HOW HE TENDS HIS FLOCK.

NZ Truth, Issue 92, 23 March 1907, Page 5

HOW HE TENDS HIS FLOCK.

Conglomeration of Cancer-curing and Soul-saving.

Bangs the Bible to Boom His Quackery Business.

" Truth's " Special Account of a Stanton Gospel Shivoo.

"We can all become as Perfect as Christ Himself," says this "Good" Shepherd.

A week or two ago "Truth " published an account ,ol a Christchurch quack named Stanton, and hazarded a guess that he was a glorious specimen of the holy hypocrite. Further, investigations ' confirm, the kindly opinioa first formed ; nay, the more the Stanton muck-heap is delved into, the more unsavory be- . comes the whole atmosphere surrounding this Worcester Street Wizard, who pushes his nefarious business of cancer' " curing "by means , or>ani?iag, 1 . I the Good Word for all ,\rih& is ! wo^jfcK; f " Thas :;Stant<)Bi v is ia : ,;.siimy, sordi^, "souiless, J specimen of ,% that of all quacks,) the Godly quack, 1 can. hardly be doubted. He runs his precious preaching practice solely and wholly to provide himself with yictims upon whom he can sponge with his mediocre medical mendacity—cancer curing. The case "Truth " mentioned recently of an old lady named Smith; residing at Cadbgan Street, Christchurch, shows Shepherd Stanton up m a peculiarly lurid lightl ,014 ; Mrs. Smith suffered ' with cancer. She had consulted a Christchurch doctor, Who, as became him, told her the plain, blunt truth, saying the cancer was of old stand--1 ing, that she was net strong enough to* bear an operation, and he could therefore do nfrbhin^ for her. An- . other doctor consulted pave the name frank disheartening opinion, .and after that "friends," who had heard of Shepherd Stanton, cancer. " specialist,," advised her to consult himShe did so, and told him two doctors bad said her case was hopeless.* Immediately, STANTON THE SPECIALIST, the gospel grinder- the "good " man, showed himself for the arrant humbug and sublime hypocrite* that "he is. "I am glad . thei doctor said that," he murmured to the suffering woman, m his smooth, oily tones, " those are the cases I like to get hold of, as I know that. I can effect a cure." Stanton assuared his; suffering victim that long before the Exhibition opened she would be quite well enough to entertain her friends. Then Stanton waded m to remove that cancer. In the first place he played on the old lady's' mind, telling her she must let Ms mind be her mind. Then he offered jip prayer on her- behalf, bid her l^e' of good cheer, and she would soon be cured. He gave her some preparation m a bottle and paid her weekly visits, Vj -,tp, practicably . <( pj;ay" faghis.^cti'm. V 'Needless ' io ' say,' Mrs. !" Smith ' grad- -■-. ually became worse— and the worse she became the less often did the blazing fraud come to attend her. 'All this time he had been charging, the , exorbant fee of 10s per week for -some rubbishy concoction m a bottle —and petitions to God m Heaven to do -what he knew well enough no man on earth was capable- o£, effect .. & cure . of the cancer growth. . Event- .. ually slippery Stanton ceased visit- ! ing the poor deluded woman, and when asked to explain: he stated, . without beating about the bush,, that ."the 1 case was not paying him well enough. • (Evidently, then, this religious rogue has a large circle d£ cancer sufferers, whom he is praying for at a price, which price must form handsome recompense for his lahorings on. his bended -knees m their behalf.) This ,game of giving up patients when they become worse, and there is no chance of their recovery, is an old one wilth Stanton. He prays for (and preys on) 'his victims as. long as , . HIS HUMBUGGING METHOpS will •allow,, and then, when his incompetence to effect the promised • cure becomes too appa-rent he, by one subterfuge: or another, ,wriggle& out of his obligations. In all; Mrs, Smith, of Cadogan Street, was under Iris treacherous treatment nearly twelve months, and to-day she is far worse m "health than if she had never seen him. Also, she is poorer to the extent of £24, which the Bille-banging bounder, Stanton has wheedled out of heir for attendance ; attendance she would have been far better without. Nor is the case of Mrs. Smith by any manner of means the only one that cancer " specialist " Stanton his been connected' with, and out of which he lias obtained money by fraudulent means. Some time back a rbiing woman of about 25 years dt ', "i,<»e caTlie tinder his ban. He told her she had cancer on the kidney, and proceeded to effect a"cure." He was" so successful m his endeavours that the woman soon became thoroughly well again, and without any operation being performed upon her. It was a, remarkable testimonial for Stanton's ability as a cancer-cure, ami the newly-cured < woman and her frienns blazoned his name abroad as a medical wonder. Then something happened. A doctor m Christchurch came to hear of the icase, and examined the living testimony to ' Stanton's prowess. His comment was a cold douche for the specialist, for he said the woman had no more cancer than he (the doctor) had The ./quack had told her she had cancer m order to obtain credit for a " cure." The thing Was utterly impossible ! -Yet, on. the strength of damnable hypocrisy such as this cse. Stanton is to-day praying over a host of cancer-cursed patients, dos,ing them with harmless fluid, and drawing fees for his direful, deceitful dodges. : What makes the case of slimy Ptrnton worse, infinitely worse, is that he should, m order to gather ■victims within his net, carry on a religiipus campaign m Christchuroh m the most brazen-faced manner. He .pretends to hold no medical, diplomas, merely terming himself a specialist, and, being too artful to actually kill any one of his hopeless " crass," is beyond reach of the low.

But he sails close to the wind, and may even yet overrun the mark m such a way as to lay himself open to prosecution! In \ the meantime he receives his patients m a substantial residence m the city, and, as each fly enters this spider's parlor, Stanton gives him or her to understand that, by praying, faith, and plenty of • cash he can treat any and every disease successfully.