The evening times., 1896-04-20
ADEPT iMOH6 THE L0WlY
TheosophIsl Leader to Be Taken
From The Rank and File.
HIS NAME NOT DISCLOSED
Late w. q. Judge IA Surprise to the
Members of the SOciety-Annual
COnclnvc of the American Body to
BE Held Next Week.


Society in America Withhold lis annual con :
clave in New York city April &c. The
convention will be the most important in
the history of the organization.
The announcement that the meeting will
take place in New York Will prove a sur
prise, as several weeks ago an official
notice was sent to all the branches M ming
Chicago as the place. The change was
made for u peculiar rea son. 1t was the
result of a request by mysterious adept
in the society, whose existence had been
unsuspected, and who made known his
wish in a communication to the executive
committee. That the highest body in the
society should thus bow to the wishes OF u
stranger. suggests that the explanation
must be one out of the ordinary. And such
i3 the case.
COMPOSED OF TWO BODIES.
In the Theosophical Society there are two
bodies called the exoteric and the occult.
The former is the society known 10 the
world, which holds open meetings, dis
cusscs philosophy and religion, and car
rles on its propaganda like all other rel
ligious and humanitarian institutions.
The occult is u secret body of adopts,
possessing psychic powers, and is under the
guidance of the great beings known as
Mahatmas, who resides i'll Thibet. This
body is credited with doing most OF its
work on the invisible planes, influencing
the souls OF men. guiding nations and taking
part i'll the goverance of the affairs of the
planet generally.
In the occult body there is no such thing
as the election of officers. The chief is
appointed by the Mahatmas and is an
adept ON whom the mantle of leadership
naturally falls by reason of his develop
ment. Nine. Blavatsky was head of this
body during her life. and was succeeded by
W. Q. Judge. When the latter died on
March 81, last, it looked as though there
was none to succeed him.
CuosENFRoMTHE RANKS.
Among the qualifications necessary for
such leadership are the power to leave the
body at Will and ira nsport oneself to any
distant place and to communicate with
disciples and the MahatmaS by thought
transference. No one was known within
the ranks OF tie society to POSSESS these
powers sufficiently developed, and there
was considerable anxiety until an exam
nation of Mr.. Judges effects was made.
a complete surprise was i'll store. A doc
ument was found which stated over the
departed CHIEFS signature that there was
IN the society real adept WHO had yelled
himself in such obscurity that his existence
was known TO scarcely half dozen MEM
bers. Mr.. Judge named him as successor
But the paper contained an in junction that
his name and identity must be kept a Sc
or of far fI.t 10 10.
year.
Mr.. Judge reimbursement secured a prompt
acceptance of the new head, albeit, he
will remain unknown for months. The un-
known is not an official in the Theosophi-
cal Society, but as an adept the executive
committee did not hesitate to defer to
his wishes.
ELECTION OF A PRESIDEN
The principal event at the coming con-
vcntion will be election OF new president
In place of Mr.. Judge. This is nn affair OF
external organization and does not carry
with it occult leadership. II tie new
adept were known he would doubtless be
elected, but as that would involve the
disclosure OF his identity, his name cannot
be presented. 1t is believed, however,
hat he will he at the convention incognito,
as 1t has leaked out that he is now in New
York.
Many think DR.. ]. d. Buck OF Cincinnati
Will be chosen president, but there is one
obstacle in the way. The headquarters are
in New York, while ali OF DR.. Buck's j n
icTcsts are conferred in the place OF his
and he says he could not move.
An arrangement might be made, how
ever, whereby he could be represented at
headquarters by Claude Falls Wright, who
is X-SeCretary TO both Madame Blavatsky
aud William Q. Judge, and resides there.
II I'r. Buck does not permit the pre-
sentation of his name, no one can say who
ma De selected.
DIR. BUCK MAY BE CHOSEN.
Dr. Buck is n physician of note, and for
many years was dean of Pulti Medical
College, Cincinnati. All his life he has
been a deep student of mysticism, Egyp-
tology, and mathematics, and is said TO
have one Of the most valua bic libraries
of mystical works in the country. He first
hear! of the Theosophical Society in 1879
and wrote to Madame Blavatsky for infor-
nation. She received the latter in London,
as she was boarding ship for India, and
dashed off a characteristic reply, using
the top of a barrel on the dock as a
table.
The doctor Joined at once. His wife
became member in 1855 and the folio wing
year W. Q. Judge visited Cincinnati and
the doctors two sens and one
daughter and the doctors wife's two sis
ters, making seven theosophists in one
Tho 6oftnr Of
the branch in Cincinnati since its formation;
q member of the executive committee Of
the society in America for many years and
last yeaI was elected vice president.
AN ABLE PHILOSOPHICAL AUTHOR.
Since Mr.. Judges death he has been
actinC as president. He is over six feet tail,
of massive build, has high forehead and
a strong, though kindly, face. He is q
and for years has pre-
sided ever the annual conventions. He will
be called upon to take the chair
at the coming meeting. He is the author of
"a Study of Man." a theosOphcal scicn-
tifir work, and is a prominent contributor
to theosopical publications.
Claude Falls Wright will be one of the
chief personages at the gathering and may
prove dark horse. Should he consent to be
nominated he might be elected to almost
any office from president down.
Though only twenty-nine years old, he
IS believed by many to possess strange
powers, but he transforms himself into a
veritablC sphinx when approached on the
subject. Like the late Nine. Blavatsky, he
is constantly doing things calculated to
iumbround conventional people. His hair
and beard are a shade Of rcd which pro-
iuces an almost luminous effect.
REVEALED IN A TRANCE.
His fund OF learning is prodigious. He is