LINKS WITH SULLIVAN.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17837, 9 October 1929, Page 7

LINKS WITH SULLIVAN.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Your contributor “Onlooker,” in Saturday’s issue, referred to Sullivan the evangelist, who, posing as a brother of the redoubtable "bruiser” J. L. of that ilk, descended upon New Zealand and proceeded to rake in the i dollars from the unwary and the ere- ; i dulous. Several little incidents that i | occurred in the Cathedral City cul- | minated in the crash of the missioner, and he was at the finish as coldly i spurned as previously he had been 'warmly welcomed. 1 understand that after leaving Christchurch he migrated north, and for some time gave entertainments in the provinces. He undoubtedly had a fine voice and he knew how to use it. It was a pity that he prostituted his talents, for he was ap- j parently a man of parts, and had he j chosen legitimate paths he could have gone far. "Onlooker” also refers to j the notorious Worthington who ran ) the Student of Truth movement, much ! to his own profit and at the expense j of his dupes. He too was a remark- i able man. He made some preposterous j e.aims which should have been suftl- 1 cienl to arouse the doubts of any but i the most simple; but the peculiar) thing about the business was that he drew into his net the presumably "intelligent” classes, who swallowed his nostrums and claims with avidity. It was suggested in some quarters* that he was an expert mesmerist. Whether there was any truth in the statement I cannot say. I thank "Onlooker” for his reminiscences; they revive old l memories.—l am, etc., 1 SYNTAX. |