Gef liked to pull pranks on James, Margaret and Voirrey Irving. He enjoyed spying on people, then relating what he saw. There was a $50,000 offer for Gef to tour the US, but he refused, saying he would be put in a bottle. His proudest moment was when there was a libel suit involving him as the central character.

Gef Makes Headlines

R. S. Lambert was the editor of the official BBC Publication, The Listener. He and Harry Price, psychical researcher, were among the first to investigate Gef. They co-authored a book about their experience, The Haunting of Cashen’s Gap. John Lavita, Lambert’s direct superior, read the book and concluded that Lambert was “mad” and was an ardent “Gef-ist.” Lavita denounced him to BBC officials. Soon after this, Lambert was fired. He sued Lavita for libel.

At the same time, a member of Parliament demanded the House of Commons make an inquiry into Gef’s existence. Someone challenged this, which led to heated debates. One report stated there was a fist fight in the House.