The Indianapolis journal., 1901-09-29
Leo TaxiI. Who Confesses Himself the
Arch Liar of the Age, Wrote
Books Against Masonry.
INVENTED THE DEVIL CULT
PREPOSTEROUS STORIES TOLD
FIRST IN SPIRIT OF Fun.
when He Found They Were Being
Taken Seriously He Sold Them and
Made "a Fortune Thereby.

correspondence OF the indianapolis Journal
PARIS, Sept. 10.-Leo Taxil. arch-liar of
the age, is dying in this city worth several
millions of francs-all made in Juggling
with the truth. And. as he told one of his
friends the other day, he will expire with
smile of triumph his lips because his
life's work as Munchausen has just been
made the subject of a serious debate in the
Austrian chambers.
Taxil the man who showed up
Masonry's connection with the devil; he in
vented "Satanism and Luciferianism" and
reported gravely and learnedly on the cult
of the Diabolists, who never had any eX-
istence at all except in his prevaricating
mind. The BLACK Mass with its maniacal
ceremonies and Cagliostro hocuspocus was
another of his impositions on the credulous
that went the rounds of the worlds press;
he also sprung Diana Vaughn, devils
bride and great grandmother of the anti
Christ upon an unsuspectng public with
the result of having accepted as a creature
of flesh and blood a phantom that couldn't
be produced for the combined fortunes of
Morgan and Carnegie.
Finally. after keeping it up for twelve
years. from April l, 1885, to April l, 1897 he
called a meeting of his admirers at Paris
on au-fools' day and made this quaint lit
tie speech:
Ladies and gentlemen, don't be angry
with me- L have fooled you all these
years. The stories of Masonry and devil
cult and devil-bride, etc, which L pawned
off on you in a hundred books, pamphlets
and lectures, were all stuff and nonsense.
They were lies, lies and nothing but lies,
invented for the purpose of testing popular
credulity."
Then a broad smile polite bow-exit
Leo Taxil, his pockets bulging with ILL
gotten gain every centime of which meant
a lie, a ridiculous eXaggeratiOn or highly
colored caricature.
Taxis halls from Marseilles and received
an excellent education, but was disowned
by his father when quite young for alleged
connection with Masonry. He now Says he
attended only three lodge meetings having
been expelled for some yarn he told about
the order shortly after his admittance.
But inadequate knowledge of the rites and
purposes of the society that kicked him out
didn't hinder Taxil from writing a number
of books on Masonry 20 expose its
wickedness.
EVERY MASON A MURDERER.
One of his best selling books, of which
20OO 600 were struck off at "a francs copy
an unheard of price in France-charged
that every Mason was a murderer. Here
is the proof offered:
Before a man is admitted TO the higher
degrees he is blindfolded and taken into a
room where a live sheep is lying on the
floor. The animals mouth and feet are Sc
cured and it is clean shaven, so that its
skin feels to the touch like that of a hu-
man being.
Next to the animal man is placed
who breathes heavily. feigning to struggle
against imaginary enemies The candi-
date is given to understand that the
sleeps body is that of disloyal Mason
who gave away the secrets of the order
and must die, according to some ancient
law, the candidate being made executioner
as a warning to him.
Then he is given a big knife and after
some ceremonial is persuaded to kill the
traitor, that is to plunge the knife repeat
edly into the body of the sheep which he
imagines to be that OF an unknown human
being. Thus every Mason is a murderer in
spirit, at least, il not actually, for some
times treacherous Masons take the place
of the animal"
This daring falsehood attracted wide al
tention and even such men as Bismarck.
Emperor William l. Emperor Frederick
and the Prince of Wales, who were and are
respectively. Masons of high degree. raised
their voices against the monstrous imposi-
ton. Taxil had long been aching for an
advertisement of that kind. and imne-
diately sprung another book against Ma
sonry on the unsuspecting masses
In this volume he proved to his own
satisfaction that the Masons were not Of
4 ,fc -OrI1 but Of
We're devil-ridden and subject to the orders
party Of the evil one" he cried, "and their
very existence is menace to society. Muir
derers and assassins as matter of course
they indulge in works of hatred and ven
geance. such as only the devil can think
out" etc.
THE DEVIL IN THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY
In 1892 his book The Devil in the Nine
teenth Century" made it's appearance,
which purported to give the actual expert
ence of one DR.. Bataille with his Satanic
Majesty IN various parts of the world
Here are some extracts:
while Dr. Bataille was a Mason of the
lower degrees he saw nothing particularly
wicked in their conduct, except that they
were frauds and liars. but when he joined
the ranks of the highest Masons. the Pal
ladhists. his eyes were opened. At his in
auguration Luther and Voltaire were called
from hell to preach TO the brothers; Lucifer
himself was expected. too. But before he
could make his appearance the brother
sent to China had TO show up. At last
he came. bringing a small white box. The
box contained three human heads, the
heads of missionaries murdered especially
for the purpose. Thereupon the Masons
assembled around the heads. burying their
knives into them while calling for Lucifer.
Later the skulls were ground up in a mill.
the mass being burned upon the altar of the
Masons idol called 'Baphomet Finally
all the lights but were extinguished
and the master Mason read the incarnation
10 Lucifer. at the conclusion of which he
asked all the brothers 10 open their arms
wide Then subterranean rumbes. a wind
storm ensued. and the light went OUT The
earthquake and thunder followed, the hall
illuminated with indescribabie radiance.
Looking up. DR.. Bataille beheld Lucifer
on the throne. He made a speech. walked
among the brothers. looked each through
and through and finally shook hands with