“Dr Warren.”

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 568, 10 February 1891, Page 3

“Dr Warren.”

HIS COMPLETE EXPOSURE. The Auckland papers to baud by Saturday’s mail gave full particulars of the repudiation of the credentials submitted by the “ Bev. Dr Warren,” and leave no room for doubt that he was sailing under false colors. The Star says there was quite a sensation at ths meeting of the Presbytery. Suspicion was at first aroused by the fact that though the credentials seemed genuine enough, the names of some well known persons being used, Warren had brought no private letters of introduction or recommendations of any sort. “ I had,” said Mr Sommerville, “ the same opinion of the fellow the first five minutes I talked to him that I have now.” Warren was a tall man, with a dark bushy beard, and always appeared in public with a black boll-topper and frock coat. He was reserved and distant in his disposition, and this was a remarkable characteristic ia a minister that was at once observed, but it was accounted for by a story that family bereavements had sadly stricken the Doctor, and that the only relation he had left was a bright little boy he had with him. The Doctor always had a sad, depressing appearance which was not likely to increase the esteem in which he was held, savoring as it did of overstraining after effect. In the pulpit he generally preached a good sermon ; he was no doubt a capital speaker, and expressed liberal views that usually met with general approval, though his knowledge of grammar was astonishingly deficient for one making the pretence chat he did. In the country dis'.riots a very strong feeling sprang up in his favor, and an effort was made to retain his services. But there was already an inkling abroad that all was not well, and the Doctor was himself probably uneasy on the matter. In the course of conversation with a Standard representative he said that his future was quite undecided. He said he had come to New Zealand mainly for the good of his health, and to see the colony, but he was afraid he could not attempt to go back to America again, as his medical adviser told him that his poor health would not sustain him against such a voyage. He was even dreading, he said, the voyage from Gisborne on South. It was remarked that this seemed rather peculiar to one who had travelled so much, and the Doctor replied iu sorrowful tones that the sea voyage always made him spit much blood. In his remarks at the welcome s >iree to Mr Ryburn, the Doctor aroused the curiosity of some people by asking them all to Ipray for him as he went out on the world. This would perhaps have been deemed quite In place were it not that the whole burden of his remarks applied to himself.

One evening he gave a lecture on America, the remarkable feature of which was the high colors in which he painted it without saying anything about the dark side. In the course of bis remarks he made one significant state ment, that in America any stranger would be received with outstretched arms, and ba deemed an honest man until he had proved himself a rogue—they would not, said he, in tones that conveyed a deep meaning, refuse to acknowledge a minister of the Gospel until he has served a term of probation. But in New Zealand, he continued, every stranger was deemed dishonest until he had proved himself honest. It was very different to that in America, where every man would be given a chance to prove what he was—he would be accepted on trust. A good deal of sympathy was aroused on behalf of the so called Doctor, whom many people thought was being treated in a harsh, distrustful way quite incompatible with Christian charity, and the revealing of his true character came as a great shock to a large number of people. On the evening 0! the Doctor’s departure from Gisborne a representative of this journal was out at the big steamer, and had diquer there. “The Tramp” sht beside him, and the Doctor sat opposite, with a well-known professor of dentistry by his side, The profeseor was amusing himself trying to take a “ rise ’’ out of the supposed minister, but in a cool way the latter seemed to be a pretty fair match for his table companion, Before the boat steamed off our representative bad a conversation with the Doctor, who said he was quite uncertain as to his future movements. He expressed himself well pleased on the whole at the treatment he had received in Gisborne, and said that the people generally had been very kind to him. He said that taking it as a whole he would carry away very pleasant memories of his visit, though he did not think he was likely to come back again. To the surprise of our representative the Doctor threw off all reserve and began some banter ahout the election. At parting ho warmly shook hands with the Pressman, expressed a wish that the latter's career would be blessed, and hoped that they might meet again,

The Doctor is bslieved to have gone to Australia,