MILNER STEPHEN IN ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7718, 15 April 1887, Page 3

MILNER STEPHEN IN ENGLAND.

The London correspondent of the Auck-

land Herald writes i— l mentioned in a

former letter that Mr Milner Stephen, who is well known— perhaps too well— in Australia and New Zealand, was in London trying to, obtain patients— paying patients be it noted — to submit themselves to his taith-enring powers. At first the Pall Mull Gazette, ever on the look-out for a new sensation, seemed disposed to take him up and make much of ins faith-healing capabilities. Isnt an inquiry; set on foot by that paper, revealed the fact that Mr Milner Stephen was not althgether all that could be wished, and the Pall Mull Gazette immediately proceeded to denounce him, and to recommend him to the attention of

the police. Mr Milner Stephen does not appear to have been daunted by the antagonism of the Pall Mall Gazette, and ft is understood that he is pursuing

his avocation as a faith-healer with some amount- of success and, pecuniary profit. Last Sunday he delivered a lecture on " Healing by Laying-on of Hands" at a public hall in the West End of London. The lecture was attended by about half a hundred persons, and all went well until the end, when a geutieman named Thistle rqsefrom the audience and requested permission to say a few words abont Mr Milner Stephen's performances in New Zealand. Mr Thistle said that he had had an opportunity of seeing certain of Mr Stephen's alleged cures in New Zealand, and not a single one had been a real cure. At this point

the " Modern Miracle Worker " interrupted the speaker, by saying to the chairman, of Mr Thistle, "He is the biggest blackguard that walks the earth. This man, told lies, and wrote to the

papers about me. . He is not fit to be heard." The audience, however, were of a different opinion, and determined that Mr Thistle should be heard. Accordingly,

lie proceeded to say that he had written to one of the New Zealand papers, warning thfi poor against being taken in by Mr Milner Stephen. He was acquainted, he declared, with a poor working man, who had made a long voyage to see Mr Milner Stephen, and attended him every day for 30 d,ays daily, paying that gentleman's fees. After he could afford to go on paying fees no longer, he complained to Mr Milner Stephen that he was no better. " Oh," replied Mr Stephen, " you cannot expect to be cured in a, month, you must go on." This Mr Thistle adduced as an instance of the way in which the "Modern Miracle- worker " treated his patients, When Mr Thistle had finished, Mr Stephen tried to give a specimen of iiis faith-healing powers by curing a lad ot cataract, but as far as could be seen without result. Mr Stephen's charges are two guineas for first visit, one guinea for second, and half a guinea for each subseqnent visit, so that if he gets many patients, he will reap a good harvest. Probably, however, the notoriety which the Pali Mall Gazelle has conferred upon him wilt prevent his career in this country being one of urichequered success.