The morning call., 1894-03-22
TheOsophists Are Disturbed Over
the Message.
THE MYSTERY AND OCCULTIsM
President Judge Accused of Mis-
using Mahatmas' Names and Writ.
ing While Visiting in This State.


bers in India against William Q. Judge,
vice-president of the society, accusing him
of misuse Of the names and handwritngs
of the Mahatmas.
And yet a really extraordinary and mys-
terious incident which took place here bas
grevously disturbed theosopnists the
world over.
1t had been given ont that the misuse. !"
which is evidently synonym for forgery.
was committed IN California while Judge
was visiting membe out here. lie was
then staying at the home of Abbott Clarke
in Southern California.
Mr.. Clarke wrote long letter Oh mat
terS connected with the society. He sealed
the envelope and addressed it to Colonel
II. s. Olcott, president of the society. in
India. But not having foreign stamp he
carried the closed letter for three days in
his pocket after it was written and after
Judge had left California. Then he
posted the letter to India without even a
suspicion that it had been tampered with,
and he claims ii was not touched.
The strangest part OF the story is that
when this leIter was opened in India a
Mahatma letter was found IN the en-
velOpe with ii.
Clarke is positive that nobody but him.
self touched the letter mere. and he Insists
that Vice President Judge did not have il
in his hands.
Now a Mahatma letter is one Of the IN
accountable products of occultism. A
Mahatma is a master who theesophists
say has attained that exalted power
through great purity of life. thinking long
and intently on the subtlest of all forces
of thought transference, etc. These mas
ters are able TO send Mahatma messages
in letters all over the world unknown TO
the writers of the letters. Everything
about such messages appears TO be blank.
except the fact that recipients of letters
from India and elsewhere find these mys-
teTious messages inclOsed. Usually the
Mahatma letters are upon matters of i'm
p0rtance to theos0phical work, and con-
tain advice OF a personal and general
nature.
The surprise of Colonel Ocott on receiv-
ing Mahatma message from California
was very great, for he marveled that a
master should be found in California,
where theosOphy is com mparatively in its
infancy. The Circumstance gained pub
licty in theOsophical circles in Agra.
India. and soon rumor was around that
the message was spurious, that its sigma
ture was forgery aud its handwriting an
imitation of the MahatmaS. In time a
charge was openly made to this effect, and
1t even went further by accusing William
Q. Judge, vice-president, of IA Madison
avenue, New York. with having been
guilty of operating the delusi9n.
At last President OlcOtt wrote to Judge
from Agra, India. on February Z, 1894
communicating officially the assertion that
Judge had been guilty of misuse of the
names and handwriting of the Mahat-
mas" The letter was received by Judge
IL New York on March 10. 1t demanded
an investigation through an official in
nslirV nv Of pOmmIttna q
matter OF the alleged offense, and further
continued, as follows, in very decisive
language, which seems to have evoked
Judges righteous indignation:
BY virtue of the discfetionary powers given
me in article of the revised rules, place be-
fore you the following options:
l. To retire from all offices held by you in the
The0sophical Society. and leave me TO make a
merely general public explanation, or
2. TO have judicial committee convened as
provided for in article 8. section 3. OF the re-
yised rules, and make public the whole of the
proceedings in detail.
In either alternative you VIII observe, pub
lie explanation is found necessary; in the one
case general; IN the other, TO be full and cover
Ing all the details
The options, either to retire from Office
in the Theosophical Society or submit TO a
judicial committee and public eXplana-
zion. aroused Judge. who replied at once
by telegraph:
Charges absolutely false. You can take what
proceedings you see lit; going 10 London IN
July.
On March - Judge Issued circular in
! answer to the charges and one of them
came to this city yesterday. In this an-
sWer be declares:
The charge is made against me as vice -pres-
dent. / have replied as an Individual, and
shall so continue. inasmuch as IN my capacity
of vice president my duties are nominal, have
once been exercised by communicating 10 the
society. as required by the consti-
tuition, the resignation OF the Presi-
dent, and once by acting for the
president at the Parliament OF ReIi.
gions in Chicago. Tue only charges that could
be made against the yice-presideut are those
of falling 10 perform his duties, or misusing
the Otiic- when there were any duties attached
10 1t. On the face of this very vague charge,
then, it is evident that there is nothing in it re-
iating TO the official vice-presidenT.
1nasmuch as ] was the first presiding officer
OF the Theosophical Society al IFS preliminary
meeting in September, 1875, and its first secre-
taTy al such meeting; that / was not only FL.
Z. BlaVatsky's Intimate friend and direct pupil
but that have been conspicuous as an up
holder oil theosOphcal doctrine, as also an up
holder, with many other friends in every part
Of the globe, OF II. p. BiavaUsky's good
name, high motive aud great powers against
the rlGicule OF the world and much opposition
from Certain members of tile society she
founded; that / have been elected TO succeed
Colonel Oicott as president OF the society and
have been officially declared his successor by
him; IL is important and imperative that
should make this matter public, and / now do
so, and state my unqualified, explicit, ex.
haustiye denial OF The said charge, asserting
most unreseryedly that 1t has absolutely nO
toundat on.
Under the constitution the president is
directed TO call judicial committee 10 consider
charges. The committee is 10 consist of the
general council, who are now The president,
the three general secretaries and The vice.
president. In Tins case one member of The
council could not sit being the general secretary
9f the American section, vice pres ident and lBt
accused. The person charged has the right 1,
nominate two additional members on the com
mittee, and each of the sections two. Thi.
would call for eleven members. The accused
person has the right TO fix the place OF trial
When the president calls the committee sbal
fix on London as the place for It's meeting, as
am going 10 attend the European Section Con
Fenton next year.
Hence L shall request the American section
convention in April 10 make selection ii
advance of the two members from Ibis section
either by their naming them or by empOwerin,
The executive committee 10 do so Wheneye
The official notice comes 10 The sectiot
from the president IL is certainly useless
20 wait the long lime required b.
.he distance of India from here, inasmucl
as Il is perfectly evident that The COMMITTEES
will be convened by the president. Perhap
When the committee IS convened 1 shall 70
tile first time have particulars as TO persons
1ates and the like OF the charges made, none o
which up to this time l have had EXCEPT in th
orn OF rumor.
Tba ,,r.etdeut,e alfernativas oaaraa :,