The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-21
CRUSADE FOR THEOSOPHY
n KATHERINE TINGLEY \ HER
BAND ARRIVE IN THE CITY.
She Has N Few Words for Her Rival,
Annie Besant-The Trip
Around the World.

Mrs. Katherine A. Tingley and her band
of theosophical crusaders arrived here yes
terday and are at the Bates House, where
Mrs. Tingley was seen last night. Mrs.
Tingley, who is at the head of the Ameri-
can Theosophists, is a very vivacious
woman. a charming and convincing CONVEX
sationalist, and spoke in a simple and I'M
affected manner OF the unusual incidents
that marked the tour of the world in the
interest of the universal brotherhood of
man on which she and her band started
June IS, 1896. AT times she appealed 10 II.
T. Patterson. president of the Brooklyn
Philosophical Society. who accompanied her
on her tour. and who is a firm believer in
the sincerity and disinterestedness of his
leader. Mrs. Tingley is modest and unas-
Stunning, and touches lightly IN her own
work.
mo one of the party" said Mr.. Patter-
SON. claims any credit for the very sue
cessful results of our mission. Mrs. Ting
ley always knew just the right thing to do
at the right moment. For instance, our
itinerary included ~Constantinople. We
touched at Athens and from there went
directly to Egypt. Mrs. Tingley said that
it was not best to stop at Constantinople.'
l4dleT we i0dInt0 Ildl II SIT lldu lSlSISO "
our request TO go to the capital OF the
Turks we would have landed in Constan-
tinople on the very day some of the most
atrocious massacres occurred. There was
something fascinating to us in the idea of
going as crusaders into the heart of Mo-
hammedism. The very term crusader
awakens fury and hatred in the minds of
the Turks. who remember how their domin-
ion was retarded in past ages by the Chris
tian crusaders. While we were crossing
the Mediterranean Mrs. Tingiey had us
throw overheard a lot of literature because
it spoke of US as crusaders She was al
ways alive to emergencies, and cdvised us
as to how we must present our ideas to
different people,"
Were all your audiences English speak
ing people?'
7Oh, no. Mrs. Tingley spoke in. In
Austria. Egypt. India, France and other
places we spoke through Interpreters. Our
success was most remarkable in some coun-
tries. In Ireland, for instance. we were
warned that We should not be surprised If
we were not well received, as priests of
the church look upon us as but little worse
than the evil one, and teach the people to
shun anything that savors of theosophy.
In Dublin fully two thousand people at
tended our meetings and many were turned
away. This experience was repeated in
Athens. Athens, you know, is a sleepy
place, and we were therefore greatly sur
prised at the interest shown"
HER DIFFERENCES WITH MRS. BE-
SAINT.
Mrs. Tfngley was loath to discuss the al
legged differences between herself and Anna
Besant, leader of the English Theosophists
She deprecated the sensational stories that
have been printed in Eastern papers. in
which 1t was intimated that there would be
a field day when Mrs. Tingley arrived
in New York, as Mrs. Besant is now on
American soil. Mrs. Tingley admitted.
however. that it was due TO reports made
by Mrs. Besant that it was ever said in the
press that Mrs. Tingley claimed to be the
reincarnation of Madam Bl3vatsky.
The idea is SO absurd as TO hardly be
worthy of denial" said Mrs. Tingley. II
never claimed to be the reincaInation OF
of age. and Nine. Blavatsky has been dead
but a few years"
mo, / was never associated with Blavats-
KY she said. in reply to a question. Il
tell me, however, that Nine. Blavatsky
claimed 10 know me; said she had met me-.
The leader of the American Theosophists
has never met her would-be rival from
England, but heard her lecture one night
in India.
She told her audience. already too spir-
itual and Impractical. that there might be
some electrical influences that would be
lifted If they were TO burn butter TO APP
pease their gods. Isn't it laughable to
think that anyone would teach such doe.
trine in the nineteenth century, and tina
at a time when the natives Were actually
starving.
1t seems that Mrs. Besant started a rival
crusade of her own and started I'm the
wake of Mrs. Tfngley's party. In more
places than one they heard of what she
had said of America and the West. She
warned the followers OF Confucius To
whom she talked that there was no light "a
come from the West and that the spiritual
ideas of Christendom was all jargon.
THEOSOPHY IN PRISONS.
The practical side of the doctrines of the
osophy was not neglected by the crusaders.
In many cities in all countries of the world
brotherhood suppers were given TO the poor
and needy. and after supplying the needs
Of the physical man, seeds of truth were
dropped into willing minds. Prison work is
one of the branches undertaken by the cru
saders. The central idea of theosophy is
that improvement and advancement of man
must come from within, that he must rely
upon his own efforts to advance, and that
after this life is ended, through the blessing
OF reincarnation, there is hope of develop
ment hereafter.
There was one prison we visited said
Mrs. Tingley, lin which l met a life pris-
oner who had killed several persons. His
appearance was at first most repuIsive. One
arm was gone. an eye was out and his nose
was bent to one side. This place he said
ophy changes all this. L feel like a new
| creature That one eye of his. always
keen and alert. twinkled brightly. although
there was a suspicion of moisture about ii
and his voice tremblcd a little. There was
| in him that of which heroes are made. had