone broke, and never again." " Not quit 9so fast; let me get your biography iv some kind of order. What was the next event in your career?" " I came out with Bouoi." "Who?" , „ ■ T .. "You know Boucicault? I came out with him, and lost a first-class appointment by getting on the spree in Australia. Then I'went to Europe I sang for Santley, and also for Jno. Staroo. Then I went to Italy and came round tho world again. "You occasionally went m for athletics, 1 "ITes \°l trained Mitchell to fight Cleary at San Francisco." " Are you really any relation to the great JohnL. Sullivan?" "Nota bit of a relation, but I havo travelled with hira, and he's a great friend of mine." , , " Well how did yon come to enter upon evangelism? Tell" me just how it came about, you understand ?" "Riiht; put this down—l was 'doad broke' when I came to Auckland about twelve months ago." " Where did you come from tnen. " From Sydney." . '' What had you been doing there t > ( "Oh, spreehur, drinking, and gambling. " And how did you got to Auckland . " V friend of mine paid my passage

0V^ r You did not stay long here before going to tho Thames, did you i"" <• No • I went on a visit to the Thames, but did not get on well, aud soon found myself back iv the" city." ... ~ . «« How did you got in with the religious how it came about. I wns « doad broke.' I was standing under a verandah where two men were singing hymns. Of course, being ' dead broke, I was willing to submit to anything. These two men came up to me and broughtj me into church. They thought, perhaps, there was something in it. I haa no homo-1 was •stone broke' you know-I thought I might as well say what they said. " But what did you say t i} "Thoy said to me, 'do youi believer They got mo to kneel down. You know under such circumstances a "an will do auything. )? Tben I stayed with Mr 1. for "'*" YoSoinod tbe Alexandra street church, did you not, evangelical moetinES there, eh f" T «It was «mply done to work mo on. I was ' stone broke,' and I bad to do s.meth '"lVell bow did you ro on financially ':'' " I did notking, but just got a start. 1 worked my way, and knew what was com- "'"" What did you intend to do when you came to Auckland on tbe last occasion t « I thought I would be able to make a bit of money by singing and so on " \nd you found it paid best to slug h^K° B°l'keptasstniigbtasl8°l'keptasstniigbtasl could for nine mouths, and 1 realised £1000 on that racket.' , , ~, "Do you belong to any religious body t •• lam Catholic-Roman Chthohc, mind Put that down ; its very important-and I Wiere in tbe Catholic Church. I'll die a Boraln Catholic. It was only a take down to ™ Disinters to take them in, and now I intend to terminate my existence m the \ Church I was brought up in.. When I arrive at San Francisco I am going to Conf"s'on. I intend to confes everything to Father Rvan, and I hope to be ..pared till I It there otherwise I'll never see Heaven ' S «.JS 'suppose the Roman Catholic Church declines to receive you . "Oh well, that can't be helped "But let us got back to your Auckland experiences. How did you get on here ?" F. T worked up epistles and took them all • *,;™Wttoricht. Weak-minded women like lambs, and I made money Jut of their weakness, consequently I felt aU » Do you think it is an easy thing to ironose upon religion bodies in this manner r P " A man of ordinary capab.lities and fair i_d_ment, and with an abhorrence of ilcohohe stimulants, could just take them in and go ahead." " What is tbe modus operandi r "I triad to be kind to all, respectable, and gentle, aud I felt it was all right with ""How did you get on after leaving ■ Auckland?" )( '• Did y you T have introductions from Auckfrom Mr Smith, of Alexandra Htreet Church. He introduced me to the Wellington Primitive Methodists. "Did you make much money in Wellington ?" ... ~ " I did pretty fairly. "How did money come into your ha " ( Tt ? was all private cheques that I received from ladies interested. Ladies inunderstand ? I got cheques from ladies Particularly; there was not a man's cheque among them W«*-«md_d ladies sent me cheques pnvately, and I never refined to receive them. Indeed, I was excessively thankful. "Were you well received at Welling-

to » ? Yes I believe my capabilities as a ™,lror' and my voice as a singer are SfiSwtto draJ crowds. The girls were yon fond of me. I could see there was a S of love in their heart* towards me, and I loved religion for their sake*. But I found that some of tbe people with whom I had to deal were exceedingly hard and to " g Th'lt was the male portion I suppose?" « Yes • I consequently succumbed. .'Weli, you went from Wellington to Ohristcburob. I believe?" "Sd'you made a good deal of money thousand P ound s there." '«'« MoSlv by cheques-money sent to me MivotSvby widows. Of course, I bad to So Iho Sst I could, or I would never have £_«„ able to net out of tbe country. I am very .SrV a I offended anybody. Put to give up tbe preaching I had a hard fi»ht and it came to an issue there. 1 was " g -*lf L-X Hto bis house. Prior to that fwfuoftakS a drop of strong drink for IL m „X Ho said, 'What will you *• t' He said, 'Have another old 2T ?< ™A rooke to me about book-mak-»c of old .times, and 1 ing. iu "j . v ,rettinfr excited. Then YT™ lady for g whom I bad a great reMr8 _ X rirS and X and I had some hock, spect, "tired, and A. a what j, S at d__. luo " ,u , k n , ne . Well, lam ° f tMB 2f 3PUnevlr pick up religion very sorry, &uu ■*■ ag .f S,{' „ wanted you to attend a religious .« Thoy did they not 1"' Convention at C £™T\\! &6 no t a brother ..Yes; they tWt Uank ell 0 £ John L- bumva Con _ they would gQ vention, BMOM would floor near it. 1 1 «°"6., t j wou id carry on my me > and -i tt vfew of paralysing them." H :f long lid yol stay in Christchurch af uVUVour weeks there after that bapA There were still a large number of peß t who belied in me, and I got a people *ho & b 1250 people and parchment affair s gnia y prcßen tation l m B«bscnbed money, ip . t WaS u a _ I vtime P togetout ol tbo room in "demonstrative conduct of the ladies." , . .ft tlmt ?» I.'? s 7 Dr S 6 h as bTen my arch enemy secure a good spree, ami i JJ q j When 1 meet friends ana i"'' - ffecl gneved, and U,at *»» me to resort to anyminj,. to bo a gentleman." . fi «' How were you so well a Die w aeey »" drink for nine months previously^ •' I screwed, myself down. 1 knew idm if I did not mako some money. I omjW not get home. Now just put in thes, fc» words of thanks. lam extremely S™ 10 ;™' I he Bank of Blank for having taken care 3 my money, and to the kind officers conneoted wiib tbat institution.

" Did you look up any of your old friends whon you returned to Auckland ?" "No." " J thought you went to see Mr P. ?" "Yos; he had to identify me at the Bank. I wish the religions people here all luck, but they will have to keep their eyes open." " Ts it true that you are taking an Auckland airl away with you?" " Not a blank bit of it. You can put this in—l have been in correspondence with an exceedingly fine girl in New York for some years. I met her when I was Professor of the Physical Training College there, and I hope to join her in marriage bonds when I return. I wish Auckland every success."

" What do you think of this oolony ?" " I like this place; I like New Zealand and I like the people, but there is such a religious tone in the country that if a man is very clever and very careful he can just fool tbera all. But the moment he makes a break he is done."

" Were younever exposed in Auckland ?" "Never. Just say with regard to what appearod in one of your newspapers that I thank them very much. The editor was quite right when he spoke derogatorily of myself. He was quite right in his judgment. Upon one occasion he remarked that I was no nioro the brother of John L. Sullivan than Patrick O'Flaherty was, and he was quite right. I thank the newspapers that they didn't knock me out before I had time to carry my ' racket' out to success. I compliment myself upon having a few hundred pounds to bring me home, and out of this colony." " I understand you had an offer of marriage during your evangelical tour ?" " Yes, two or throe offers. I did not accept them, because I did not think I could trust myself to keep the peace. My game was not marriage, but to get money." " And I suppose you had friends so long as you kept tho imposition up ?" , " Oh yes, and some of them were very kind to me. Mr. and Mrs. Z, of Christchurch, upheld me all through, and I stayed with them for some weeks., During one mission I held thero he informed the people that ' he had unbounded confidence in my judgment and nffeotion,' and at the conclusion of a long speech bo said to me something which ends with ' trust in God and do the right ? That's Shakespeare, I know, but I forgot tho rest of tho quotation."

" Which religious body did you find most sympathy with ?" "With the Primitive Methodists, until thoy found my gamo was to mako money. They said—and this is very fino indeed — that' they were working for souls, and that I was working for money.' I told them they could have the souls, and I would have tbe money ! Was not tbat very good ?" " Had you any particular frieeds in Wellington ?"

"Yes, several. Now here is a very important point in connection with the whole affair. Mr Blank invited me to his house in Wellington. Mr Blank told mo then tbat it was not for money they wanted' me to hold a mission in their church ; it was simply for the good of the place, bo said. Well, he collared about £40 in two weeks' collections, aud pave me £5 ; was not that rather good ? When the Primitive Methodists found I wanted mouey I suppose they thought I was going to Hell, and thoy turned thoir backs on mo."

"You transferred your favors to the Presbyterians next, did you not. "Yes: I preached at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Christchurch. That is an awfully swell church. I delivered snub powerful appeals and addresses that my finances commenced to look up. That was whero I met with my grand success, but when the clergy wished me to meet them I paralysed them by remaining away. I had to be very sentimental and prosy. I knew I was striking oil when I was preaching to the women, because I had tho phraseological powers, and their little hearts went out to mo. Whenever I took to drink, however, I kucw it was all over with me, and I gave the game up." " What do you propose to do now f" " I am going to San Francisco by tho mail steamer. I havo two or three different lines in which I may embark, but don't intend to go into tho Gospel work again. I will not trifle with tho Gospel any more, and I hopo my old friends will pray for mo. because I am not converted."

" What do you think of doing in America ': "

" I am probably going on a hinging tour. I intend to place myself under a very celebrated artist for about six months. I have a good baritone voice, and I may go in for ringing altogether." " You have become tired of playing religious fraud. I suppose P" "Yes. It was a fraud—a big fraud— and lam heartily tired of it. Now I finally say that only for tho law of your oountiy I would havo knocked the clergy who were antagonistic to me into a " cocked hat." I did not want a month iv gaol, so that bit of pleasure had to be postponed. I wish also to thank the lawyers and Judges that they did not get hold of me."