AMAZING CANADIAN TRIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 833, 5 August 1933, Page 22 (Supplement)

AMAZING CANADIAN TRIAL.

MASTER MARINER TURNS PROPHET. “MIRACLES” THAT WON THOUSANDS OF ADHERENTS—WEALTH SURRENDERED FOR LIFE ON FORTIFIED ISLAND—THE SECT OF THE AQUARIANS COLOSSAL SWINDLE BY HEARTLESS SAILOR OCCULTISM AND MYSTIC RELIGIONS OF THE EAST—FOLLOWERS IN NEW ZEALAND. (By B. A. McKELVlE.—Copyright 1933 by The North American Newspaper Alliance. Inc.)

Brother XII. is missing. Search is being made by lawyers for this selfannounced chela of a divinity,, following judgment rendered by Chief Justice Morrison, of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, iu the strangest case that ever uppeared iu a Canadian court. Tales of liow once well-to-do Americans and Britishers were held in virtual slavery on fortified islands off Vancouver Island; of attempted assassination by means of black magic; of buried gold, and of strange rites revolving about a House of Mystery were revealed, to the court in two claims preferred against the delegates of the gods.

Mrs. Mary W. T. Connaily, formerly of Asheville, N.C., was plaintiff in the first action, while Alfred ±i. Barley, one-time chemist and distinguished musician, of London, made claim in the second. Both were successful. Mrs. Connaily was declared to be owner of the five islands of the DeCourey group, a farm on Valdes Island, and was awarded 26,400 dollars of moneys paid to the apostle, and special damages of 10,000 dollars. Barley was given judgment for 14,232 dollars, with costs. Such were the practical results of the amazing trials. The story of the operations of Brother XII., as pieced together from the testimony of witness after witness, and from court exhibits, belonged to the medieval ages rather than to the twentieth century*. According to the evidence, Edward Arthur Wilson, an Englishman, formerly worked in Victoria, but about 30 years ago he left British Columbia and went to sea_. He obtained his master’s papers. In 1925 he found himself in Italy*, penniless and ill. During his long sea voyages he had been making a study* of occultism and the iny'stie religions of the East. These, with the secret Doctrine of Madam Blavateky, be combined into a religious pot-pourri, and announced to the world that lie had visited the higher planes, where he had met The Masters of the Wisdom, including Christ, Bhudda, Mohammed and the other religious teachers of the ages. They were the members of The White Lodge, and on meeting Wilson had initiated him into the inner mysteries, and included him in the circle as Brother XII. The Masters liad dictated a booklet, entitled “The Three Truths,” and inspired a message to the world. Describes Visit to Heaven. After forwarding these manuscripts to England for publication, and writing many letters, later incorporated into a handbook for the cult, Brother XII. went to England and took residence at Southampton. Among his amazing utterances is a description of how he was translated to Heaven and visited The Master, whom he found sitting in a big carved chair before a chasm from which hands, representing lost souls, clutched upward through a inist. Alfred H. Barley and his wife, Annie, who for 28 years had been a teacher for the London County Council, came into possession of some of the writings of Brother XII. This elderly couple—Mrs. Barley gave her age in court as 65 years—were captivated by the altruism and doctrines of brotherly love, and left their London home to visit Brother XII. in his Southampton lodgings. Here they met a woman introduced as his wife. The guru told of woe for the world, and advised the Barleys to sell out the securities and home that they had gathered together for the provision of their old age. Brother XII. produced a map. It was, according to him, drawn by the gods. Islands and inlets, narrow seaways and hills were marked. This, he informed those who were invited to visit him, was to be the Place of Refuge. The divinities had instructed him to go out into the world and discover its location, and there to construct the outer work for the Aquarian age, upon which the world was about to enter. The gods had given him a hint —it was in Southern British Columbia. Wilson was gaining followers. One of these, P. J. Fisher, an earnest man of some wealth, agreed to go with him, and so did the Barleys. They sacrificed their holdings, selling below the market value of that day, 1927. and embarked for Canada. Brother XII. had said lie had never been in British Columbia in the flesh—but had visited the spot in the spirit. This accounted for the unerring instinct that led him directly to the locality. The disciples, finding that every detail as set out on the map of the gods—and incidentally the Admiralty charts—existed in fact, were supremely delighted, for the gods had justified Brother XII. This fact ■was revealed to the faithful in England, while hundreds of tlieosophists in the United States also were informed of the miracle. Money started to roll in. Fisher and Barley made contributions. Brother XII. now purchased a 200-acre tract _ at Cedar-by-th e-Sea. Here the Aquarian foundation was to be established. Choice building lots were surveyed, so that the elect might purchase home sites. But in the centre of the estate, in a woodland, there was erected a House of Mystery. This little hut, hidden beneath the giant firs and cedars, was a place apart. There no person but the guru himself could enter. A wire was strung at some distance from the enchanted spot, and bevond this line the faithful must not step. But in the woods he chose a mossdraped maple. and under this a seat was erected. Here the guru would sit, while his disciples squatted on the ground and listened in awe to his words of wisdom. They could go to the sacred tree, but no further along the trail toward the House of Mystery. It was in this house, lie told them, that he went samadi and projected his inner self to the higher spheres to discuss affairs with the Masters. Followers In New Zealand. The late Will Levington Comfort, American author, was one of the earlier disciples, Maurice and Alice von Platen, wealthy Californians, were other devotees. They built a palatial residence on the estate. A. Lucas, a prominent barrister of Vancouver, was also a convert. oh was Robert England, former United States secret service man. These were the golden days of the Aquarian Foundar tion. The erstwhile penniless mariner was an uncrowned king. At this time, 1928, he had 8000 followers in the United States. England and Xew Zealand. Money flowed in with every mail, and the hotels at Nanaimo, the colliery town six miles distant, could not accommodate the hundreds who drove from California in expensive ears to sit at the feet of the guru and imbibe wisdom. Not only the wealthy, but the poor working men were meat for the Brother. Those who could not contribute their thousands would, at least, work, and a few were chosen to come to Oedar-bv-the-Rea to build, farm and fish. Brother XII. had an old naval cutter, and into this he was lifted by the disciples. Then lie would be rowed about the waters of the Gulf of Georgia for hours. Early in this vear Mrs. M. Connaily, wife of a wealthv North Carolinian, became a convert. She made a preliminary donation of 2000 dollars. Brother XIT. liked the gesture. It was indicative of further contributions, so he made ap appointment to meet Mrs. Connaily in Toronto. “Osiris” meets “Goddess Isis.” On the way east to keep the appointment, he encountered on the train, Mrs. Myrtle Baumgartener, wife of a physician at Clifton Springs, N.Y. He convinced this woman that she was the reincarnation of the goddess Isis, while he was the god Osiris, m person, ami it had been decreed for 26,000 years that she should

play an important part in preparation for the coming sixth sub-race. She believed him. She waited in Chicago while Brother XII. went on to Toronto, where Mrs. Connaily and her cheque book were waiting. Mrs. Connaily was entranced by the vision of helping suffering humanity, and immediately raised her original contribution to 25,000 dollars. A week later Osiris and Isis appeared at Cedar-by-the-Sea. There were murmurings. Mis. Wilson did nojt like it, and said so. She left the sacred locality. Will Levington Comfort and E. A. Lucas did not like it, nor did the former secret service man, Bob England, but for a time they bowed before the immutable laws of the gods. But when Brother XII took his Isis into the holy precincts of the House of Mystery there was flare-up. Brother XII. resented it. He decided that the associations of the Egyptian god and goddess reincarnated were matters of personal concern to t|iem alone. So he announced a new settlement, where only the elect of the elect could assemble. To this end, he took 10,000 dollars of the Codnall.v contribution and purchased 400 acres on Valdes Island, and there he went into retreat with Isii. Now revolution flamed. Comfort, England and Lucas doubted the divinity of the instructions concerning Isis. England, who was the secretary of the Foundation, had Brother XII. arrested, charged with misuse of the Aquarian funds in purchasing the Valdes property for the development of a Mandieh settlement. Brother XII. countered by having England

arrested, and incidentally, in justification of his conduct, proclaimed a doctrine of free love, which he had printed in the Chalice, the cult magazine. This long attack on conventional marriage is now a part of the records of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. England mysteriously disappeared before the case could be brought to the assize court, and Brother XIT. expelled the other revolutionaries. Brotherly Love Comes To An End. Mrs. Mary Connaily had hastened across the Continent to give evidence for the guru in the police court, only to find that 6he was to become keeper of the unfortunate Isis, whose reason gave way. Barley and his wife remained loyal to the guru. The attitude of the guru now changed. Brotherly love was voiced but not practised. He flew into tempers. Mrs. Connaily still had a little money left. She and her husband had parted, but she had sufficient, if properly conserved, to last her through her lifetime. Barley had come into an inheritance. Brother XII. was kinder to them than to those who had brought only ideals and a willingness to serve. He now informed his followers that it was necessary for the future of the work to acquire the five islands of the DeCourey group, and there he would erect a city of refuge, a school,,and a palatial residence, with walls five feet thick, to be known as Greystonee. Mrs. Connaily was told that she might reside in the palace, or in a house adjoining to be erected for her. She gave her remaining thousands. Later Barley was to be divested of his inheritance for similar purposes. [Brother XII. next decided to visit England, and under the influence of Zee his future career embraced several astounding adventures. What happened and how this remarkable sect foundered and was disbanded will be revealed iu next week's instalment. ]