"THE HOAX OP THE CENTURY."

Evening Star, Issue 10332, 4 June 1897, Page 1

"THE HOAX OP THE CENTURY."

A COLOSSAL LIAR

M. Luo Taxil, who recently came forward in France as a convert to Rome from Atheism and Freemasonry, has been making somo extraordinary revelations with regard to his role at a meeting in Paris. According to the account given by the correspondent of the ' Diily Telegraph,' M. Leo Taxil has a general confession before the public, and unblushiugly proclaimed that ha has been for years hoaxing Pope, cardinals, priests, and people. M. Leo Taxil alias Gabriel Jogand wro f c some years ago a series of uuciireligious □ovels and pamphlets. He pretended to reveal the mysteries of the Vatican, and to make backstairs revelations about distinguished ecolesiastid. Then he suddenly rejjwSUVed, retracted all his evil allegations, and went to confession to a Jesuit priest; and it was believed by hundreds of simpleminded persons, unversed in the guile of the world, that M. Taxil was a sound, practical, and- intelligent convert, who was an undoubted acquisition to Catholicism. Three years ago the supposed convert was identified with the publication of a book called 'The Devil in the Nineteenth Century.' The author was supposed to be a Dr Bataille, an ex-surgeon in the merchaut service, who recounted as a witness events in the extraordinary career of a young person named Diana Vaughan. This damsel was said to be born of Protestant parents away down in Kentuoky, and to have been made " Palladian Giaud Mistress of the Supreme and Mysterious Lodge of Universal Freemasonry." la this capicity Diana was alleged to have married the Devil (Asmodeus), who was commauder-in-chief of seventy legions of satanic spirits. After these monstrosities had been launched other publications, entitled 'Memoirs of an exPalladist' and 'The Eucharistic Novena,' announced that Diana Vaughan had been converted to Catholicism. She was patronised, although she had never been seen, by Cardinal Parocchi, and even by the Pope himself. M. Leo Taxil published her lame far and wide in religious newspapers and periodicals, but in spite of all this some Catholics began to havegtrong suspicions, and ! at an Anti-Masonic Congress held last year j in Trent her existence was denied. This was supposed by the believers in Diana to be a bold step, for one man who had doubted suddenly found his head twisted around one night, and he remained for three weeks with his face where his poll ought to have been, and vice versa, until Mi3B Vaughan condescended to come from America in order to readjust him. In the meantime the sceptics and unbelievers, who refused to regard Diana as aught but a mythical personage, persistently called on M. Taxil to produce her in the flesh and to let her be seen and heard. This the supposed convert promised to do, and he accordingly convoked a meeting, which took place in the Geographical Society's hall on the Boulevard Saint Germain, and was attended by many persons, including numerous priests. Itwaspromised that Diana would make statements about Palladism, the full truths of which were not to bo rovsaled nntd 1912. There were, also to be luminous projections showing a Palladist as one of the Magi, and the pact which he had made with the serpent cut in three; the treaty between Thomas Vaughan and Lucifer, Son of the Morning ; photographs of Albert Pike, Miss Liliana Pike, John Vaughan, and the damsel herself, ! who was supposed to have contracted a j diabolical marriage. It was also expected that a book was to be seen which had beeu written by the Davil; and miuh was heard about a picture of Miss Vaughan receiving a steel crown, made in the caverns of Gibraltar, from the hands of Asmodeus, her Satanic husband. All this imposture was frankly and audaciously unveiled by its organiser amid scenes of protestation and uproar. AN EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION. M. Taxil calmly announced that he was born a perpetrator of jokes at the expense of credulous humanity. Famisterk uaa the foundation of his character as a Marseilles man, and at the age of nineteen he had terrified his fellow-townsmen by announcing that the port of the southern city was invaded by sharks of the most terrible species. He also announced that there was a lost city under the Lake of Geneva, and some people believed that they saw cafeschantants, houses, and gardens deep down in the recesses of blue Like Leman. A Polish archaeologist even went so far as to write a treatise on the matter, in which he said that he had perceived something like an equestri.ui statue at the bottom of the inland sea immortalised by Gibbou, Rousseau, Byron, and Madame De Staiil. Then Taxil started the Diana Vaughan hoax. He was prayed for by feivent monks and nun?, who almost regarded him as a father of the church and a candidate for canonisation, since he unmasked the Freemasons and brought over to Catholicity women wedded to devils. At Rome he was received with open arms, and had an audience at the Vatican ; but, as he assured his astonished auditors, he was only a false convert, and Diana Vaughan was merely a type-writing young woman whom he employed as a secretary at £6 per month. In this capacity she wrote and Bigned letters dictated by Taxil himself, and addressed to high prelates. A Triduum, or three days' prayer, was celebrated at the Sacre Cceur for Diana, and her hymn to Joan of Arc (a borrowed affair) was sung in several Through Cardinal Parocchi the type - writing young damsel received the Papal benediction, and was informed that her conversion was the most magnificent triumph of grace ever known. The Bishop of Charleston, who doubted Diana's existence, was, said M. Taxil, coldshouldered by the Pope; and the VicarApostolic of Gibraltar, who informed the Vatican that there were no caverns on the rock where Masonic emblems or steel crowns or devils were manufactured, was not listened to. Then the Italian clergy, according to the hoaxer, tried to get up an imposture of their own by stating that Joan of Arc's heart was preserved in one pf the Italian cities. All this was calmly and sardouioally uttered by Taxil, who, in concluding his " confession," said to the priests and Catholic writers present that he sincerely thanked them and the bishops for having assisted him in organising the finest hoax of the century, and one which crowned his career. Taxil was vigorously hooted as he uttered these words, and oh leaving the hall of meeting he had to be protected by the police,, who were in strong foroe, and he was followed not only by angry Catholics, but by persons who took up the cause of the Freemasons, The *St. James's Gazette," commenting on the tale of deception so unblushingly told by Taxil, says : " But perhaps the confession is all a hoax—with such a liar you can never tell. Anyhow, he was mobbed, and richly deserved it."