The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-14
D|ss De BAR Gets
OUT Of PRISON ON
T|CKET-OF-LEA

London. Aug. H-Ann O'Delia Diss
De Bar. who. under the name Of Laura
Jackson. was sentenced Dec. 30, 1901. TO
seen years penal servitude for connec-
tion with an alleged immoral cult known
as the "rheocratic Unity" of which her
reputed husband, Theodore jackson, was
the head, has been liberated from Ayles-
bury prison under ticket OF leave. hav.
ing obtained the maximum reduction OF
sentence by good behavior.
Nine. Diss De Bar has been known un-
der many names in the United States
and Great Britain. but her greatest no.
toriety was achieved az the perpetrator
of a so-called spiritualistic deception by
which Luther Il. Marsh OF New York, I'm
his old age. was stripped OF the fortune
he had accumulated In the practice or
the law.
Though claiming TO be the daughter OF
King Louis / OF Bavaria and Lola Mon.
tez. she was In fact the daughter OF
Prof John,C. Il. Saloman, once of Wash
varying fortunes and prosecutions by
persons who would have had her con-
fined In asylums, she was married 10 a
Or. Messan. That was In lSn. Later she
became the wife OF Gen. Joseph IA. Diss
DE Bar. and by him had two children.
She travelled about the country repre-
senting herself as the personihcation of
occult powers and the revealer of hidden
truths, and I'm this way. while living In
Washington square. New York, she met
Luther r. Marsh, an aged lawyer BY
and spirit-painted pictures she obtained
large sums OF money from him, and he
also decided 10 her his home In Madison
avenue.
About this time Diss De Bar left the
adventures. who went 10 live at the
Marsh home, and also hired apartments
where she officiated as a priestess of
spiritualism and won great notoriety.
Suit was brought 10 prove her an impos-
ter, and she was charged with conspir-
acy TO defraud Marsh. She was arrested
and sent TO Jail and indicted by the grand
jury. Her trial resulted in her convic-
tion. and she was sentenced TO term OF
imprisonment.
On her release from prison she went 70
Europe, then returning 10 this country
and. going to the West, got into more
difficulties through bogus spiritualism;
Under the name OF Vera +. Ava she fell
into the hands of the Chicago police. who
sent her TO the Joliet penitentiary for
two years. Released from that institu-
ton. she was married TO William j. Nc
Gown. in 1895 at Chicago. Mr.. McGown,
like Mr.. Marsh, was man OF wealth.
In 1899 she was forced TO leave New
Orleans with Theodore Jackson. whose
wife she then said she was. They were
playing the spirit naturalization game
there. and IL was said they were run
ming a "fruitarian" colony in Florida.
A year later they turned up in Cape
Town. South Africa, where Nine. Diss DE
Bar called herself Helena and Jackson
called himself Horos. Occultism and per-
formances OF hypnotsm We're the order
there and a wealthy South African con-
tractor gave his money 10 Nine Diss DE
Bar 10 establish n colony OF brotherly
love. The institution that she and Jack
son were running at that time was cali
ed by them the college of Occult
Sciences"
Later the pair appeared in London
where they promoted the Theocrauc
Unity Organization, scandals in connec-
ton with which led 10 their arrest in
September, 1901 The trial developed facts
of such loathsome character that sew
eral OF the London papers excluded from
their columns all reports OF the proceed
ings in court. .
Jackson eventually was sentenced 20 i.
years penal servitude and his reputed
wife TO seven years penal servitude.