New-York tribune., 1911-12-22
SEEK OMN|POTENT "00M"
WITH A BENCH WARRANT
Head of "SansCrit College, AC.
CuSed by Inspector for the
Board of Education.
GIRL TELLS OF "WORSHIP"
So Shocked That She Shows
Signs of Hysteria-"Loving
Guru" Once Ran House
of Mystery"

Detectives were hunting last night for
Dom the Omnipotent. Loving Guru Of
the Tantrika." who quietly opened The
New York Sanscrt College," at No. 23IH
| Broadway. a fortnight ago. after an en-
forced and protracted absence from this
city. "Oom' is charged with msde
meanor by Avery w. Skinner, Of the
Park Avenue Hotel, an inspector for the
New York State Board of Education.
Justice Deuel., of Special Sessions. at the
request of James f. Smith. Assistant
District Attorney, issued bench war
rant late Yesterday afternoon for the ar
rest of "Oom," otherwise known as
Pierre \. Bernard.
Mr.. SINNERS affidavit recites that be
tween the dates of April | and Decem
her Is. 1911, under the name of Howard
Stanisbury Leeds, and again under the
name of Pierre A. Bernard the de-
fendant, not being an individual. cor
poration or n society holding a uni
versity degree comforting the power by
special license Of the State Board of
Education, did keep. maintain and des-
ignate in a room. marked No. III in
building known as No. 80 West S7th
street, the school known as the New
York Sanscrit College.
"Ooms' notoriety began with his ar
rest IN May, 1910. i'm the House of Mys-
terry Al No. 2JS West 7Ith street. which
the police raided on complaint of Xella
Hopp and Gertrude Leo. both of whom
made afiidavits that as candidates" FOR
initiation to the Hindu cult taught by
"Oom" they were forced To participate in
orgies too vile for description.
The charges We're so grave that "Oom''
was held i'm Sl5,OOO bail. When the time
for the trial came, however. the young
women quit the state rather than repeat
their stories On the witness stand. Ac-
cordincly, "Oom' was released by the
authorities. He. too, left town. and was
not heard Of again until the opening of
his new Sanscrit school was advertised
in several Sunday newspapers.
When news of The Omnipotent's" re-
turn 10 New York reached District At
torney Whitman the latter promised that
if he found "Oom" had resumed the
practices AT his school he would GER
tainly order his arrest Mr.. Whitman
and his assistant, Mr.. Smith, again
found that they were handicapped by the
unwilingness Of certain women TO tes-
tify ~ any action against the Hindu
seer" About the only charge which
could be laid against "Oom" was that of
circulating indecent literature in his
book, The International Journal of the
Tantrik order"
\ young woman, representing So
ciety for Investigation into forms of vice
visited the new school a fortnight ago
Her story Of the worship" mad TO do
with the issuing of the warrant. She
found the same old loom" and another
man present AS the first step i'm the
initiation the girl was led into "A roc:n.
the door of which closed with a metallic
click. This door had no handle OH the
inside, and appeared to be operated by
an electric push button behind the throne
of the Loving Guru Of the, TantrikS"
When the girl was finally released she
was too shocked to describe the manner
of mystic incarnation or other forms OF
worship which were revealed. Although
she professed to have good nerves and
plenty of courage for ordinary investi-
cations of doubtful nature she showed
symptoms of hysteria whenever she al
luded 10 her experiences with "Oom"
The Loving Gurus" quarters i'm the
new school were far more modest than
they were when The House Of MYSTERY
lourishcd next door 20 the residence OF
Frank II. Platt, son Of the late United
States Senator Platt. The new estab-
lishment however was within thirteen
city blocks of the former "Pouse of Mvs-
terry"
When he was questioned n week ago
'Oom" announced that he was keeping
clear Of all women. He said he could
not trust them. because they would
swear a mans life away" In the faith
of the Tantriks "the bodies of women
are deifed."