Class 
 
 Book 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSfT. 
 
TK 
 
 AND 
 
 THE GREAT WORK 
 
 IN 
 
 AMERICA 
 
 A DEFENSE OF THE TRUE AND ANCIENT SCHOOL OF 
 SPIRITUAL LIGHT 
 
 BY 
 
 SYLVESTER A. WEST, M. D, 
 
 "It matters not who the individual may be, or what are 
 the claims he makes. His actual life and conduct are the basis 
 upon which he must be judged." 
 
 — TK. 
 
 "The man and his work must agree, thus revealing 'con- 
 sistency, coordination, completeness and harmony. ' " 
 
 —Dr. J. D. Buck. 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 DR. S. A. WEST 
 
 1918 
 
> 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 FIRST EDITION 
 COPYRIGHTED, 1918 
 BY S. A. WEST, M. D, 
 
 M&R M 1918 
 
 ©CLA494094 
 
TK, the ''Sole American Representative" of the "Great School' 
 
T 
 
 QH 
 
 Dedicated 
 
 Future Generations 
 
 and 
 To all who have endured 
 the blighting shadow of 
 unnecessary sorrow 
 
 and to those 
 
 Whose hearts have been broken, 
 Whose lives have been ruined. 
 Who have suffered and died — 
 
 As a result of the activities of the 
 School of Spiritual Darkness. 
 
"All injustice is to be first examined, 
 then understood, then acknowledged, then 
 forgotten. A bad deed lives within us, 
 or within others, till love is kindled upon 
 the soul's altar, on the mount of wisdom, 
 in whose flame all wrong is utterly con- 
 sumed. ' ' 
 
 * — Andrew Jackson Davis. 
 
the Master Masons whose primary 
 consideration has been the protection 
 of the Brethren of their Order 
 To the Chicago Students whose 
 devotion to Truth has made this work possible 
 To the Host of Loyal Friends thruout America 
 and in distant Lands whose appreciative letters 
 
 have encouraged and sustained our efforts 
 
 To the Kindly Messengers from the* Spiritual 
 
 Realms of Light who have assisted with our 
 
 labors these many months and 
 
 to 
 
 Florence Huntley 
 
 The author's indebtedness 
 
 is herem acknowledged. 
 
 Note: All the documents, evidences, etc., submitted in this 
 volume, together with a great amount of additional data, are 
 now in the possession of and will be preserved by a committee 
 composed of members of the Masonic Fraternity. 
 
Let ns always remember that where- 
 ever there is an imitation, a sham, or a 
 counterfeit, there necessarily must be a 
 genuine, real and true opposite, and 
 Nature being just, we are bound to find 
 it, provided we do our part by living the 
 life which we knoiv will lead us ever 
 onward and upward to the Land of Lib- 
 erty and Light. — Selected. 
 
INDEX 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I 
 
 II 
 
 III 
 
 IV 
 V 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 VIII 
 
 IX 
 
 X 
 
 XI 
 
 XII 
 
 XIII 
 
 XIV 
 
 XV 
 
 XVI 
 
 XVII 
 
 XVIII 
 
 XIX 
 
 XX 
 
 XXI 
 
 XXII 
 
 XXIII 
 
 XXIV 
 
 PAGE 
 
 For Humanity's Sake 9 
 
 Quotations From Recent Letters ... 15 
 
 Fishers of Men 19 
 
 The Friendly Light of Truth 25 
 
 A Brief Sketch of TK's Personal 
 
 Life 38 
 
 The Skeptic and the Believer 42 
 
 TK's Autobiography 51 
 
 Masters and Masters 113 
 
 What is This "Great School"? 119 
 
 The Indo-American Book Co 126 
 
 The League of Visible Helpers 148 
 
 The Edgemoor Sanitarium 161 
 
 The Department of Personal Instruc- 
 tion 172 
 
 The "Ethical Section" 187 
 
 The "Technical Work" 200 
 
 "Doctor" Richardson and the Oxy- 
 
 donor 217 
 
 The Sublime Order of Tacks 239 
 
 The Illusory $25.00 250 
 
 The Cat Came Back 262 
 
 TK Goes to India 267 
 
 The Attempts on TK's Life 274 
 
 Another "Individual Preference".. 278 
 "Well, Gentlemen, What Are You 
 
 Going to Do About It?" 283 
 
 TK Misses $500.00 by 15 Minutes. . 287 
 
CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXV Uncle John's Hasty Marriage 289 
 
 XXVI What Had Become of the " Great 
 
 School"! 294 
 
 XXVII The Explanations 298 
 
 XXVIII Concerning the Charges 311 
 
 XXIX The Facts Suppressed 327 
 
 XXX The Truth Shall Make You Free. . . 331 
 
 XXXI Harmonics of Evolution 367 
 
 XXXII The Great Psychological Crime 372 
 
 XXXIII The Great Work 378 
 
 XXXIV The "Master" Consults a Medium.. 382 
 XXXV The Philosophy as a Whole 390 
 
 XXXVI Florence Huntley 402 
 
 XXXVII The Cost to One Student 408 
 
 XXXVIII The $40,000.00 Trust Fund 413 
 
 XXXIX TK and Freemasonry 418 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 For Humanity 's Sake 
 a foreword 
 
 Was it ever your personal experience to start out 
 somewhere, not knowing just the way to take in order 
 to reach your destination? 
 
 Was it ever your personal experience to be mis- 
 directed or sent in a needlessly roundabout way — in a 
 direction other than that which you wished to travel! 
 
 Were you ever permitted by someone who knew the 
 circumstances, to pass along a way or thru a country 
 beset with dangers of which you had no knowledge? 
 Or permitted to take an unnecessarily long and difficult 
 path, when a few words would have saved you from 
 your mistake and guided you into a better way ? 
 
 Did you ever take a journey to some place in order 
 to see someone or secure some thing, and find upon 
 your arrival that the person or thing sought was gone 
 or had never been there? 
 
 If you have ever had any of these experiences, there 
 are impressions upon your mind that will last as long 
 as you live. There is scarcely any impression made 
 upon the human mind that lasts and outlasts and 
 remains as clear and definite and easily recalled as 
 an experience of this kind. Human nature is so con- 
 stituted that if we travel to some place under the 
 impression and joyous expectation of obtaining some- 
 thing, only to find at the end 'of our journey that we 
 have been misled, we are not likely soon to forget 
 either the experience or the SOURCE of those mis- 
 leading impressions. 
 
10 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Reversing the above questions: 
 
 Was it ever your personal experience, either con- 
 sciously or unconsciously, to advise anyone to take a 
 certain road or to go in a certain direction that they 
 might reach a certain place — when you yourself did 
 not know the way? 
 
 Or did you ever permit anyone to pass along a road 
 beset with dangers of which they had no knowledge? 
 Or to take a needlessly long and difficult path when by 
 a few words of advice and explanation you could easily 
 have directed them into a shorter and better way? Did 
 you ever permit sl person to travel toward some place 
 under the impression they would secure certain things 
 they felt to be essential to their welfare and happiness, 
 without a word of warning, when you knew positively 
 their journey would end in failure, waste of time and 
 energy, disappointment and possible embarrassment 
 and discouragement? 
 
 If you have ever had any of these personal experi- 
 ences, you probably still have distinct recollections and 
 convictions that to whatever degree you misdirected or 
 failed to give others the full benefit of your personal 
 knoivledge, in just that degree you failed to do your 
 duty by a fellow-traveler, and thereby and at the same 
 time forfeited your right to expect the helpful service 
 of those who could assist and guide you in your 
 journey and save you from the consequences of your 
 own possible mistakes and false impressions. 
 
 To fail in our duty to a fellow traveler, even uncon- 
 sciously, is at all times an unfortunate thing, but to 
 do so consciously and intentionally is absolutely inex- 
 cusable, because it is at once a violation of Personal 
 
FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE 11 
 
 Responsibility — a mark of weakness, selfishness, cow- 
 ardice and dishonesty. 
 
 Suppose then, you become aware of the fact that 
 some individual or association of individuals are 
 traveling in a wrong direction, — that they travel under 
 false impressions, — that they expect as a result of their 
 journey to realize certain ideals and secure certain 
 benefits which will in turn equip them for benefiting 
 others: and suppose you know absolutely that they 
 are being mislead and that in due time, if they pursue 
 their course, they will meet with disappointment, — 
 under these circumstances, could there be any doubt 
 or question as to your own personal responsibility? 
 
 If we know an individual is going even a city block 
 out of his course, do we not gladly take the time to 
 draw his attention to his mistake? How much more 
 important it is to save a man or woman from a journey 
 of a day or year or life-time under false impressions, 
 than to save them from walking a few blocks out of 
 their way. 
 
 The discoveries which led so quickly and directly 
 to TK's withdrawal from the " Great School" were 
 known to a Board of Trustees composed of seven men 
 as early as April 1, 1916. Further investigations in 
 May, 1916, led to additional and unexpected dis- 
 coveries, and from that time on it is our opinion that 
 this Board of Trustees owed a solemn and imperative 
 duty to every student, subscriber and "Friend" of 
 the literature of the "Great School," to formulate 
 and publish those facts in such manner, as to make it 
 
12 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 perfectly clear and definite to every one that what 
 had for so many years been given out by TK as truth- 
 ful accounts of his personal claims and experiences, 
 were NOT founded upon facts and actual demonstra- 
 tion, and were therefore absolutely unreliable and mis- 
 leading. 
 
 This opinion of the writer was shared also by practi- 
 cally all the accredited students, both in and outside 
 of Chicago, who knew the facts. To have made such 
 a statement would have been merely the commonest 
 kind of* courtesy, and expression of confidence and 
 friendship ; but under the circumstances, it would have 
 constituted, at the same time, a most valuable service 
 to the student body, to the Masonic Fraternity and 
 to the world of honest inquiry and investigation. 
 
 From the time the facts were known to the Trustees, 
 the writer, with several others urged at every oppor- 
 tunity that such a statement be published, but up to 
 the present time — nearly two years after the disclos- 
 ures — no statement has been issued and no effort made 
 by the Trustees to counteract the far-reaching effects 
 of vague rumors and false, misleading influences and 
 impressions. Had the Board of Trustees seen fit to 
 make a satisfactory statement, and had they published 
 what they know to be the facts, in such manner as to 
 make it an authentic and reliable record, accessible to 
 humanity, this volume would not need to have been 
 written. 
 
 As a result of the policy of silence on the part of the 
 Trustees, a great many people have for the past twenty 
 months lived under a terrible apprehension that some 
 dreadful calamity had befallen, what they had been 
 
FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE 13 
 
 led to imagine and think of, as a modern holy crusade 
 of spiritual "science." These sincere and earnest 
 men and women could have easily been saved from 
 all this personal anxiety and mental torture, had the 
 Board of Trustees published the simple Truth right 
 at the start, instead of making every effort to suppress 
 the facts. 
 
 The truth of this latter statement is borne out from 
 the effect of the early information and knowledge 
 given to all Chicago students. Here were about fifty 
 men and women, about half of whom had been accred- 
 ited students for from ten to fifteen years. All of 
 them had given freely and liberally of their time, their 
 services and means. Each of them had accepted TK 
 and his " authority" strictly upon his own valuation 
 and their faith in his word and honor as a man. They 
 believed in his honesty because they themselves were 
 honest. 
 
 It would be natural to expect that any information 
 or knowledge, discoveries or disclosures bringing into 
 question either the "master" or his "Work" would 
 be to all these students an experience, a trial or shock 
 of the most severe kind. But these men and women 
 loved Truth above all else, and when they learned the 
 truth they immediately accepted the facts, and set 
 about to readjust their lives to the new order. They 
 cheerfully met the new situation, and not one, so far 
 as I know, but what is living a nobler, better and wiser 
 lie than ever before. 
 
 A word now about the methods employed in pre- 
 senting the facts to be found in this book. In talking 
 with a great many friends we received enuf ideas 
 
14 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 to cover almost every phase of the subject, including 
 a large and small book, large, medium and small type, 
 no illustrations — a few — many, and ' ' the more the bet- 
 ter/ ■ We have, of course, been advised to treat the 
 whole matter seriously, solemnly, scientifically, sadly, 
 humorously, thoroughly, gingerly, and a number of 
 other ways. In every instance we have followed all of 
 these suggestions to the very best of our ability. 
 
 We have told the simple truth in the clearest English 
 at our command, and we are perfectly satisfied to 
 let the facts take care of themselves. We are person- 
 ally taking no sides and no chances, one way or the 
 other. We are for the simple truth, first, last and al- 
 ways. Our own personal opinions are worth no more 
 and no less than yours — when you have all the data 
 before you. You are to be the judge and the jury, the 
 first and final Court of Appeals. All we ask is that 
 you read carefully from page to page in successive 
 order, and restrain yourself from any expression of 
 surprise, amazement or judgment until the final page 
 is turned, the evidence is all in, and Reason and Con- 
 science are fully satisfied. 
 
 In the preparation of this book, we have thot much 
 of all those who have come in contact with any of the 
 literature of the Great School — so-called, during the 
 past fifteen years. But we have thot more of future 
 generations, and we wish to leave with you, above 
 every other thot, the necessity of getting the facts 
 contained in this book squarely and quickly before 
 every individual who has ever read any of the litera- 
 ture published by TK. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 Quotations From Recent Letters 
 
 "I have been a i Friend of the work,' as "IK? puts 
 it, for several years, and if anything has happened 
 bearing on the authenticity of the teachings set forth 
 
 in this work, then I want to know it." 
 
 # # * # • 
 
 "I have just been informed in a roundabout way 
 that TK has given up the work. 
 
 What does it all mean? 
 
 Did TK give out any statement at the time he gave 
 up the work, as to his plans for the future or for the 
 best interests of the work? 
 
 It seems to me that there ought to be at least one 
 more copy of Life and Action setting forth a plain 
 statement of the facts so as not to leave us all in the 
 
 dark." 
 
 # # # * * 
 
 "I was amazed and disappointed when I heard of 
 the calamity. I heard no details, and so concluded 
 that Ruffians had again entered the Temple. I know 
 there were people who had obtained the Harmonic 
 Series, and gained power therefrom sufficient to over- 
 come and rob his fellowmen. A man named G 
 
 from Spokane, who was the best posted person on the 
 philosophy I have ever met, and who professed to be 
 
 a personal friend of Brother C , used the power 
 
 and influence of this fact to swindle a bunch of us out 
 of about $15,000.00. The experience is extremely val- 
 uable. 
 
 15 
 
16 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "My letter of inquiry and application brot the news 
 that the school had, in effect, disintegrated. 
 
 I was so sincerely in earnest about the whole mat- 
 ter that the news was a profound shock to me. Now 
 here is what I want to ask you, and it is more directly 
 to the point: 
 
 1. To the best of your knowledge and belief, did 
 TK have the spiritual powers he claimed to have, 
 especially as set forth in the G. W., — the power to 
 use his spiritual senses to communicate with ex-human 
 beings at will? 
 
 2. If so, did he assist others to develop the same 
 powers, at least, to a large degree? 
 
 3. If these two questions can be answered affirma- 
 tively, then can I probably have the same knowledge 
 passed on to me, and if so, by whom? To have that 
 knowledge is to me now, at least, the greatest thing 
 
 in the whole world." 
 
 # # # * # 
 
 * ' The Great World conflict may have had something 
 to do with the sad ending of the Great Work in 
 
 America. ' ' 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 "I am hoping your book will tell us just how many 
 of the TK's class of Technical Students came thru 
 victorious and made the wonderful demonstration of 
 
 the future life. ' * 
 
 # # * # # 
 
 "I shall never be able to express my gratitude to 
 those who are responsible for thus making it possible 
 for us to receive the information some of us so greatly 
 desire." 
 
QUOTATIONS FROM RECENT LETTERS 17 
 
 "I was interested in this work some 12 years ago, 
 and made application to the TK for admittance to stu- 
 dentship. I was directed to a Mr. S , who was to 
 
 pass on me. After relieving me of $40.00, he passed 
 
 me on to a Mr. G who in turn passed me on to a 
 
 Mr. P who told me my grammar was not as good 
 
 as it should be to gain admittance to the Great School. 
 
 # # # * # 
 
 "I am again knocking for admission at the Door of 
 the Great School. My divorce will soon be granted, and 
 there will then be no one to interfere with my studies 
 of the Harmonic Philosophy or in any way tamper with 
 the important, secret correspondence with the school. 
 # * * My husband and the children have gone to 
 
 live with his people in ." 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 ""I have speculated many times regarding this mat- 
 ter and have had many questions asked me relative to 
 the sudden and unexplained suspension of the publi- 
 cation work." 
 
 "I hope you will not close your new book until you 
 are enabled to publish, all the facts to which former 
 friends and students of the so-called ' Great School * 
 are justly entitled. Please tell us what the letters 
 'TIT and 'RA' stand for. Was Florence Huntley 
 
 TK 's wife ? What caused her death? ' ' 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 "I would give many years of my life if I were back 
 again to the clear, independent thinking that was mine 
 before I came in contact with the 'School of Natural 
 Science/ so-called." 
 
18 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Is it true the person we knew as TK absconded 
 with the funds of the Great School, and also some 
 woman? — and is TK now in an insane asylum? This 
 
 is what I have just heard.' ' 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 "What of the philosophy, even if the personal 
 claims are not true? Is it all a fraud, and had he no 
 knowledge whatever of a future life? Was the pro- 
 cess of development all a myth? What of those who 
 claim to have made the demonstration? 
 
 "If the Trustees do nothing to counteract the fraud 
 that is evident, should this man prove to be a cheat, 
 then it appears to me they are a party to it, for silence 
 can never clear those who are now responsible to the 
 
 readers of this literature. ' ' 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 "I wonder what the Great Brotherhood over in 
 India think of this calamity? Is there really any- 
 thing to it, or have we been hypnotized by all this 
 talk, we have heard about it? What is the real truth 
 about it? There has been so muuh mystery, so much 
 air-tightness that it is all a mystery tome * * * * 
 However, I presume I will get about as much from this 
 letter as I have been able to get heretofore; a veiled 
 and uncertain reply, that only makes you crave more 
 and more for the Whole Truth, — for there is nothing 
 worth a copper but Truth" 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 "Fishers of Men" 
 
 One of the most beautiful things connected with the 
 movement known as the "Great School," or "Great 
 Work in America," is the fact that its activities dis- 
 covered and brot into spiritual fellowship as splendid 
 a body of men and women as ever exemplified the 
 genial warmth and radiant sunshine of Friendship. 
 Not that these Friends were privileged to meet 
 and become acquainted with any great number of 
 other students or readers, but where a friendship was 
 achieved between even two persons, that friendship 
 was founded upon a mutual loyalty and cordiality 
 that made the relationship seem somehow unmistak- 
 ably different from all others. 
 
 Of these Friends, some had completed what was 
 known as the "Ethical Section"; some were doing 
 "Preliminary Work"; others were studying the text 
 books, while still others were simply readers. All 
 were friendly to what they were accustomed to hearing 
 referred to as the "Great Work," and some in all 
 these classes were more or less enthusiastic propa- 
 gandists among their relatives, friends and acquaint- 
 ances, and in fact wherever an opportunity presented 
 itself for introducing the philosophy of the "Great 
 School." Most of them were subscribers to Life and 
 Action, purchased a great many books both for them- 
 selves and others ; had distributed a great deal of ad- 
 vertising matter and in numerous ways actively identi- 
 fied themselves with the movement, generously volun- 
 
 19 
 
20 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 teering their sympathy, time and means toward help- 
 ing to carry on what they sincerely believed to be and 
 hoped would accomplish a really grand and unselfish 
 educational work for mankind. 
 
 So far as these Friends had come to accept the 
 moral philosophy presented in the books, most of them 
 had at the same time come to believe in and accept 
 the personal and fundamental claims of the man, 
 woman or whatever it was who from under a seem- 
 ingly impenetrable cover wrote whatever he had to 
 say over the nom de plume, TK. 
 
 They accepted him upon his own word and at his 
 own valuation. They naturally assumed that he was 
 essentially honest, that his personal life was identical 
 with the moral philosophy which he so ably preached, 
 and under the influence of this centralizing impression, 
 in time, became absorbed in the fascinating belief that 
 he must have demonstrated all the remarkable results 
 which he boldly claims to have accomplished. This 
 much once accepted, the next natural and sequential 
 step was to believe that the TK was really and right- 
 fully all that he so positively and persistently main- 
 tains thruout all his writings — a Master. 
 
 With this evolution of a belief there is no fault to 
 find. It is a beautiful thing to believe, for belief is 
 akin to faith, and Faith, if it be a thing of fire and life, 
 whether founded upon fact or fiction is always a 
 veritable Temple of Strength to the human soul. 
 
 Every Intelligence when stripped naked, unfettered 
 and unburdened from the gross, external, earthly 
 vanities and vexations of spirit, is by nature child-like 
 and pure, and being child-like delights to believe in 
 
'FISHERS OF MEN" 21 
 
 the purity and honesty of other souls. Thus when 
 the individual reaches a certain stage in his or her 
 evolutionary progress, there is experienced from 
 within a gentle drawing and tender yearning for 
 something which it later on comes to recognize and 
 name and love as Truth. It is this Light, this Truth 
 and this love of Truth that so satisfies and delights the 
 newly born spiritual mind and inspires to belief in 
 the essential goodness and honesty of men. 
 
 Nor do our beliefs seem to stop at the estate of man. 
 The spirit appears always to reach outward or inward 
 to an estate or condition, an inheritance or realiza- 
 tion of potential psychical and spiritual possibilities 
 which seems to be beyond the estate of man. Not only 
 does this appear to be an actual, living and universal 
 experience and conviction of every quickened spirit, 
 but multiplied thousands of teachers, books and evi- 
 dences in Nature the world over bear constant testi- 
 mony to human intelligence that such an estate exists. 
 And this testimony is to the effect that every indi- 
 vidual by right of his being an individual will sometime 
 inherit this estate; and that some thru a perfectly 
 natural, legitimate and sure process have done so 
 even while living in what to external and outward 
 appearances seemed to be a purely physical body. 
 
 It is then neither strange nor unnatural that we 
 should believe in the existence, the naturalness and 
 reality of an estate, or state of being, which translates 
 itself to our minds as MASTERSHIP. Such an 
 achievement appeals to the intelligence as reasonable, 
 natural, desirable, probable and even and ever neces- 
 sary to human progress. But with this conviction, 
 
22 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 there comes from the great world of mankind a uni- 
 versal testimony to the effect that all who have 
 come to humanity in the name of Truth, announcing 
 and holding themselves forth as " masters/ ' were not 
 what they professed to be nor did they possess the 
 powers which they claimed to possess. 
 
 Thruout religious and philosophic history there 
 abound an almost innumerable number of instances in 
 which by one means or another, men have established 
 themselves, set up a "movement" and drawn about 
 them what we have all come to designate as "follow- 
 ers." In fact, we need not trouble ourselves to delve 
 into the pages of history, for not one of us but this 
 very minute can name from one to a half dozen widely 
 advertised "movements" which originated, were de- 
 veloped and made to run their course right here in 
 our country and in our own day. I speak particularly 
 of religious and philosophic cults, societies and move- 
 ments founded upon a one-man rule and revelation, 
 and which become inert and stagnant when the 
 founder dies or for any reason ceases to be the active 
 and directing head of the organization. 
 
 In every instance these movements represented 
 some kind of new interpretation of religion, philos- 
 ophy or science. 
 
 In every instance they attracted "followers," — some 
 more, some less. 
 
 In every instance the majority of these followers 
 were just as human, just as intelligent, just as earnest, 
 sincere, conscientious and honest as any of us. 
 
 In every instance, if put to the test, these followers 
 would help the unfortunate, forgive the erring, care 
 
•FISHERS OF MEN" 23 
 
 for the sick and afflicted, comfort the sorrowing and 
 pray for the fallen — just as cheerfully and quickly as 
 you or I should do — in their own way and to the best 
 of their knowledge — just as you or I would do. 
 
 In every instance these movements had some one 
 individual at their head who posed as a " master" or 
 its equivalent, who was believed to possess and exer- 
 cise unusual powers, and whose authority was un- 
 questioned — by his particular and devoted followers. 
 
 In every instance these disciples, or followers looked 
 upon the "masters" of other than their own move- 
 ment as false prophets, fakers and grafters. 
 
 In every instance they quite naturally and humanly 
 looked upon their own organization, by whatever name, 
 as being fundamentally true and far superior to any- 
 thing they had ever experienced up to the time of their 
 then present conviction. At the same time, they just 
 as naturally and humanly looked upon all movements 
 or organizations other than their own, as being false, 
 misleading, ridiculous, unreasonable, unscriptural or 
 unscientific. 
 
 In every instance, without a single exception, so far 
 as we know, these "masters," no matter how honest, 
 intelligent and worthy their efforts may have seemed 
 in the beginning, in due time came to the "parting of 
 the ways." Usually either an affinity scandal or some 
 shady money transaction brot them into the spot- 
 light of public opinion ; they were dragged from under 
 their cloak of "mastership," exposed by the news- 
 papers and either sent away to prison to think it over 
 or were permitted to resume operations in other and 
 
24 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 less prosperous pastures and under less favorable 
 circumstances. 
 
 And these propositions apply not only to the one- 
 man religious movements which have sprung into ex- 
 istence, grown up and died with the demise, disappear- 
 ance, exposure or legal prosecution of their " master,' ' 
 but they apply with equal and direct force to every 
 present day one-man institution of the type named, 
 operating within or out of practically every city of 
 appreciable size in these United States of America. 
 
 Such is the course of evolution that there are always 
 those individuals who are graduating upward out of 
 previous conditions of limited light, limited experi- 
 ence and understanding. Always as the even, silent 
 flow of a mighty river, the evolutionary wheel of life 
 moves on its way, and new souls are daily and hourly 
 being born out of the conservative and old-fashioned 
 religions. For these, the new religious and philo- 
 sophic movements with their "new" interpretations 
 of life are always waiting, and no matter how exact- 
 ing, how rational or scientific any individual need 
 may be, he will always find some kind of new philos- 
 ophy or science that will meet him considerably more 
 than half way. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 The Friendly Light of Truth 
 
 Among the various philosophic movements of the 
 past twenty years, nothing has appealed with greater 
 or more direct and definite force to a certain analyti- 
 cal, rational, logical and moral type of mind than the 
 books constituting the literature of what came to be 
 known to a few thousand people as the " Great School" 
 or " Great Work in America." 
 
 If you ever were or are now seriously interested in 
 the "Text Books" of the above named "School," you 
 will probably be able to recall very distinctly the first 
 impression these books made upon your mind. And 
 as time went on and you had opportunity to study the 
 literature more carefully and critically, you were prob- 
 ably aware of being favorably impressed with some 
 one or more of the following definite suggestions : 
 
 1. The clear appearance of honesty. 
 
 2. The work appeared to be entirely educational. 
 
 3. The literary style and command of the English 
 language were pleasing. 
 
 4. The plainly evident and positive self assurance 
 of the authors. 
 
 5. The clear, concise and unmistakable statements 
 and standards of morality. 
 
 6. The constant and oft repeated references to cer- 
 tain "work" which had already been done, and other 
 "work" which was in process of realization. 
 
 7. The numerous interesting and definite promises 
 and prophecies of what was expected to be accom- 
 plished in the future. 
 
 25 
 
26 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 8. The general tone of the movement, and 
 
 9. The most definite and lasting impression of all : 
 The clearly apparent cmd emphasized absence of graft 
 of any and every description from the entire move- 
 ment. Probably not a single man or woman ever read 
 the philosophy seriously, but that at sometime ex- 
 pressed the sentiment: "Here at least is a movement 
 free from graft.' * 
 
 On the face of it, not one of the impressions enum- 
 erated but what appeals naturally and strongly to 
 every intelligence interested in self -improvement and 
 the betterment of conditions for humanity. It is not 
 strange therefore that out of several hundred thousand 
 readers of the books, some men and women, here and 
 there felt prompted by one cause or another to make 
 direct inquiry regarding the nature of the secret per- 
 sonal instruction so frequently referred to and adver- 
 tised all thru the Harmonic Series. 
 
 It was perfectly natural and to be expected that 
 some should wish to know the nature of this "secret 
 work" and the terms upon which it could be obtained. 
 And just as natural to wonder why so few people were 
 ever led to make this personal inquiry; why a less 
 number ever made formal application, and why a still 
 less number were ever admitted to studentship. 
 
 This latter fact, however, may be accounted for on 
 the basis that no matter what the external appearance 
 of honesty may be concerning any particular philos- 
 ophy, there is always and inevitably that spiritual 
 something at the heart of every movement, every 
 leader, every book and every statement that is felt, 
 either consciously or unconsciously, on every plane of 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TR UTH 27 
 
 public opinion. And it was undoubtedly this spiritual 
 something that influenced the possible two or three 
 hundred thousand readers of the books to the extent 
 that not more than two thousand ever even applied 
 for the " secret work" in the entire nineteen years of 
 the " Great School's" activities. 
 
 But there are those who were more or less deeply 
 and vitally impressed with the apparent honesty of 
 the TK, and who aligned themselves either secretly 
 or openly on the side of his ' i Great Work. ' ' 
 
 It is safe to say, and one would naturally expect 
 it to be so, that practically all of these were sub- 
 scribers to the magazine, "Life and Action." When 
 therefore we say that the number of subscribers never 
 at any time exceeded 4,000, we are very near the num- 
 ber of all those who were favorably impressed to be- 
 lieve or at least to consider the TK's philosophy in 
 any given year. When on top of this we add the very 
 significant statement that only about half of the total 
 number of subscribers kept their subscriptions re- 
 newed from year to year, we may safely reduce the 
 number of those actually and deeply converted to the 
 philosophy, to about 2,000. This number would of 
 course include all students, applicants, those doing 
 preparatory work and all those designated merely as 
 "Friends." 
 
 If you happen to be one of the 4,000 readers of the 
 former "Life and Action" magazine, you will recall 
 that the last number you received was in August, 1916. 
 That upon inquiry as to why the magazine did not 
 reach you after that month, you learned that for some 
 
28 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 reason unexplained, its publication had been for the 
 time at least suspended. 
 
 As time passed and neither magazine nor explana- 
 tion, apology nor refund reached you, you became im- 
 pressed that something was wrong. You ordered 
 books only to be told without explanation of any kind 
 that they were out of print. If you were an applicant 
 for the ' ' secret work, ' ' you were notified that all work 
 of personal instruction had been discontinued — "for 
 certain reasons which cannot now be explained. ,, If 
 you sent contributions to the "League of Visible 
 Helpers, ' ' they were returned to you with thanks, and 
 the information that no contributions were then being 
 accepted — but not a word of explanation as to why. 
 If you inquired about the Edgemoor Sanitarium, you 
 were surprised to learn that that institution had been 
 legally closed on July 1st, 1916, but not a word of 
 explanation was offered or to be had as to why. If 
 you tried to reach the TK, your letter was either 
 answered by someone else or returned to you with the 
 information that he had withdrawn from the "Great 
 School" and was no longer in any way connected with 
 the movement — but not a single sentence as to the 
 cause of this new and unexpected turn of affairs. 
 
 With the passing of months, hundreds of students 
 and readers continued to write asking : Why no maga- 
 zine? Why no books? Why no personal instruction? 
 Why no replies to former inquiries? etc., etc. Some of 
 these letters were simple requests for information, 
 while many bore indications of the most pitiful mental 
 suffering. Almost every human emotion from simple 
 disappointment thru all the progressively destructive 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 29 
 
 stages of fear up to and including the most frantic 
 and fanatical appeals for the Truth, whatever it might 
 be, were expressed in these letters. 
 
 Some pleaded for light. Some threatened to appeal 
 to the Government for investigation, imagining some- 
 how that TK had been made away with and that 
 those in charge were destroying the " Great Work." 
 Some coaxed and wept, entreated and demanded, be- 
 sought and begged, — but all to no effect. Those in 
 charge had fully decided to make no reply of any kind 
 to any correspondence, except where new remittances 
 had to be returned, in which case it was merely stated 
 that the Indo-American Book "Co." had gone out of 
 business. "Say absolutely nothing," was the rule, and 
 so closely was this applied to everybody and every- 
 thing that as time passed, it began to look as if abso- 
 lute silence was, after all, one way of successfully 
 handling the situation. 
 
 And after months of patient, painful, bitter waiting 
 for some measure of light on the subject, many of these 
 splendid, earnest, honest, loyal Friends are still writ- 
 ing, evidently still believing in the existence of those 
 human attributes known as politeness, courtesy, kind- 
 ness, and the final triumph of Faith and Truth over 
 silence and darkness. 
 
 Thus for nearly two years, you have asked ques- 
 tions of yourselves which no man without data could 
 possibly figure out, and in patience — waited. You 
 have wondered if TK is dead, if the "work" had failed 
 for lack of funds, if this and if that, until hundreds 
 of possibilities had suggested themselves to your mind 
 — but out of it all came nothing definite or tangible or 
 
30 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 satisfying. Having in many ways proven your own 
 confidence in the movement, you very naturally ex- 
 pected some measure of confidence in return. You 
 felt that you had a right to know the facts, whatever 
 they might be. You felt yourself in a kind of mental 
 and spiritual bondage, and that it was your right to 
 demand the truth from those who had a knowledge 
 of the facts. ^ 
 
 From the very beginning of certain disclosures the 
 writer with a few others has taken the open stand 
 that not only every student and subscriber is by every 
 possible right fully entitled to the TRUTH, just as the 
 facts are known to the Board of Trustees, but thai 
 every individual who has ever in any manner or degree 
 come in contact with TK or his literature during the 
 past nineteen years is equally entitled to the truth 
 Not only this, but there is absolutely no reason why 
 the present general reading public should not have 
 access to the facts. There is on the other hand every 
 reason in the world why the facts should be made 
 accessible, not only to the present generation, bul 
 particularly to future generations. 
 
 To this end I have endeavored to bring together ir 
 this book a sufficient amount of "tangible evidences ' 
 and known and proven facts to enable every reader tc 
 judge for himself or herself whether or not the TK 
 and his movement known as the "Great School* * anc 
 "Great Work" were or are justly entitled to the con 
 fidence, sympathy and financial support heretofore 
 placed at his command. 
 
 In Life and Action, Bound Volume No. 4, page 252 
 TK states that his "life is an open booh to all thosi 
 
TH E FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 31 
 
 who have a right to read its pages." This is a per- 
 fectly fair, frank and admirable position to take, and 
 to my mind, there is no one in the world who has a 
 greater right to read the pages of TK's "open book" 
 and know the facts, than those who have already come 
 to believe in his honesty or who may sometime be 
 misled by any statements or claims he has made or 
 may yet make. 
 
 Here at this point, we may profitably remind our- 
 selves that over a period of more than twenty years, 
 TK has published certain remarkable personal claims, 
 clearly calculated to convey the impressions : 
 
 1. That he was a " master.' ' 
 
 2. That he was sincere and honest. 
 
 3. That by a secret, scientific process of develop- 
 ment, he had demonstrated the continuity of life after 
 death. 
 
 4. That he' had successfully and without price 
 taught many students to make the same scientific 
 demonstration for themselves. 
 
 5. That he possessed absolute and unmistakable 
 evidences and proofs to support all his statements 
 and claims. 
 
 6. That he possessed a very ancient, secret ethical 
 formula, the working out of which would give the fav- 
 ored student a moral code as definite as the science of 
 mathematics. 
 
 In this volume it shall be our aim to carefully con- 
 sider, analyze, formulate and present such facts and 
 observations as will help to throw a searching and 
 final light upon all these personal claims, and in doing 
 this it will become necessary to take into consideration 
 
32 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 the fact that for a great number of years TK has, as it 
 now appears, knowingly and intentionally misrepre- 
 sented a great many accessory facts involving the 
 scope of his " Great School" movement and the extent 
 of its actual influence ; the number of students, appli- 
 cants and readers of his books ; the actual amount of 
 real " charity" work accomplished; the number of 
 free books and magazines distributed; the number of 
 " technical" students; his assumed knowledge and 
 treatment of insanity; the facts as to his living in 
 poverty and being in need of money with which to 
 carry on his "work," etc., etc. 
 
 These are plain, frank statements of fact, but made 
 as gently as I can find English in which to convey tiie 
 literal letter and spirit of truth. I anticipate that they 
 may come to some of you in something of the nature 
 of a shock, but let me assure you that others before 
 you have passed thru the same experience, and have 
 come out of it all, better, stronger, nobler men and 
 women than ever before. The "accredited students" 
 especially have for over a year had sufficient data so 
 they could judge for themselves, and fully 90% have 
 long since virtually forgotten their former serious 
 "beliefs" in TK, and now enjoy the great wide world 
 of God's free sunshine, as should all Sons and Daugh- 
 ters of Universal Light. 
 
 In handling the above propositions involving a con- 
 sideration of TK's claims and the evidence for or 
 against their validity, we shall endeavor to keep strictly 
 within both the spirit and literal letter of truth. What- 
 ever questions are raised or phases of the situation 
 are discussed, we shall endeavor to make only such 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 33 
 
 statements as the reader himself may, from the evi- 
 dences submitted, judge to be fully established beyond 
 all question or doubt. To achieve this desirable end, 
 let it here be impressed indelibly upon your mind that 
 the observations, testimonies, evidences and proofs 
 herein presented rest upon and are fully sustained by 
 
 1. Many living witnesses. 
 
 2. Sworn testimony of eye witnesses. 
 
 3. Newspapers and Public Records, such as City, 
 County and State. 
 
 4. Records of various Banks. 
 
 5. TK's own published statements in books and 
 magazines. 
 
 6. TK's personal correspondence. 
 
 7. Carefully kept diaries covering a period of over 
 sixteen years. 
 
 8. Photographic reproductions of letters, cancelled 
 checks and other documents. 
 
 9. TK's own failure and flat refusal to make any 
 attempt to justify his record or disprove the things 
 with which he has been openly and fearlessly charged. 
 
 If, from the evidences submitted, it becomes clear to 
 you that TK is not and never was what he claimed to 
 be, a "master"; that his personal claims are false 
 and misleading; that his "authority" was but 
 assumed, and that his own morality is but empty talk, 
 — then does it not devolve upon each and every one 
 who has in any way helped to advertise this "move- 
 ment," to come out in a clear, calm, cheerful, manly 
 and womanly spirit, and from this time forward, set 
 
34 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 himself or herself the task of spreading a knowledge 
 of the facts? 
 
 It will then be understood from this that the writer 
 feels that every soul in search of Truth, or who may 
 in the course of time set out upon such a search, is en- 
 titled to as much evidence as may be needed to either 
 prove or disprove the claims made by TK relative to 
 his "mastership" and the so-called "Great School" 
 of which he claimed to be the sole American repre- 
 sentative and head. This position is suggested by the 
 following : 
 
 1. The facts should be established in the interest 
 of Truth, for Truth's sake. 
 
 2. This alone will place the personal responsibility 
 for the movement and its results exactly where it be- 
 longs. 
 
 3. It is due the Order of Freemasonry, because of 
 certain definite misrepresentations made by TK and 
 because of his personal exploitation of many members 
 of the Masonic fraternity. 
 
 4. Publishing the facts will make any revival or 
 continuance of the "Work" difficult, it not altogether 
 impossible. 
 
 5. It will prevent future spiritual worship of TK 
 and his unscrupulous spirit-guides as "masters" and 
 "Christs." 
 
 6. It should serve as a basis for warning the gen- 
 eral public against the scheming and grafting of the 
 always more or less numerous "masters" that flourish 
 in all our large cities. 
 
 7. It would seem to be the personal responsibility 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 35 
 
 of all who come to know the facts to do what they can 
 to let these facts be freely known. 
 
 8. The truth is due other movements and other 
 teachers, many of whom are doing a most needed, valu- 
 able and really wonderful educational work for man- 
 kind. 
 
 9. There are afloat all kinds of false rumors re- 
 garding TK himself; to the effect that he is dead; 
 that he has gone to Europe to help stop the war ; that 
 he has retired to renew his youth ; that he is now in 
 seclusion and poverty ; that he has a new affinity, etc., 
 etc. It is therefore due him as an individual that the 
 truth be made known, tho possibly TK personally 
 would just as leave it should not be told. 
 
 As to the writer's authority for compiling and edit- 
 ing the evidences to be found in this volume, he holds 
 that the possession of even one fact positively disprov- 
 ing any one of the false impressions and personal 
 claims made by TK, and especially to the effect that 
 he is or ever was a "master," would constitute suf- 
 ficient authority and reason for this volume. 
 
 But the very fact that the evidences submitted for 
 your consideration directly controvert not only one, 
 but literally dozens of TK's false claims and impres- 
 sions, makes it imperative upon the writer as a duty 
 to mankind, to bind these evidences into durable form, 
 that they may stand as the unimpeachable testimony 
 of a duly qualified witness to Truth for such time as 
 the facts may be needed by humanity. 
 
 Before passing on to a consideration of the various 
 departments and phases of the absorbingly interesting 
 story that awaits us, let me here impress upon your 
 
36 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 mind the fact that it shall be no part of the purpose 
 or mission of this book to speak in other than the 
 most kindly and cordial manner of the ethical philos- 
 ophy set forth in the i ' Harmonic Series. ' ' 
 
 In so far as this philosophy can be successfully sepa- 
 rated from the personal claims of TK, so that no part 
 of it remains as a lure to or disguise or cloak for his 
 system of deception and misrepresentation, there is 
 neither excuse nor reason why any one should abandon 
 the principles therein set forth. If these principles 
 are principles, — as many of us know from personal 
 experience that they are — they are true. And if they 
 were true yesterday, they are just as true today, and 
 will remain true tomorrow, and the next day and for- 
 ever. 
 
 If in your search for truth you have found enlight- 
 enment, satisfaction and food for your mind in the 
 ethical teachings of these books ; if you are convinced 
 that the moral philosophy is sound and true, then 
 there is every reason why you should continue in this 
 conviction and embody these principles in your daily 
 life and conduct. For principles do not change with 
 the coming or going of a day, and whatever was true 
 a month or day or hour ago is just as true now and in 
 this blessed assurance, every soul is, by Nature, pro- 
 vided with the spiritual and psychical "necessities of 
 life." 
 
 If by personal experience we know how insignificantly 
 little we have thus far been able to make use of from 
 Nature's great store-house of Truth, can we then at 
 all imagine that this daily need and supply of the soul 
 can ever become exhausted or even interrupted? To 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 37 
 
 think so is materialism. Shall we not rather "live by 
 faith" — the same kind of faith by which we have all 
 lived and been led in the past? Shall we not see the 
 utter impossibility of ever confining all of Truth in one 
 book or even all the books in the world; just as it is 
 impossible to confine the millions and billions of cubic 
 miles of atmosphere in one building or all the build- 
 ings of the earth. 
 
 In this broader view of the immensity of Truth, the 
 fact that our individual supply must be renewed daily 
 and that this supply will always be sufficient unto the 
 day, each of us may realize the wisdom of the follow- 
 ing condensed statement of fact, 
 
 " Faith steps out on seeming void, 
 And finds the solid rock." 
 
CHAPTER V 
 A Brief Sketch of TK's Life 
 
 This would seem to be the time and place to give the 
 reader a brief sketch of TK's personal life, his early 
 childhood, youth, young manhood, middle age and ad- 
 vancing years ; his personal ' * sacrifices, struggles and 
 labors in behalf of the Great School and Great Work 
 in America." 
 
 Because of the nature of his work in behalf of 
 humanity, as he explains, he found it expedient under 
 differing circumstances to assume various names and 
 noms de plumes. Knowing this, you will no doubt wish 
 first of all to know TK's real name. This I shall give 
 you now, and later on I shall give you a detailed list 
 of the names and initials by which he has been known 
 to his more intimate students and friends. 
 
 John E. Richardson, or TK, was, according to his 
 autobiography, born July 20, 1853, in a log cabin on 
 the South bank of the North branch of " Skunk River." 
 Keokuk County, Iowa. 
 
 He remained at home until his twentieth year, when 
 he entered the Iowa State University, at Iowa City, 
 Iowa. Here he was a sub-freshman for three years, 
 leaving school at the close of his freshman year in 
 1878. 
 
 He was married in S , Iowa, May 19, 1880, and 
 
 a few months later went to San Francisco, Cal. In the 
 autumn of 1881 he went to Stockton. Here he worked 
 as a County Clerk, read law in his spare time, and was 
 
 38 
 
A BRIEF SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 39 
 
 admitted to the practice of law Nov. 10, 1885. In the 
 spring of 1886, he moved to Bismarck, N. D. It was 
 here on May 7, 1887, that he first met Mrs. Florence 
 Huntley. 
 
 From Bismarck, Mr. Eichardson moved to Minne- 
 apolis, Minn., in 1887. Shortly thereafter, in the same 
 year Mrs. Huntley also moved to Minneapolis. 
 
 On Dec. 1, 1888, Mr. Richardson became a partner 
 in a law firm of three members, with a Mr. J. H. R. 
 and a Mr. S. B. H., with offices at 740 Temple Court. 
 On May 17, 1889, the third partner, J. H. R., withdrew, 
 leaving the partnership to S. B. H. and Mr. Rich- 
 ardson. 
 
 In 1889 or early 1890, TK moved to Chicago. With 
 the exception of about a year (1895), when he lived in 
 Council Bluffs, Iowa, Mr. Richardson's home from 
 1890 to 1908 was in Chicago. 
 
 By about 1898, the various Masonic ' 'Associations' ' 
 of which Mr. Richardson had been secretary, etc., hav- 
 ing passed into liquidation or otherwise ceased to be 
 operable, he was by his few intimate friends, supposed 
 to be in straitened financial circumstances. Anyway, 
 both Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Huntley, in 1891, went 
 to Iowa City, Iowa ; he to take a position with a manu- 
 facturing jewelry concern, and she to become the editor 
 of a newspaper. Here they remained until the Spring 
 of 1902, when together they returned to Chicago. 
 
 At this time Florence Huntley took a flat at what 
 was then 19 North Kedzie Ave. "TK" had his "of- 
 fice" in the same building and in the same flat, but 
 lived at his home about two blocks distant. It was 
 under these circumstances, and with Mrs. Huntley as 
 
40 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 his collaborator and editor of his work, that Mr. Rich- 
 ardson began writing "The Great Psychological 
 Crime." 
 
 This work continued daily for nearly two years. 
 TK's only income during this time was supposed to 
 be $45.00 per month. $40.00 of this was paid by a 
 student for his "services" as a " bookkeeper/ ' but as 
 the total time required on the books did not exceed 
 twelve hours a month, it will be understood that the 
 "business" part of the arrangement was merely nomi- 
 nal. The truth is that this student simply assumed 
 the heavy financial burden of $480.00 a year in order, 
 as she was impressed to believe, to make it possible 
 for the "master" to be free to "begin" his "great 
 work. ' ' 
 
 "Where did he get the other $5.00?" This was 
 also contributed by a student for a little bookkeeping 
 job — at about $4.50 more than the labor was actually 
 worth to the student. 
 
 At the time TK was writing the G. P. C, he already 
 had one book in print, "Harmonics of Evolution/ 9 
 written by Florence Huntley and published in 1899. 
 With the publication, therefore, of "The Great Psy- 
 chological Crime" in 1893, TK's "Great School" had 
 two authoritative "text" books. These two volumes, 
 with a general list of "supplemental" books became 
 the nucleus of what in ten years grew into a business 
 paying nearly $25,000 annually, and possessing assets 
 which, at a conservative business valuation, would 
 amount to several hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 In 1908 Mr. Richardson moved his family to 215 
 South Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park, 111., into a beautiful 
 
A BRIEF SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 41 
 
 home bought expressly for this purpose by one of the 
 then "students." 
 
 A few months later, at TK's request, another resi- 
 dence was purchased by the same student, and Mrs. 
 Huntley also moved from Chicago to Oak Park. 
 
 On Jan. 15, 1909, TK's legal wife died in Pasadena, 
 Calif., and on Jan. 31, 1910, Mr. Richardson and Mrs. 
 Huntley were married. Two years later, in her home 
 in Oak Park, on Feb. 1, 1912, Florence Huntley Rich- 
 ardson died. 
 
 TK continued to live in Oak Park, until in Dec. 
 1915, when as "General Superintendent," he became 
 a resident at the Edgemoor Sanitarium, near Ocono- 
 mowoc, Wis. It was while here and following certain 
 disclosures in March, 1916, that he withdrew from the 
 "Great Work" and severed all connections with what 
 had come to be spoken of as the ' ' Great School. ' ' 
 
 Regarding this "Great School" or TK's "master- 
 ship": as you read, you will learn that in not a single 
 instance did any accredited student seriously question 
 any of his personal claims or see or examine any of 
 his supposed credentials, evidences, records, proofs, 
 etc. 
 
 This is rather remarkable news, but in time you find 
 it to be absolutely true, and the whole story, when 
 heard, sounds more like a tale from the Arabian Nights 
 than it does a modern occult adventure in High 
 Finance and Frenzied Philanthropy. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 The Skeptic and the Believer 
 
 "You say you believe that this ' Great School ' really 
 exists?" 
 
 "I not only believe it, but I know it." 
 
 "Hoiv do you know it?" 
 
 "Just the same as I know I am alive." 
 
 "But how?" 
 
 "Because I have some of their books." 
 
 "Would that be proof?" 
 
 "Well, I have corresponded with them too." 
 
 "Whom do you mean by 'them'?" 
 
 "Why, the Indo-American Book Co." 
 
 "Is the Indo-American Book Co. the Great School?" 
 
 "No, but they publish the books of the Great 
 School." 
 
 "Do you have any other proof of the existence of 
 the ' Great School'?" 
 
 "Yes, I know a man who has known about the 
 Great School for years." 
 
 "Has known about it?" 
 
 "Yes, he is a student or something." 
 
 "But what does he know?" 
 
 "He went to Chicago purposely to meet some of 
 them. He investigated the whole thing thoroughly. 
 He says there can be no doubt but what there is a 
 Great School." 
 
 "Did they give him any real proofs?" 
 
 42 
 
CH, %/ 
 
 r ® 
 
 
 -4K 
 
 The Terrors on tbei>3 
 Threshold. !>$ 
 
44 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 11 Yes. He met some of the students. He talked with 
 them and questioned them closely.' ' 
 
 "And what did they say?" 
 
 1 i They admitted there is a Great School. ' ' 
 
 "But how do they know this?" 
 
 "Why they themselves are members of it, — they are 
 accredited students." 
 
 "Is this all the evidence they have?" 
 
 "0, no. The Great School has been in existence for 
 many thousands of years. They possess the oldest his- 
 toric records known to man. ' ' 
 
 "Known to man?" 
 
 "Yes— to TK's students, I mean." 
 
 "How do you know this?" 
 
 "One of their students told me." 
 
 "How does this student who told you, know that 
 these records are the most ancient known to man — 
 or that they exist at all?" 
 
 "Because another more advanced student in the 
 Great School, told him." 
 
 "But how does this more advanced student know?" 
 
 "Because it is generally understood by all the stu- 
 dents." 
 
 "Do you know of amy other positive evidences of the 
 existence of the Great School ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, there are many evidences. Why, they have 
 thousands of students scattered all over the world." 
 
 "How do you know this?" 
 
 "0, there must be many thousands of them." 
 
 "What makes you think so?" 
 
THE SKEPTIC AND THE BELIEVER 45 
 
 "Because it is such a big movement. ' ' 
 " About how many students would you judge there 
 to be?" 
 
 "I should say at least 50,000." 
 
 * * # # # 
 
 "What other positive proofs are there ?" 
 
 "They have an ethical course of personal instruction 
 that is just as exact and scientific as mathematics. ■ ' 
 
 "Do you really think it is as scientific as mathe- 
 matics ?" 
 
 "I am positive of it." 
 
 "What are your reasons for thinking so?" 
 
 * * I know students who are taking it. ' ' 
 
 "Do they say it is scientific ?" 
 
 "Every one of them. ,, 
 
 "How do they determine this?" 
 
 "Why every student is required to get the same 
 answer to each problem that every other student gets. ' ' 
 
 "Who decides what this answer must be?" 
 
 "Their master.' ' 
 
 "How does he know that a certain answer is the 
 true and only answer?" 
 
 "Because he received it from his master." 
 
 "How did his master know he had the true answer?" 
 
 "Because all the answers are supposed to be thou- 
 sands of years old, with the exception of one which 
 
 TK himself is supposed to have changed. 
 
 # * # * * 
 
 "Do you have any other proofs that the School 
 exists?" 
 "Yes, the Technical Work." 
 "Do you think there is such a thing?" 
 
46 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Yes, positively." 
 "How do you know?"' 
 "I have been told there is." 
 "By anyone who knows?" 
 "Yes, by students themselves." 
 "And how do they know?" 
 "Some of them have taken it." 
 "And can they talk face to face with spirits?" 
 "A great many of them can." 
 "How many?" 
 
 "I can only judge from what TK himself has writ- 
 ten. My impression is that he must have trained at 
 
 least a hundred." 
 
 # * # # # 
 
 "Do you know any more proofs?" 
 
 "Yes, the fact that there is a real master at the 
 head of the Great School." 
 
 "Do you think he is a real master?" 
 
 "Why of course he is a real master." 
 
 "How do you know he is genuine?" 
 
 "Do you think all these students would believe in 
 him if he were only faking?" 
 
 "But do they actually know he is a real master?" 
 
 "They are all positively sure of it." 
 
 "What makes them so sure?" 
 
 "Well, some of them know it, and these tell the 
 others." 
 
 "Then how do these know, who tell the others?" 
 
 "The master himself has told them so." 
 
 # # # # * 
 
 "Do you believe this Great School of TK's is really 
 the Parent of Modern Freemasonry?" 
 
THE SKEPTIC AND THE BELIEVER 47 
 
 "I am sure of it." 
 
 "But what proof have you?" 
 
 "Why, it stands to reason." 
 
 "But why do you think so?" 
 
 "All the students say so." 
 
 "How do they know that what they say is true?" 
 
 "Well, Masonry must have had a beginning some- 
 time, somewhere." 
 
 "Have any of TK's students ever seen and exam- 
 ined his Great School's Masonic records?" 
 
 "Some of them must have seen the original records, 
 otherwise they would not recommend the whole thing 
 as they have." 
 
 "Do you have any more proofs that this Great 
 School exists?" 
 
 "Yes, many of them." 
 
 "But why do you say so?" 
 
 "Because all the students say so." 
 
 "You are sure there is no graft connected with the 
 Great School?" 
 
 "There couldn't be any." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 "Because." 
 
 "Because why?" 
 
 "They do not take money for their teaching or any 
 of their work." 
 
 "Whom do you mean by 'they'?" 
 
 "I mean TK, of course." 
 
 "Perhaps he gets it just the same." 
 
48 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ^Official 
 
 Four-FM 
 
THE SKEPTIC AND THE BELIEVER 49 
 
 " Impossible. All his students would know it if he 
 did. He is a very poor man. Once he wrote 30,000 
 letters in about ten years, and scarcely received so 
 much as a postage stamp for reply. Would not this 
 testimony prove that there is no graft connected with 
 the movement ?" 
 
 "What do you know personally of the reliability 
 of their system of identifying one's affinity, or soul 
 mate?" 
 
 "Nothing, personally. But their very first Text 
 book is entirely devoted to this subject. It is not a 
 book of fiction or theories, but facts. By a system 
 of triangles the Great School proves conclusively 
 that there is one mate — and one only for every person 
 born." 
 
 "But does TK himself actually know that Nature 
 furnishes one affinity — and one only — for every per- 
 son?' ' 
 
 "Yes, of course he does." 
 
 ''Why do you say so?" 
 
 "Because in order to become a master, one has to 
 accomplish his own 'individual completion/ " 
 
 "What do you mean by ' individual completion'?" 
 
 "It means an indissoluble union and permanent in- 
 dividual association with one's true affinity upon 
 every plane of being." 
 
 "Would this 'individual completion' once accom- 
 plished, be permanent thruout all eternity?" 
 
 "Of course." 
 
 "And has TK himself, in his own personal life, 
 
50 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 actually made this remarkable scientific demonstra- 
 tion !" 
 
 "0, yes, indeed he has — several times" 
 
 # # * # # 
 
 Thereupon, the inquisitive skeptic was properly im- 
 pressed, and hastened to send a large check for the 
 good of a "GREAT CAUSE.' , 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Autobiographical Sketch of the Life and Work of 
 John E. Richardson, TK. 
 
 Students of Natural Science, 
 Disciples of the Great School, 
 Devotees of the Harmonic Philosophy, 
 Friends of the Great Work, 
 Neophites in "the Order of Tacks," 
 Members of the League of Visible Helpers, 
 
 and 
 Fellows of "The Old Group"; 
 
 Beloved Friends: 
 
 I am writing this letter, not because I believe its 
 subject matter is of any real importance, but because 
 some of you have repeatedly asked me, and urgently 
 solicited me to do so — under the evident impression 
 and earnest conviction that my identity will some day, 
 in the far-away future, be a matter of very serious 
 and almost vital importance to the success of The 
 Great Work — in the minds of future generations. 
 
 For thirty years — lacking a few months, I have 
 labored incessantly, under assumed names, and in ob- 
 scurity, as the sole, living, "Accredited Representa- 
 tive* * of The Great School in this country. 
 
 During all that time it would have been easily pos- 
 sible for me to have taken the public into my confi- 
 dence, and thus to have established my personal iden- 
 tity beyond all possible question; but I did not do it 
 
 51 
 
52 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 — and the question "WHY?" naturally arises in the 
 minds of a good many of those who have not, as yet, 
 been in position to study the subject in all its varied 
 phases and from all its different angles. 
 
 I have already answered the question a good many 
 times orally, and to individual Students and Friends 
 who, from time to time, have asked it; but I do not 
 recall having ever put my answer in writing, nor in 
 such form that it might be accessible for future refer- 
 ence by those who might deem it a matter of some 
 importance. For this reason I am going to take this 
 occasion to express it in writing as briefly and con- 
 cisely as possible: 
 
 1. When I first came into conscious touch with the 
 Great School, and was admitted to the ranks of its stu- 
 dents, I was a practicing attorney on the Pacifiic coast 
 As such, I was the legal representative of a number of 
 the most important business and financial institutions 
 and interests on the coast. In that capacity I was 
 brought mto close personal touch with, and business 
 relations, as well as intimate social acquaintance, with 
 the important men of the political as well as the busi- 
 ness and financial world* 
 
 •Comparing this with the third paragraph following, we 
 observe that Mr. R. was a "practicing attorney," "represent- 
 ing a number of the most important business and financial 
 institutions and interests on the coast," as early as the Sum- 
 mer of 1883. 
 
 As a matter of fact, the Attorneys' Register at Stockton 
 shows that he was not even admitted to the practice of law 
 until November 10, 1885. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TICS LIFE 53 
 
 2. — As a public lecturer along educational, scientific, 
 philosophic, religious, economic, sociological, civic and 
 political lines of thought, I was a familiar figure and 
 personality from Olympia to Old Mexico; and BE- 
 LIEVED that I had many loyal and warm personal 
 FRIENDS in almost every village and hamlet on the 
 coast. 
 
 3. — In addition to these avenues of approach to and 
 touch with the public, my ambitions had taken me ac- 
 tively and aggressively into the current of political 
 life where, although young in years, I had become a 
 conspicuous figure. 
 
 It was in the midst of these conditions that I found 
 myself in the city of Stockton, San Joaquin County, 
 California, in the summer of 1883, at the age of 30 
 years. 
 
 Then it was that the Great Master, H-N-K, came to 
 me and identified himself as a "Master" and Inner 
 Member of the Great School. He had come from the 
 Central Temple in the fastnesses of the Himalayas, 
 in far-off India. 
 
 He offered to instruct me in the knowledge of Nat- 
 ural Science, and enable me to demonstrate the con- 
 tinuity of individual life beyond the incident of physi- 
 cal " death* ' — provided I could, to his satisfaction, 
 prove that I possessed the Discretion to make a wise 
 use of that knowledge, the Loyalty to devote my life 
 to the Cause of Truth, and the Humility of Soul to 
 smk my personality entirely from public view, and 
 there, in obscurity, carry on the Great Work, alone 
 and undismayed, the balance of my earthly life, if the 
 interests of the Cause demanded this abnegation. 
 
54 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 To make a very long and exceedingly interesting 
 and fascinating subject as brief and to the point as 
 possible, I accepted this offer, proved myself qualified 
 for the ordeal, to his satisfaction, took up the Work 
 and, under his personal instruction for thirteen (13) 
 months, made the scientific demonstration, retired 
 from the practice of Law, went "into the silence," 
 and obscurity as completely as possible where I have 
 remained for thirty (30) years — and here I am, tell- 
 ing you about it. 
 
 And now let me go back to the beginning of the 
 story of my identity and, as best I can, tell it in 
 chronological and sequential order. The beginning 
 point of the story ought to be my birth, but that im- 
 portant event falls outside the limits of my own mem- 
 ory, and I must therefore, go to the only available 
 source of information, which is the family bible. 
 
 Therein it is solemnly recorded that I was born 
 July 20th, 1853. My name is therein said to be " John 
 Richardson," and by that name I was known through- 
 out my childhood and youth, and until I was old 
 enough to develop a dislike of so short a name as 
 "John." When about eighteen (18) years old I took 
 unto myself a middle name "Emmett" which I con- 
 ceived to be an euphonious combination, and there- 
 after, and to this day, I have signed my name to all 
 legal documents as "John E. Richardson"; and by 
 that name am I known among all my people (brothers 
 and sisters). 
 
 According to the Bible Record, my parents reared 
 fifteen children— 7 boys and 8 girls— of which family 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 55 
 
 I was the 10th child in regular order, and the 6th son 
 — and was born on July 20, 1853. 
 
 If my Father and Mother correctly understood 
 their lineage, she was a mixture of German and 
 Welch, and he of Scotch and English — with a strain 
 of American Indian on my Mother's side. 
 
 At the time of their marriage they moved at once 
 from Indiana to Iowa — then a Territory, and inhab- 
 ited almost entirely by Indians — and settled on a sec- 
 tion of Government land and immediately began the 
 rearing of their large family, the cultivation of a 
 farm and the raising of stock. 
 
 They located in Keokuk County, near the village of 
 Lancaster — (then the County Seat) — where my Father 
 entered upon his more than sixty years of missionary 
 labors as a "Hard-Shelled" Baptist Minister— " Self- 
 made J ' in every sense of the term. 
 
 As a matter of principle his ministry was a "Gift" 
 to his people, in that he received not so much as a 
 penny for his religious labors during his entire life, — 
 thus exemplifying the Spirit of the Great Work. 
 
 If the statements of the older members of the fam- 
 ily are true (and I have no reason whatever to doubt 
 them), I was born in a log cabin on the South bank 
 of the North branch of "Skunk River/ ' about one 
 mile North of the village of " Lancaster/ ' Keokuk 
 County, Iowa. 
 
 But before the time limit of my memory, the family 
 had removed from there to a farm, some three miles 
 South of the "South Skunk' ' River, and about two 
 miles North East of the town of Martinsburg, same 
 County and State. 
 
56 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Here it was that the experiences of my life first 
 impressed themselves upon my Consciousness with 
 sufficient emphasis to fix them in my memory. It was 
 here that my conscious life began, and memory first 
 registered. 
 
 At the age of four (4) I became the caretaker of 
 my younger brother and it was then, and in that ca- 
 pacity, that I began to realize the meaning of Personal 
 Responsibility. 
 
 When seven (7) years old the family removed to 
 a "River-Bottom-Land" farm between the two 
 14 Skunk Rivers" and my Father (whose Ministry 
 brought him no income) had to depend upon other 
 lines of labor for the living of himself and family. 
 As rapidly as the children became old enough, each 
 was fitted into some occupation and became a "cog" 
 in the family "Wheel of Economics." 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 57 
 
 At seven (7) it fell to my lot to become "Sawyer" 
 in a little steam saw-mill owned by my Father — 
 chiefly for the accommodation of his neighbors — who 
 brought their logs from a distance of three to five 
 miles in every direction, to have them sawed into 
 lumber of all kinds for the building of houses, barns, 
 buildings of all kinds, and fences, in the heart of a 
 pioneer country. 
 
 For nine (9) years I almost lived in the little "four- 
 foot-pen" that constituted the station or "post" of 
 sawyer and, because of the necessities of the general 
 situation, I was depended upon — and was able to — 
 perform the duties of a grown man, and that, too, in 
 a position of responsibility much greater than that of 
 the average man of mature intelligence. 
 
 When I was sixteen (16) years old — the older boys 
 of the family — with but one exception — had either 
 married and assumed the responsibilities of families 
 of their own, or had gone "for themselves" into the 
 big round world to fight their own battles and make 
 for themselves places of their own choosing. 
 
 This made it possible for me to " escape' ' from my 
 11 sawyer's four-foot prison" and render a more im- 
 portant service in charge of the farm, where I labored 
 for the next two years with my older brother G. until 
 I was eighteen (18) years old. 
 
 Father was a Baptist minister — as I have before 
 stated — and as such, a firm believer in the "Doctrine 
 of Election," which held that the destiny of every 
 individual has been determined in advance — "before 
 the foundation of the world" — by Election. Some 
 
58 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 are " elected* ' to "go to heaven" and "sit at the right 
 hand of God" forever, and all the others are "elected" 
 to go to hell and, under the dominion of Satan, burn 
 forever. 
 
 But under a somewhat more generous "doctrine" 
 he permitted his boys to "elect whether they would 
 leave the parental roof at the age of 18, or remain 
 until 21. If they elected to go at 18, they did so 
 empty handed; but if they remained until 21, they 
 received from him a horse, saddle and bridle and a 
 suit of clothes. These were the reward of the three 
 years' labor, from 18 to 21. 
 
 For the following reasons I elected to leave at 18: 
 
 1. Because of my usefulness in the economic sys- 
 tem of the home, I had no time nor opportunity to 
 obtain the kind of education I desired. 
 
 2. During the nine years in the saw-mill and two 
 on the farm, I had a never-ending day-dream that 
 some time I would go to college, obtain an education 
 and become a writer, a journalist, a newspaper 
 writer. 
 
 3. But as my 18th birthday drew near, I realized 
 that Father and Mother were growing old and that 
 in a few years more they would need the care of some 
 one of us. About two months before my 18th birth- 
 day, I went to my brother G. and confided to him my 
 dream; but realizing that he had a far better intelli- 
 gence than myself, I proposed that he go to College 
 and finish his education and that I would remain and 
 run the farm and help him through and at the same 
 time care for the "old folks at home." 
 
60 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 4. But if he did not wish to do that, then I pro- 
 posed that he remain and let me go unaided* 
 After due consideration it was decided that I should 
 
 go. 
 
 The day of my emancipation came — July 20th, 1871 
 — without a word to anyone but brother G. 
 
 With $2.50 in my pocket — and a borrowed horse — 
 I rode 62 miles due north into the wheat fields where 
 there was a great demand for harvest hands. It was 
 the happiest day of my life. I was free — free to earn 
 money and go to college and take my place in the 
 world. 
 
 I found a man who needed help and the next morn- 
 ing went to work — binding wheat for M. L , in 
 
 Iowa County — at $3 per day. 
 
 I worked 17 days, received $51 cash — my first money 
 as a "man" — rode back home, went to district school 
 a term, applied for a teacher's certificate, got it, 
 taught school a year, took the money earned (at $40 
 per month), went to Iowa City, Iowa, and in Septem- 
 ber, 1873, entered the State University as a " Sub- 
 Freshman. ' ' 
 
 My college work was along the lines of an indepen- 
 dent course and was finished in 1878 without degrees 
 of any kind, but with a certificate from the President 
 
 •From what has recently been ascertained, his parents mort- 
 gaged their farm in order to send John E. to school, and 
 thirty-five years later, a member of the family was still paying 
 interest as a result of this debt — at a time when Mr. Richard- 
 son was himself receiving a monthly interest of $130.00 from 
 one of his investments, and when it is known he must have 
 been handling hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 61 
 
 giving full credit for all the work done, — which cov- 
 ered most of the curriculum of Law, Medicine and 
 an M. A.* 
 Passing over a period of two years ' desultory work, 
 
 I was married in S , Iowa, May 19th, 1880, to Miss 
 
 Pauline 8 (daughter of Owen and Ann S , 
 
 old and respected citizens of Iowa), a young and 
 charming woman of rare musical ability — a pianist, 
 vocalist, and teacher of music — and a woman of excel- 
 lent mental and moral fiber — a Presbyterian of the 
 Scotch blood — who, I think, had hoped, in time, to 
 lead me into the "fold*' — but failed. 
 
 In September of that year I bade her a temporary 
 good-bye, and went to San Francisco, where, in the 
 political interests of General Rosecrans, I directed the 
 editorial policy of the "Examiner" — Democratic or- 
 gan — for one year — 1880 and 1881 and until Rosecrans 
 withdrew from the race for the nomination^ 
 
 •The records of the Iowa State University of Iowa City, 
 Iowa, show that he not only entered the State University as a 
 "Sub-Freshman' ' in 1873, but he remained a "Sub-Fresh- 
 man" for 3 years : 1873-74, 1875-76, 1876-77. He registered 
 again in 1877-78 as a Freshman. He did NOT study either 
 Law or Medicine, since he was only a Freshman in the philoso- 
 phic course of the Collegiate Department, and he certainly 
 could not have ' ' COVERED most of the curriculum of Law, 
 Medicine and M. A." 
 
 tOn the following page, we present an exact photographic 
 reproduction of a letter which tells its own story, and which 
 flatly contradicts Mr. Richardson's claims in this respect. 
 
62 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 I then resigned my position on the "Examiner," in- 
 tending to go direct to N. Y. City and accept the posi- 
 tion of managing editor for the N. Y. Times — which 
 position was offered me. 
 
 rasittei? 
 
 November 23,1916 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 Acknowledging your 3 of the 
 I8th re one John E. Richardson. 
 
 the writer has been connected 
 with The Examiner ever since it was 
 changed from an evening to a morning 
 paper, October 4,1880, and the party 
 referred to in your letter was never 
 connected with the Editorial Department 
 of thie newspaper. 
 
 Your 
 
 Financial 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 63 
 
 On my way I stopped at Stockton, San Joaquin 
 County, Cat., to visit a few days with Maj. P. V. 
 B , then buyer for the large firm of grain mer- 
 chants, Stewart and Smith, of that town. 
 
 While there I had occasion to look up a point of law, 
 concerning the probating of an estate and appoint- 
 ment of a guardian for minor heirs — to accommodate 
 a poor fellow whose wife had just died, leaving him 
 the care of three little children. 
 
 I stepped into a prosperous appearing "law office/ ' 
 introduced myself, and asked a fine appearing gentle- 
 man of 45 years, or, so, if I might examine his copy 
 of the Revised Statutes of California. 
 
 He courteously handed me the volume, and went on 
 with his work, while I was looking up the point of law 
 I had in mind. 
 
 When I had finished I returned the book to him, 
 thanked him and turned to leave his office, when he 
 asked me if I was a stranger to Stockton, to which I 
 replied in the affirmative. He asked me if I was a 
 lawyer, and I replied that I had studied law, but had 
 never practiced. His next question was whether I 
 would care to practice if a good opening presented 
 itself, and I replied that it would "depend." 
 
 He then told me with the utmost frankness, that he 
 wanted a partner, a young man of intelligence and 
 ambition ; that he liked my appearance and was satis- 
 fied that I was the man for the place, if I would ac- 
 cept it; that without further recommendation than 
 my personal appearance, he would offer me an equal 
 partnership with him in an established practice that 
 
64 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 netted him over $25,000 annually; and closed by ask- 
 ing me to consider the matter and call on him again 
 before leaving the city.* 
 
 I told him I had never contemplated practicing law ; 
 that his offer was so unexpected, as well as so unpre- 
 cedented, that I was not prepared to answer him off- 
 hand; but that I appreciated deeply the compliment 
 he had paid me, as well as the confidence his offer 
 implied, and would give the matter careful considera- 
 tion and see him again before leaving Stockton. 
 
 During the next few days I made diligent inquiry 
 as to this remarkable man, only to find that he was a 
 man of unimpeachable character, and one of the best 
 lawyers on the Coast. 
 
 Within a week I called at his office and was cor- 
 dially greeted with the inquiry: "Well, young man, 
 have you come to accept my offer?" 
 
 I replied, "Yes, if it is still open." He said it was, 
 and asked when I would be ready to begin. I told 
 him right away, if that was agreeable to him. He 
 replied: "All right, so much the better; there is your 
 desk and chair, consider yourself installed, and to- 
 morrow I will draw up formal articles of co-partner- 
 ship," which he did; and thus I became a practicing 
 Attorney — something I had never contemplated for 
 
 *It here appears quite clear that handsome young men 
 were in great demand in law offices in Stockton at that time 
 (1881). Therefore an offer of an equal partnership in a $25,- 
 000 a year law practice was not an unusual inducement to be 
 offered to a total stranger solely upon the recommendation of 
 his good looks. Hence the truth of this paragraph is per- 
 fectly evident. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 65 
 
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66 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 one moment until my first meeting with him, a week 
 before.* 
 
 Our relations, both business and personal, were of 
 the most pleasant and cordial nature and without a 
 jar of any kind. Two years later, 1883, he withdrew 
 from the firm, retired from active business life, and 
 left me in full posession and ownership of a profes- 
 sional practice which he had spent many years in 
 building up and which netted me over $30,000 an- 
 nually, f 
 
 I continued in the active practice until the Autumn 
 of 1886, at which time, for reasons which I will ex- 
 plain later, I moved — with my wife and two little 
 girls — to Bismarck, North Dakota — the Capital of the 
 then Territory — and joined a former University class- 
 mate in the practice of law. J 
 
 But the prospect was not a pleasing one to me, and 
 at the end of a year, in 1887, I removed to Minneapo- 
 
 *Observe that this was in 1881, before TK had even com- 
 menced the study of law. Also that he very significantly 
 omits the full name of his generous partner. 
 
 fThis shows that in the five years from 1881 to 1886, TK 
 imagines he made something like $115,000.00 — which was 
 pretty good for a young attorney's first year in actual 
 practice. 
 
 JThe reasons which he says he will explain later, but does 
 not, are given by his former law partner in Stockton, that 
 11 Richie " was not satisfied with his meager earnings, and 
 decided to "try his luck" in Bismarck. He therefore gave up 
 his $30,000.00 a year law practice and moved to the new 
 location. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICA L SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 67 
 
 lis, Minn., and there formed a law partnership with 
 another college classmate and did a good business un- 
 til the Autumn of 1890, when I came to Chicago, and, 
 with three of the good business men of Chicago, 
 formed a business association with which I remained 
 connected until 1900 ; since which time I have devoted 
 my whole life and energies to the writing and publi- 
 cation of books and other literature along the lines of 
 Natural Science and the "Harmonic Philosophy," 
 and to the work of Personal Instruction in the Great 
 School and Work. 
 
 I have, thus far, given but a very brief and prosaic 
 account of the purely business and materialistic side 
 of my life. It was, however, a life as far removed 
 from the dull or prosy as that of any man of all my 
 acquaintance. On the contrary, it has been a life full 
 of the most intense activity and interest all along the 
 way, from the day I left the parental home and rode 
 away into the big, bright, fascinating world, as I saw 
 it the morning of my 18th birthday, down to the pres- 
 ent moment. 
 
 For instance, I have said nothing of the years of 
 political activities and ambitions on the Pacific coast, 
 where I became a conspicuous figure, and where I un- 
 doubtedly could and would have become governor of 
 the great commonwealth of California, had I yielded 
 to the solicitations of my many friends — and had I not 
 observed the "finger of destiny" pointing eastward; 
 and had not the Great Master led me up out of those 
 vain-glorious conditions by the hand of love and taken 
 me to the mountain top whence I could look back, 
 
34 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 himself or herself the task of spreading a knowledge 
 of the facts? 
 
 It will then be understood from this that the writer 
 feels that every soul in search of Truth, or who may 
 in the course of time set out upon such a search, is en- 
 titled to as much evidence as may be needed to either 
 prove or disprove the claims made by TK relative to 
 his "mastership" and the so-called "Great School" 
 of which he claimed to be the sole American repre- 
 sentative and head. This position is suggested by the 
 following : 
 
 1. The facts should be established in the interest 
 of Truth, for Truth's sake. 
 
 2. This alone will place the personal responsibility 
 for the movement and its results exactly where it be- 
 longs. 
 
 3. It is due the Order of Freemasonry, because of 
 certain definite misrepresentations made by TK and 
 because of his personal exploitation of many members 
 of the Masonic fraternity. 
 
 4. Publishing the facts will make any revival or 
 continuance of the "Work" difficult, it not altogether 
 impossible. 
 
 5. It will prevent future spiritual worship of TK 
 and his unscrupulous spirit-guides as "masters" and 
 "Christs." 
 
 6. It should serve as a basis for warning the gen- 
 eral public against the scheming and grafting of the 
 always more or less numerous "masters" that flourish 
 in all our large cities. 
 
 7. It would seem to be the personal responsibility 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 35 
 
 of all who come to know the facts to do what they can 
 to let these facts be freely known. 
 
 8. The truth is due other movements and other 
 teachers, many of whom are doing a most needed, valu- 
 able and really wonderful educational work for man- 
 kind. 
 
 9. There are afloat all kinds of false rumors re- 
 garding TK himself; to the effect that he is dead; 
 that he has gone to Europe to help stop the war ; that 
 he has retired to renew his youth; that he is now in 
 seclusion and poverty; that he has a new affinity, etc., 
 etc. It is therefore due him as an individual that the 
 truth be made known, tho possibly TK personally 
 would just as leave it should not be told. 
 
 As to the writer's authority for compiling and edit- 
 ing the evidences to be found in this volume, he holds 
 that the possession of even one fact positively disprov- 
 ing any one of the false impressions and personal 
 claims made by TK, and especially to the effect that 
 he is or ever was a "master," would constitute suf- 
 ficient authority and reason for this volume. 
 
 But the very fact that the evidences submitted for 
 your consideration directly controvert not only one, 
 bat literally dozens of TK's false claims and impres- 
 sions, makes it imperative upon the writer as a duty 
 to mankind, to bind these evidences into durable form, 
 that they may stand as the unimpeachable testimony 
 of a duly qualified witness to Truth for such time as 
 the facts may be needed by humanity. 
 
 Before passing on to a consideration of the various 
 departments and phases of the absorbingly interesting 
 story that awaits us, let me here impress upon your 
 
36 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 mind the fact that it shall be no part of the purpose 
 or mission of this book to speak in other than the 
 most kindly and cordial manner of the ethical philos- 
 ophy set forth in the ' ' Harmonic Series. ' ' 
 
 In so far as this philosophy can be successfully sepa- 
 rated from the personal claims of TK, so that no part 
 of it remains as a lure to or disguise or cloak for his 
 system of deception and misrepresentation, there is 
 neither excuse nor reason why any one should abandon 
 the principles therein set forth. If these principles 
 are principles, — as many of us know from personal 
 experience that they are — they are true. And if they 
 were true yesterday, they are just as true today, and 
 will remain true tomorrow, and the next day and for- 
 ever. 
 
 If in your search for truth you have found enlight- 
 enment, satisfaction and food for your mind in the 
 ethical teachings of these books ; if you are convinced 
 that the moral philosophy is sound and true, then 
 there is every reason why you should continue in this 
 conviction and embody these principles in your daily 
 life and conduct. For principles do not change with 
 the coming or going of a day, and whatever was true 
 a month or day or hour ago is just as true now and in 
 this blessed assurance, every soul is, by Nature, pro- 
 vided with the spiritual and psychical "necessities of 
 life." 
 
 If by personal experience we know how insignificantly 
 little we have thus far been able to make use of from 
 Nature's great store-house of Truth, can we then at 
 all imagine that this daily need and supply of the soul 
 can ever become exhausted or even interrupted? To 
 
THE FRIENDLY LIGHT OF TRUTH 37 
 
 think so is materialism. Shall we not rather "live by 
 faith" — the same kind of faith by which we have all 
 lived and been led in the past? Shall we not see the 
 utter impossibility of ever confining all of Truth in one 
 book or even all the books in the world; just as it is 
 impossible to confine the millions and billions of cubic 
 miles of atmosphere in one building or all the build- 
 ings of the earth. 
 
 In this broader view of the immensity of Truth, the 
 fact that our individual supply must be renewed daily 
 and that this supply will always be sufficient unto the 
 day, each of us may realize the wisdom of the follow- 
 ing condensed statement of fact, 
 
 " Faith steps out on seeming void, 
 And finds the solid rock." 
 
CHAPTER V 
 A Brief Sketch of TK's Life 
 
 This would seem to be the time and place to give the 
 reader a brief sketch of TK's personal life, his early 
 childhood, youth, young manhood, middle age and ad- 
 vancing years ; his personal * i sacrifices, struggles and 
 labors in behalf of the Great School and Great Work 
 in America." 
 
 Because of the nature of his work in behalf of 
 humanity, as he explains, he found it expedient under 
 differing circumstances to assume various names and 
 noms de plumes. Knowing this, you will no doubt wish 
 first of all to know TK's real name. This I shall give 
 you now, and later on I shall give you a detailed list 
 of the names and initials by which he has been known 
 to his more intimate students and friends. 
 
 John E. Richardson, or TK, was, according to his 
 autobiography, born July 20, 1853, in a log cabin on 
 the South bank of the North branch of ' ' Skunk River. ' ' 
 Keokuk County, Iowa. 
 
 He remained at home until his twentieth year, when 
 he entered the Iowa State University, at Iowa City, 
 Iowa. Here he was a sub-freshman for three years, 
 leaving school at the close of his freshman year in 
 1878. 
 
 He was married in S , Iowa, May 19, 1880, and 
 
 a few months later went to San Francisco, Cal. In the 
 autumn of 1881 he went to Stockton. Here he worked 
 as a County Clerk, read law in his spare time, and was 
 
 38 
 
A BRIEF SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 39 
 
 admitted to the practice of law Nov. 10, 1885. In the 
 spring of 1886, he moved to Bismarck, N. D. It was 
 here on May 7, 1887, that he first met Mrs. Florence 
 Huntley. 
 
 From Bismarck, Mr. Eichardson moved to Minne- 
 apolis, Minn., in 1887. Shortly thereafter, in the same 
 year Mrs. Huntley also moved to Minneapolis. 
 
 On Dec. 1, 1888, Mr. Richardson became a partner 
 in a law firm of three members, with a Mr. J. H. R. 
 and a Mr. S. B. H., with offices at 740 Temple Court. 
 On May 17, 1889, the third partner, J. H. R., withdrew, 
 leaving the partnership to S. B. H. and Mr. Rich- 
 ardson. 
 
 In 1889 or early 1890, TK moved to Chicago. With 
 the exception of about a year (1895), when he lived in 
 Council Bluffs, Iowa, Mr. Richardson's home from 
 1890 to 1908 was in Chicago. 
 
 By about 1898, the various Masonic " Associations' ■ 
 of which Mr. Richardson had been secretary, etc., hav- 
 ing passed into liquidation or otherwise ceased to be 
 operable, he was by his few intimate friends, supposed 
 to be in straitened financial circumstances. Anyway, 
 both Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Huntley, in 1891, went 
 to Iowa City, Iowa ; he to take a position with a manu- 
 facturing jewelry concern, and she to become the editor 
 of a newspaper. Here they remained until the Spring 
 of 1902, when together they returned to Chicago. 
 
 At this time Florence Huntley took a flat at what 
 was then 19 North Kedzie Ave. "TK" had his "of- 
 fice" in the same building and in the same flat, but 
 lived at his home about two blocks distant. It was 
 under these circumstances, and with Mrs. Huntley as 
 
40 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 his collaborator and editor of his work, that Mr. Rich- 
 ardson began writing "The Great Psychological 
 Crime." 
 
 This work continued daily for nearly two years. 
 TK's only income during this time was supposed to 
 be $45.00 per month. $40.00 of this was paid by a 
 student for his "services" as a " bookkeeper/ ' but as 
 the total time required on the books did not exceed 
 twelve hours a month, it will be understood that the 
 "business* ' part of the arrangement was merely nomi- 
 nal. The truth is that this student simply assumed 
 the heavy financial burden of $480.00 a year in order, 
 as she was impressed to believe, to make it possible 
 for the "master" to be free to "begin" his "great 
 work. ' ' 
 
 "Where did he get the other $5.00?" This was 
 also contributed by a student for a little bookkeeping 
 job — at about $4.50 more than the labor was actually 
 worth to the student. 
 
 At the time TK was writing the G. P. C, he already 
 had one book in print, "Harmonics of Evolution/ 9 
 written by Florence Huntley and published in 1899. 
 With the publication, therefore, of "The Great Psy- 
 chological Crime" in 1893, TK's "Great School" had 
 two authoritative "text" books. These two volumes, 
 with a general list of "supplemental" books became 
 the nucleus of what in ten years grew into a business 
 paying nearly $25,000 annually, and possessing assets 
 which, at a conservative business valuation, would 
 amount to several hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 In 1908 Mr. Eichardson moved his family to 215 
 South Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park, 111., into a beautiful 
 
A BRIEF SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 41 
 
 home bought expressly for this purpose by one of the 
 then " students.' ' 
 
 A few months later, at TK's request, another resi- 
 dence was purchased by the same student, and Mrs. 
 Huntley also moved from Chicago to Oak Park. 
 
 On Jan. 15, 1909, TK's legal wife died in Pasadena, 
 Calif., and on Jan. 31, 1910, Mr. Richardson and Mrs. 
 Huntley were married. Two years later, in her home 
 in Oak Park, on Feb. 1, 1912, Florence Huntley Rich- 
 ardson died. 
 
 TK continued to live in Oak Park, until in Dec. 
 1915, when as "General Superintendent,' 9 he became 
 a resident at the Edgemoor Sanitarium, near Ocono- 
 mowoc, Wis. It was while here and following certain 
 disclosures in March, 1916, that he withdrew from the 
 "Great Work" and severed all connections with what 
 had come to be spoken of as the "Great School." 
 
 Regarding this "Great School" or TK's "master- 
 ship": as you read, you will learn that in not a single 
 instance did any accredited student seriously question 
 any of his personal claims or see or examine any of 
 his supposed credentials, evidences, records, proofs, 
 etc. 
 
 This is rather remarkable news, but in time you find 
 it to be absolutely true, and the whole story, when 
 heard, sounds more like a tale from the Arabian Nights 
 than it does a modern occult adventure in High 
 Finance and Frenzied Philanthropy. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 The Skeptic and the Believer 
 
 "You say you believe that this i Great School ' really 
 exists ?" 
 
 "I not only believe it, but I know it." 
 
 "Hoiv do you know it?" 
 
 "Just the same as I know I am alive." 
 
 "But how?" 
 
 "Because I have some of their books." 
 
 "Would that be proof?" 
 
 "Well, I have corresponded with them too." 
 
 "Whom do you mean by 'them'?" 
 
 "Why, the Indo-American Book Co." 
 
 "Is the Indo-American Book Co. the Great School?" 
 
 "No, but they publish the books of the Great 
 School." 
 
 "Do you have any other proof of the existence of 
 the < Great School'*" 
 
 "Yes, I know a man who has known about the 
 Great School for years." 
 
 "Has known about it?" 
 
 "Yes, he is a student or something." 
 
 "But what does he know?" 
 
 "He went to Chicago purposely to meet some of 
 them. He investigated the whole thing thoroughly. 
 He says there can be no doubt but what there is a 
 Great School." 
 
 "Did they give him any real proofs?" 
 
 42 
 
e> 
 
 
 A 
 
 The Terrors on thq>y 
 Threshold. Igji 
 
 #/i 
 
44 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 " Yes. He met some of the students. He talked with 
 them and questioned them closely. ' ' 
 
 "And what did they say?" 
 
 "They admitted there is a Great School." 
 
 "But how do they know this?" 
 
 "Why they themselves are members of it, — they are 
 accredited students. ' ' 
 
 "Is this all the evidence they have?" 
 
 "0, no. The Great School has been in existence for 
 many thousands of years. They possess the oldest his- 
 toric records known to man. ' ' 
 
 "Known to man?" 
 
 "Yes— to TK's students, I mean." 
 
 "How do you know this?" 
 
 "One of their students told me." 
 
 "How does this student who told you, know that 
 these records are the most ancient known to man — 
 or that they exist at all?" 
 
 "Because another more advanced student in the 
 Great School, told him." 
 
 "But how does this more advanced student know?" 
 
 "Because it is generally understood by all the stu- 
 dents." 
 
 "Do you know of any other positive evidences of the 
 existence of the Great School?" 
 
 "Yes, there are many evidences. Why, they have 
 thousands of students scattered all over the world." 
 
 "How do you know this?" 
 
 "O, there must be many thousands of them." 
 
 "What makes you think so?" 
 
THE SKEPTIC AND THE BELIEVER 45 
 
 "Because it is such a big movement. ' ' 
 
 "About how many students would you judge there 
 
 tobe?" 
 
 "I should say at least 50,000.' ' 
 
 * * * # # 
 
 "What other positive proofs are there f n 
 
 "They have an ethical course of personal instruction 
 that is just as exact and scientific as mathematics." 
 
 "Do you really think it is as scientific as mathe- 
 matics ?" 
 
 "I am positive of it." 
 
 "What are your reasons for thinking so?" 
 
 1 * I know students who are taking it. ' ' 
 
 "Do they say it is scientific ?" 
 
 "Every one of them." 
 
 "How do they determine this!" 
 
 "Why every student is required to get the same 
 answer to each problem that every other student gets. ' ' 
 
 "Who decides what this answer must be?" 
 
 "Their master." 
 
 "How does he know that a certain answer is the 
 true and only answer!" 
 
 "Because he received it from his master." 
 
 ' ' How did his master know he had the true answer ! ' ' 
 
 "Because all the answers are supposed to be thou- 
 sands of years old, with the exception of one which 
 
 TK himself is supposed to have changed. 
 
 # * # * * 
 
 "Do you have any other proofs that the School 
 exists?" 
 "Yes, the Technical Work." 
 "Do you think there is such a thing?" 
 
46 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Yes, positively. ' ' 
 
 "How do you know?"* 
 
 "I have been told there is." 
 
 "By anyone who knows?" 
 
 "Yes, by students themselves." 
 
 "And how do they know?" 
 
 "Some of them have taken it." 
 
 "And can they talk face to face with spirits?" 
 
 "A great many of them can." 
 
 "How many?" 
 
 "I can only judge from what TK himself has writ- 
 ten. My impression is that he must have trained at 
 least a hundred." 
 
 •f? TT ^P tP TT 
 
 "Do you know any more proofs?" 
 
 "Yes, the fact that there is a real master at the 
 head of the Great School." 
 
 "Do you think he is a real master?" 
 
 "Why of course he is a real master." 
 
 "How do you know he is genuine?" 
 
 "Do you think all these students would believe in 
 him if he were only faking?" 
 
 "But do they actually know he is a real master?" 
 
 "They are all positively sure of it." 
 
 "What makes them so sure?" 
 
 "Well, some of them know it, and these tell the 
 others." 
 
 "Then how do these know, who tell the others?" 
 
 "The master himself has told them so." 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 "Do you believe this Great School of TK's is really 
 the Parent of Modern Freemasonry?" 
 
THE SKEPTIC AND THE BELIEVER 47 
 
 "I am sure of it." 
 
 "But what proof have you?" 
 
 "Why, it stands to reason." 
 
 "But why do you think so?" 
 
 "All the students say so." 
 
 "How do they know that what they say is true?" 
 
 "Well, Masonry must have had a beginning some- 
 time, somewhere." 
 
 "Have any of TK's students ever seen and exam- 
 ined his Great School's Masonic records?" 
 
 "Some of them must have seen the original records, 
 otherwise they would not recommend the whole thing 
 as they have." 
 
 "Do you have any more proofs that this Great 
 School exists?" 
 
 "Yes, many of them." 
 
 "But why do you say so?" 
 
 "Because all the students say so." 
 
 "You are sure there is no graft connected with the 
 Great School?" 
 
 "There couldpi't be any." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 "Because." 
 
 "Because why?" 
 
 "They do not take money for their teaching or any 
 of their work." 
 
 "Whom do you mean by 'they'?" 
 
 "I mean TK, of course." 
 
 "Perhaps he gets it just the same." 
 
iS 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ^Official 
 Fbiir-Flusb 
 
THE SKEPTIC AND THE BELIEVER 49 
 
 "Impossible. All his students would know it if he 
 did. He is a very poor man. Once he wrote 30,000 
 letters in about ten years, and scarcely received so 
 much as a postage stamp for reply. Would not this 
 testimony prove that there is no graft connected with 
 the movement f" 
 
 "What do you know personally of the reliability 
 of their system of identifying one's affinity, or soul 
 mate?" 
 
 " Nothing, personally. But their very first Text 
 book is entirely devoted to this subject. It is not a 
 book of fiction or theories, but facts. By a system 
 of triangles the Great School proves conclusively 
 that there is one mate — and one only for every person 
 born." 
 
 "But does TK himself actually know that Nature 
 furnishes one affinity — and one only — for every per- 
 son?" 
 
 "Yes, of course he does." 
 
 "Why do you say so?" 
 
 "Because in order to become a master, one has to 
 accomplish his own 'individual completion.' " 
 
 "What do you mean by ' individual completion'?" 
 
 "It means an indissoluble union and permanent in- 
 dividual association with one's true affinity upon 
 every plane of being." 
 
 "Would this 'individual completion' once accom- 
 plished, be permanent thruout all eternity?" 
 
 "Of course." 
 
 "And has TK himself, in his own personal life, 
 
50 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 actually made this remarkable scientific demonstra- 
 tion ?" 
 
 "0, yes, indeed he has — several times" 
 
 # * # # # 
 
 Thereupon, the inquisitive skeptic was properly im- 
 pressed, and hastened to send a large check for the 
 good of a " GREAT CAUSE." 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Autobiographical Sketch of the Life and Work of 
 John E. Richardson, TK. 
 
 Students of Natural Science, 
 Disciples of the Great School, 
 Devotees of the Harmonic Philosophy, 
 Friends of the Great Work, 
 Neophites in "the Order of Tacks,' ' 
 Members of the League of Visible Helpers, 
 
 and 
 Fellows of "The Old Group ,, ; 
 
 Beloved Friends: 
 
 I am writing this letter, not because I believe its 
 subject matter is of any real importance, but because 
 some of you have repeatedly asked me, and urgently 
 solicited me to do so — under the evident impression 
 and earnest conviction that my identity will some day, 
 in the far-away future, be a matter of very serious 
 and almost vital importance to the success of The 
 Great Work — in the minds of future generations. 
 
 For thirty years — lacking a few months, I have 
 labored incessantly, under assumed names, and in ob- 
 scurity, as the sole, living, lt Accredited Representa- 
 tive" of The Great School in this country. 
 
 During all that time it would have been easily pos- 
 sible for me to have taken the public into my confi- 
 dence, and thus to have established my personal iden- 
 tity beyond all possible question; but I did not do it 
 
 51 
 
52 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 — and the question "WHY?" naturally arises in the 
 minds of a good many of those who have not, as yet, 
 been in position to study the subject in all its varied 
 phases and from all its different angles. 
 
 I have already answered the question a good many 
 times orally, and to individual Students and Friends 
 who, from time to time, have asked it; but I do not 
 recall having ever put my answer in writing, nor in 
 such form that it might be accessible for future refer- 
 ence by those who might deem it a matter of some 
 importance. For this reason I am going to take this 
 occasion to express it in writing as briefly and con- 
 cisely as possible: 
 
 1. When I first came into conscious touch with the 
 Great School, and was admitted to the ranks of its stu- 
 dents, I was a practicing attorney on the Pacifiic coast. 
 As such, I was the legal representative of a number of 
 the most important business and financial institutions 
 and interests on the coast. In that capacity I was 
 brought mto close personal touch with, and business 
 relations, as well as intimate social acquaintance, with 
 the important men of the political as well as the busi- 
 ness and financial world* 
 
 •Comparing this with the third paragraph following, we 
 observe that Mr. R. was a "practicing attorney," "represent- 
 ing a number of the most important business and financial 
 institutions and interests on the coast/' as early as the Sum- 
 mer of 1883. 
 
 As a matter of fact, the Attorneys' Register at Stockton 
 shows that he was not even admitted to the practice of law 
 until November 10, 1885. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TICS LIFE 53 
 
 2. — As a public lecturer along educational, scientific, 
 philosophic, religious, economic, sociological, civic and 
 political limes of thought, I was a familiar figure and 
 personality from Olympia to Old Mexico; and BE- 
 LIEVED that I had many loyal and warm personal 
 FRIENDS in almost every village and hamlet on the 
 coast. 
 
 3. — In addition to these avenues of approach to and 
 touch with the public, my ambitions had taken me ac- 
 tively and aggressively into the current of political 
 life where, although young in years, I had become a 
 conspicuous figure. 
 
 It was in the midst of these conditions that I found 
 myself in the city of Stockton, San Joaquin County, 
 California, in the summer of 1883, at the age of 30 
 years. 
 
 Then it was that the Great Master, H-N-K, came to 
 me and identified himself as a "Master" and Inner 
 Member of the Great School. He had come from the 
 Central Temple in the fastnesses of the Himalayas, 
 in far-off India. 
 
 He offered to instruct me in the knowledge of Nat- 
 ural Science, and enable me to demonstrate the con- 
 tinuity of individual life beyond the incident of physi- 
 cal " death' ' — provided I could, to his satisfaction, 
 prove that I possessed the Discretion to make a wise 
 use of that knowledge, the Loyalty to devote my life 
 to the Cause of Truth, and the Humility of Soul to 
 smk my personality entirely from public view, and 
 there, in obscurity, carry on the Great Work, alone 
 and undismayed, the balance of my earthly life, if the 
 interests of the Cause demanded this abnegation. 
 
54 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 To make a very long and exceedingly interesting 
 and fascinating subject as brief and to the point as 
 possible, I accepted this offer, proved myself qualified 
 for the ordeal, to his satisfaction, took up the Work 
 and, under his personal instruction for thirteen (13) 
 months, made the scientific demonstration, retired 
 from the practice of Law, went "into the silence," 
 and obscurity as completely as possible where I have 
 remained for thirty (30) years — and here I am, tell- 
 ing you about it. 
 
 And now let me go back to the beginning of the 
 story of my identity and, as best I can, tell it in 
 chronological and sequential order. The beginning 
 point of the story ought to be my birth, but that im- 
 portant event falls outside the limits of my own mem- 
 ory, and I must therefore, go to the only available 
 source of information, which is the family bible. 
 
 Therein it is solemnly recorded that I was born 
 July 20th, 1853. My name is therein said to be " John 
 Richardson, ' ' and by that name I was known through- 
 out my childhood and youth, and until I was old 
 enough to develop a dislike of so short a name as 
 "John." When about eighteen (18) years old I took 
 unto myself a middle name "Emmett" which I con- 
 ceived to be an euphonious combination, and there- 
 after, and to this day, I have signed my name to all 
 legal documents as "John E. Richardson"; and by 
 that name am I known among all my people (brothers 
 and sisters). 
 
 According to the Bible Record, my parents reared 
 fifteen children— 7 boys and 8 girls— of which family 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 55 
 
 I was the 10th child in regular order, and the 6th son 
 — and was born on July 20, 1853. 
 
 If my Father and Mother correctly understood 
 their lineage, she was a mixture of German and 
 Welch, and he of Scotch and English — with a strain 
 of American Indian on my Mother's side. 
 
 At the time of their marriage they moved at once 
 from Indiana to Iowa — then a Territory, and inhab- 
 ited almost entirely by Indians — and settled on a sec- 
 tion of Government land and immediately began the 
 rearing of their large family, the cultivation of a 
 farm and the raising of stock. 
 
 They located in Keokuk County, near the village of 
 Lancaster — (then the County Seat) — where my Father 
 entered upon his more than sixty years of missionary 
 labors as a " Hard-Shelled' ' Baptist Minister— " Self - 
 made" in every sense of the term. 
 
 As a matter of principle his ministry was a "Gift" 
 to his people, in that he received not so much as a 
 penny for his religious labors during his entire life, — 
 thus exemplifying the Spirit of the Great Work. 
 
 If the statements of the older members of the fam- 
 ily are true (and I have no reason whatever to doubt 
 them), I was born in a log cabin on the South bank 
 of the North branch of " Skunk River," about one 
 mile North of the village of " Lancaster," Keokuk 
 County, Iowa. 
 
 But before the time limit of my memory, the family 
 had removed from there to a farm, some three miles 
 South of the " South Skunk" River, and about two 
 miles North East of the town of Martinsburg, same 
 County and State. 
 
56 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Here it was that the experiences of my life first 
 impressed themselves upon my Consciousness with 
 sufficient emphasis to fix them in my memory. It was 
 here that my conscious life began, and memory first 
 registered. 
 
 At the age of four (4) I became the caretaker of 
 my younger brother and it was then, and in that ca- 
 pacity, that I began to realize the meaning of Personal 
 Responsibility. 
 
 When seven (7) years old the family removed to 
 a "River-Bottom-Land" farm between the two 
 "Skunk Rivers' ' and my Father (whose Ministry 
 brought him no income) had to depend upon other 
 lines of labor for the living of himself and family. 
 As rapidly as the children became old enough, each 
 was fitted into some occupation and became a "cog" 
 in the family "Wheel of Economics" 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 57 
 
 At seven (7) it fell to my lot to become "Sawyer" 
 in a little steam saw-mill owned by my Father — 
 chiefly for the accommodation of his neighbors — who 
 brought their logs from a distance of three to five 
 miles in every direction, to have them sawed into 
 lumber of all kinds for the building of houses, barns, 
 buildings of all kinds, and fences, in the heart of a 
 pioneer country. 
 
 For nine (9) years I almost lived in the little "four- 
 foot-pen" that constituted the station or "post" of 
 sawyer and, because of the necessities of the general 
 situation, I was depended upon — and was able to — 
 perform the duties of a grown man, and that, too, in 
 a position of responsibility much greater than that of 
 the average man of mature intelligence. 
 
 When I was sixteen (16) years old — the older boys 
 of the family — with but one exception — had either 
 married and assumed the responsibilities of families 
 of their own, or had gone "for themselves" into the 
 big round world to fight their own battles and make 
 for themselves places of their own choosing. 
 
 This made it possible for me to "escape" from my 
 "sawyer's four-foot prison" and render a more im- 
 portant service in charge of the farm, where I labored 
 for the next two years with my older brother G. until 
 I was eighteen (18) years old. 
 
 Father was a Baptist minister — as I have before 
 stated — and as such, a firm believer in the "Doctrine 
 of Election," which held that the destiny of every 
 individual has been determined in advance — "before 
 the foundation of the world"— -by Election. Some 
 
58 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN A ME RICA 
 
 are " elected' ' to "go to heaven" and "sit at the right 
 hand of God" forever, and all the others are "elected" 
 to go to hell and, under the dominion of Satan, burn 
 forever. 
 
 But under a somewhat more generous "doctrine" 
 he permitted his boys to "elect whether they would 
 leave the parental roof at the age of 18, or remain 
 until 21. If they elected to go at 18, they did so 
 empty handed; but if they remained until 21, they 
 received from him a horse, saddle and bridle and a 
 suit of clothes. These were the reward of the three 
 years' labor, from 18 to 21. 
 
 For the following reasons I elected to leave at 18: 
 
 1. Because of my usefulness in the economic sys- 
 tem of the home, I had no time nor opportunity to 
 obtain the kind of education I desired. 
 
 2. During the nine years in the saw-mill and two 
 on the farm, I had a never-ending day-dream that 
 some time I would go to college, obtain an education 
 and become a writer, a journalist, a newspaper 
 writer. 
 
 3. But as my 18th birthday drew near, I realized 
 that Father and Mother were growing old and that 
 in a few years more they would need the care of some 
 one of us. About two months before my 18th birth- 
 day, I went to my brother G. and confided to him my 
 dream; but realizing that he had a far better intelli- 
 gence than myself, I proposed that he go to College 
 and finish his education and that I would remain and 
 run the farm and help him through and at the same 
 time care for the "old folks at home." 
 
60 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 4. But if he did not wish to do that, then I pro- 
 posed that he remain and let me go unaided* 
 After due consideration it was decided that I should 
 
 go. 
 
 The day of my emancipation came — July 20th, 1871 
 — without a word to anyone but brother G. 
 
 With $2.50 in my pocket — and a borrowed horse — 
 I rode 62 miles due north into the wheat fields where 
 there was a great demand for harvest hands. It was 
 the happiest day of my life. I was free — free to earn 
 money and go to college and take my place in the 
 world. 
 
 I found a man who needed help and the next morn- 
 ing went to work — binding wheat for M. L , in 
 
 Iowa County — at $3 per day. 
 
 I worked 17 days, received $51 cash — my first money 
 as a "man" — rode back home, went to district school 
 a term, applied for a teacher's certificate, got it, 
 taught school a year, took the money earned (at $40 
 per month), went to Iowa City, Iowa, and in Septem- 
 ber, 1873, entered the State University as a "Sub- 
 Freshman." 
 
 My college work was along the lines of an indepen- 
 dent course and was finished in 1878 without degrees 
 of any kind, but with a certificate from the President 
 
 •From what has recently been ascertained, his parents mort- 
 gaged their farm in order to send John E. to school, and 
 thirty-five years later, a member of the family was still paying 
 interest as a result of this debt — at a time when Mr. Richard- 
 son was himself receiving a monthly interest of $130.00 from 
 one of his investments, and when it is known he must have 
 been handling hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
 
A UTO BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 61 
 
 giving full credit for all the work done, — which cov- 
 ered most of the curriculum of Law, Medicine and 
 an M. A* 
 Passing over a period of two years ' desultory work, 
 
 I was married in S , Iowa, May 19th, 1880, to Miss 
 
 Pauline S (daughter of Owen and Ann S , 
 
 old and respected citizens of Iowa), a young and 
 charming woman of rare musical ability — a pianist, 
 vocalist, and teacher of music — and a woman of excel- 
 lent mental and moral fiber — a Presbyterian of the 
 Scotch blood — who, I think, had hoped, in time, to 
 lead me into the "fold" — but failed. 
 
 In September of that year I bade her a temporary 
 good-bye, and went to San Francisco, where, in the 
 political interests of General Rosecrans, I directed the 
 editorial policy of the "Examiner" — Democratic or- 
 gan — for one year — 1880 and 1881 and until Rosecrans 
 ivithdrew from the race for the nomination^ 
 
 •The records of the Iowa State University of Iowa City, 
 Iowa, show that he not only entered the State University as a 
 " Sub-Freshman' ' in 1873, but he remained a " Sub-Fresh- 
 man* ' for 3 years x 1873-74, 1875-76, 1876-77. He registered 
 again in 1877-78 as a Freshman. He did NOT study either 
 Law or Medicine, since he was only a Freshman in the philoso- 
 phic course of the Collegiate Department, and he certainly 
 could not have ' ' COVERED most of the curriculum of Law, 
 Medicine and M. A." 
 
 tOn the following page, we present an exact photographic 
 reproduction of a letter which tells its own story, and which 
 flatly contradicts Mr. Richardson's claims in this respect. 
 
62 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 I then resigned my position on the "Examiner," in- 
 tending to go direct to N. Y. City and accept the posi- 
 tion of managing editor for the N. Y. Times — which 
 position was offered me. 
 
 November 33,1916 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 Acknowledging your 3 of the 
 J8th re one John E.Richardson. 
 
 The writer has been connected 
 with The Examiner ever since it was 
 changed from an evening to a morning 
 paper, October 4,1880, and the party 
 referred to in your letter was never 
 connected with the Editorial Department 
 of thie newspaper . 
 
 Financial Manage 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 63 
 
 On my way I stopped at Stockton, San Joaquin 
 County, Cal., to visit a few days with Maj. P. V. 
 B , then buyer for the large firm of grain mer- 
 chants, Stewart and Smith, of that town. 
 
 While there I had occasion to look up a point of law, 
 concerning the probating of an estate and appoint- 
 ment of a guardian for minor heirs — to accommodate 
 a poor fellow whose wife had just died, leaving him 
 the care of three little children. 
 
 I stepped into a prosperous appearing "law 00106/ ' 
 introduced myself, and asked a fine appearing gentle- 
 man of 45 years, or, so, if I might examine his copy 
 of the Revised Statutes of California. 
 
 He courteously handed me the volume, and went on 
 with his work, while I was looking up the point of law 
 I had in mind. 
 
 When I had finished I returned the book to him, 
 thanked him and turned to leave his office, when he 
 asked me if I was a stranger to Stockton, to which I 
 replied in the affirmative. He asked me if I was a 
 lawyer, and I replied that I had studied law, but had 
 never practiced. His next question was whether I 
 would care to practice if a good opening presented 
 itself, and I replied that it would "depend." 
 
 He then told me with the utmost frankness, that he 
 wanted a partner, a young man of intelligence and 
 ambition ; that he liked my appearance and was satis- 
 fied that I was the man for the place, if I would ac- 
 cept it; that without further recommendation than 
 my personal appearance, he would offer me an equal 
 partnership with him in an established practice that 
 
64 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 netted him over $25,000 annually; and closed by ask- 
 ing me to consider the matter and call on him again 
 before leaving the city.* 
 
 I told him I had never contemplated practicing law ; 
 that his offer was so unexpected, as well as so unpre- 
 cedented, that I was not prepared to answer him off- 
 hand; but that I appreciated deeply the compliment 
 he had paid me, as well as the confidence his offer 
 implied, and would give the matter careful considera- 
 tion and see him again before leaving Stockton. 
 
 During the next few days I made diligent inquiry 
 as to this remarkable man, only to find that he was a 
 man of unimpeachable character, and one of the best 
 lawyers on the Coast. 
 
 Within a week I called at his office and was cor- 
 dially greeted with the inquiry: "Well, young man, 
 have you come to accept my offer?" 
 
 I replied, "Yes, if it is still open." He said it was, 
 and asked when I would be ready to begin. I told 
 him right away, if that was agreeable to him. He 
 replied : ' i All right, so much the better ; there is your 
 desk and chair, consider yourself installed, and to- 
 morrow I will draw up formal articles of co-partner- 
 ship," which he did; and thus I became a practicing 
 Attorney — something I had never contemplated for 
 
 •It here appears quite clear that handsome young men 
 were in great demand in law offices in Stockton at that time 
 (1881). Therefore an offer of an equal partnership in a $25,- 
 000 a year law practice was not an unusual inducement to be 
 offered to a total stranger solely upon the recommendation of 
 his good looks. Hence the truth of this paragraph is per- 
 fectly evident. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 65 
 
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66 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 one moment until my first meeting with him, a week 
 before.* 
 
 Our relations, both business and personal, were of 
 the most pleasant and cordial nature and without a 
 jar of any kind. Two years later, 1883, he withdrew 
 from the firm, retired from active business life, and 
 left me in full posession and ownership of a profes- 
 sional practice which he had spent many years in 
 building up and which netted me over $30,000 an- 
 nually.! 
 
 I continued in the active practice until the Autumn 
 of 1886, at which time, for reasons which I will ex- 
 plain later, I moved — with my wife and two little 
 girls — to Bismarck, North Dakota — the Capital of the 
 then Territory — and joined a former University class- 
 mate in the practice of law.j: 
 
 But the prospect was not a pleasing one to me, and 
 at the end of a year, in 1887, I removed to Minneapo- 
 
 *Observe that this was in 1881, before TK had even com- 
 menced the study of law. Also that he very significantly 
 omits the full name of his generous partner. 
 
 fThis shows that in the five years from 1881 to 1886, TK 
 imagines he made something like $115,000.00 — which was 
 pretty good for a young attorney's first year in actual 
 practice. 
 
 $The reasons which he says he will explain later, but does 
 not, are given by his former law partner in Stockton, that 
 ' 'Richie" was not satisfied with his meager earnings, and 
 decided to "try his luck" in Bismarck. He therefore gave up 
 his $30,000.00 a year law practice and moved to the new 
 location. 
 
r AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 67 
 
 lis, Minn., and there formed a law partnership with 
 another college classmate and did a good business un- 
 til the Autumn of 1890, when I came to Chicago, and, 
 with three of the good business men of Chicago, 
 formed a business association with which I remained 
 connected until 1900; since which time I have devoted 
 my whole life and energies to the writing and publi- 
 cation of books and other literature along the lines of 
 Natural Science and the "Harmonic Philosophy," 
 and to the work of Personal Instruction in the Great 
 School and Work. 
 
 I have, thus far, given but a very brief and prosaic 
 account of the purely business and materialistic side 
 of my life. It was, however, a life as far removed 
 from the dull or prosy as that of any man of all my 
 acquaintance. On the contrary, it has been a life full 
 of the most intense activity and interest all along the 
 way, from the day I left the parental home and rode 
 away into the big, bright, fascinating world, as I saw 
 it the morning of my 18th birthday, down to the pres- 
 ent moment. 
 
 For instance, I have said nothing of the years of 
 political activities and ambitions on the Pacific coast, 
 where I became a conspicuous figure, and where I un- 
 doubtedly could and would have become governor of 
 the great commonwealth of California, had I yielded 
 to the solicitations of my many friends — and had I not 
 observed the i( finger of destiny" pointing eastward; 
 and had not the Great Master led me up out of those 
 vain-glorious conditions by the hand of love and taken 
 me to the mountain top ivhence I could look back, 
 
68 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 down, upon the littleness, the pettiness, the selfishness 
 and unworthiness of it all. 
 
 Nor have I told of the fascinating experiences of the 
 lecture field and platform wherein and whereon I spent 
 much time and effort along educational lines during 
 the years of my life on the Pacific coast; nor of the 
 wide range of interesting acquaintances among the 
 great educators of that time. 
 
 Nor yet have I mentioned my touch with the musical 
 world, wherein I made for myself a place and a name 
 as a dramatic tenor of unusual range, quality of tone 
 and carrying power; nor of the temptations that lead 
 men to seek fame upon the grand opera stage nor of 
 my experiences as a solo violinist. 
 
 These and many other experiences, all of which 
 added color and interest to an intense life of activity 
 and variety, have been omitted because of the time, 
 effort and space necessary to their narration. 
 
 My wife, who remained behind with her Father and 
 Mother when I first went to the Coast, joined me in 
 the Spring of 1881. 
 
 In the summer of 1907 — after a severe spell of 
 pleurisy, it was discovered that she was afflicted with 
 tuberculosis. After some months of the most careful 
 
 treatment under our own beloved "Dr. E. M. W ," 
 
 a change of climate was recommended and she went 
 to Arizona, where she had the very best care — and 
 improved somewhat. But on the advice of her physi- 
 cian she went on to the Pacific Coast and stopped near 
 Pasadena, at a small private Sanitarium. 
 
 In the face of her own letters telling me of her 
 steady improvement I became impressed with the con- 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 
 
 viction that she was not in a good environment, and 
 when I could resist the feeling no longer, I took the 
 train, and in August, 1908, 1 went to her. I found my 
 conviction fully verified and although an improvement 
 over her condition when she left home — I took her at 
 once to the noted specialist, Dr. N. B , in Los An- 
 geles, who — after a most careful examination — found 
 only about one-fourth of the left lung only affected. 
 He unhesitatingly said "She ought to get well. ,, * 
 
 I placed her in the New Pasadena Hospital under 
 his personal care, from which date she improved rap- 
 idly and steadily. 
 
 On Jan. 1st, 1909, Dr. B. — reported that she was 
 virtually well — so 'far as he could determine. She 
 had ceased entirely to cough or expectorate, had 
 gained in weight until she was heavier than she had 
 been since we were married, felt well and strong and 
 believed herself entirely restored to health. She was 
 planning to come home — to us in Oak Park, 111. — the 
 following June. 
 
 On the evening of Jan. 15, 1909, she went to bed 
 in the best of spirits and was feeling well and happy. 
 After seeing her carefully in bed, the nurse left her 
 to go to the adjacent room. Before she reached its 
 door however, she heard three sharp rings of her 
 
 •This was in 1908, 24 years after he claims to have become 
 a "master.* ' If he really possessed the power to leave his 
 physical body at will, then one wonders why he should not 
 have known the exact status of his wife's condition daily, pro- 
 viding he was sufficiently interested to take the time to find 
 out. Or, failing in this, why did he not have some of his 
 "Great Masters' < obtain a reliable daily report for him? 
 
70 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 call-bell. She (the nurse) hurried back and found 
 her in the midst of a terrific hemorrhage. In less 
 than one minute she was dead. 
 
 Dr. B., writing me the next day said: "It is one 
 of the pathetic phases of our profession that we never 
 can tell, with absolute certainty when the germs of 
 this dread disease have all been dislodged. In her 
 case, I thought she was well. She thought so. We 
 all thought so. But it so happened that there re- 
 mained a small area no larger than the surface of a 
 finger-nail where the germs were still active. And 
 stranger still, it so happened that this active area 
 was directly over the wall of the "Aorta," or largest 
 artery of the lung — and when they had eaten away 
 until the wall of that large vessel could no longer 
 stand the pressure of blood from the heart it gave 
 way at that one little spot and in a minute she was 
 gone. Nothing could save her."*' 
 
 Her body was brought to S , Iowa, and laid to 
 
 rest beside those of her two blessed and beautiful 
 babies, in the family vault. 
 
 And here ends another chapter in my own life. 
 
 •7? *7P "J? 7$ w 
 
 Go with me now back to the days of my childhood 
 and let us travel over the pathway of my spiritual evo- 
 lution together. From this journey you will learn the 
 unbroken road over and along which I found my 
 way to the door of the Great School, knocked, was ad- 
 
 *This paragraph shows very plainly what "Doctor" Rich- 
 ardson knows — or rather what he does not know about Anat- 
 omy and Pathology. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 71 
 
 mitted and finally became the sole accredited repre- 
 sentative of the School in this country. 
 
 My Father's independence of mind and liberal 
 attitude of soul on the subject of religion may be ap- 
 preciated somewhat from the fact that not one of his 
 children ever belonged to his church — nor any other, 
 for that matter. 
 
 All of us who grew to years of discretion were 
 natural skeptics — agnostics. And yet, we all were in- 
 terested, and desired to know the truth, but found 
 ourselves unable to accept the Christian dogmas as 
 then taught. 
 
 From the time I was nine years old I loved to 
 listen to Father and the " Elders' ' of his church dis- 
 cuss abstruse theological doctrines, and many times 
 when alone with Father I asked questions and dis- 
 puted the correctness of his answers. 
 
 My impression is that there were times when he 
 was strongly of the conviction that I was a " Child of 
 the Devil" — duly " elected to go to Hell by the 'air- 
 line' " whenever the " Trumpet should sound"; but 
 he was good enough not to say so specifically. 
 
 At the age of 16 a most interesting event in my 
 spiritual life occurred. A German, family by the 
 name of Follman — fresh from the old country — con- 
 sisting of father and mother (about 45 years old) 
 and one daughter (about 18 years) moved into the 
 village of Lancaster, some four miles from our home, 
 and opened a little general store. Nobody knew them, 
 and they were accepted at their own valuation. 
 
 They had not been there long until word became 
 quite generally circulated throughout the community 
 
72 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 to the effect that they were very strange people, and 
 were called "Spiritualists." It was the first I had 
 ever heard the name, and I knew nothing about what 
 it meant, but from the expressions on the faces of 
 those who did know, (or thought they knew) I in- 
 ferred that it must have reference to something quite 
 "out of the ordinary' ' and something below the ordi- 
 nary in point of Morality. 
 
 But all sorts of weird and uncanny stories were 
 soon going the rounds, concerning the strange and 
 unbelievable things that were constantly occurring 
 in their home. Spiritual phenomena of unusual range 
 and character were reported by those who had been 
 there and witnessed them. 
 
 It was not strange, under these conditions, that 
 the spirit of "curiosity" soon took possession of the 
 community. My two next older Brothers and I 
 caught the impulse of investigation and one Sunday 
 afternoon got on our horses and rode down to Lan- 
 caster; went to the Follman home; inquired whether 
 the things we had heard were true; were told that 
 some of them were undoubtedly true; inquired if we 
 could sit with them that evening; were heartily in- 
 vited to do so ; and we eagerly accepted. 
 
 When other things were out of the way for the 
 evening we three boys found ourselves alone with the 
 three members of the family with whom we tried to 
 talk — but soon found that the daughter was the only 
 one of them who could speak enough English to give 
 us any information, and she found it most difficult. 
 In a labored effort, however, she made us understand 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 73 
 
 the method of procedure and our own part in the 
 "sitting.' ' 
 
 An ordinary wooden table was brought in and we 
 all took our seats around it in such manner as to 
 balance the sex influence as evenly as possible. I re- 
 member very distinctly that they claimed to be follow- 
 ing the directions of their "spiritual guides" — and 
 that / sat between the Father and Daughter — he on 
 my right and she on my left. 
 
 A large coal-oil lamp sat in the center of the table, 
 and when all were seated with our hands touching — 
 "left hand under and right hand on top" — the light 
 was turned down till the room was a deep shadow, 
 but not quite dark. 
 
 We sat quietly for a few moments and then the 
 Father began humming the air of some song in which 
 all joined. Before we were through the first stanza 
 I could hear distinctly many, many voices in addition 
 to our own, singing with us in perfect harmony. 
 
 As we proceeded the Father's hands began vibrat- 
 ing and the farther we went the more intense be- 
 came the vibrations until suddenly his hands were 
 torn from ours on either side and he fell back in his 
 chair in a reclining position and everything became 
 still. 
 
 The daughter turned on the light until we could 
 see distinctly. The "Medium" — Mr. F. — lay there 
 breathing heavily, for some time, with his eyes shut, 
 and his face an ashen white and entirely expression- 
 less. 
 
 Then slowly he arose, moved forward till the tips 
 of his fingers rested on the table, in the attitude of a 
 
74 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 public speaker, his eyes still closed. Then his lips 
 opened and, in a calm, dignified voice and manner, 
 began to speak — in perfect English, and entirely free 
 from German accent or dialect. He began something 
 like this: 
 
 " Friends, I am glad to meet with you tonight, and 
 through the vocal organs of this medium tell you 
 something of the spirit side of life where I now live. 
 When I was on your side of the divide my name was 
 Scott. I was a Presbyterian minister. My last pas- 
 toral charge was in Syracuse, N. Y., where I died 
 in — " giving the date, etc. 
 
 He went on and told us then of the transition and 
 of the many surprises that awaited him and many 
 experiences of interest. He spoke possibly half an 
 hour and then politely excused himself on the ground 
 that there were several other " Spiritual friends' ' 
 who wished to speak to us, and they must not keep 
 the Medium under control too long lest it injure him. 
 Then he said goodnight and the frame of the medium 
 underwent a severe shock and straightened up again 
 and began to speak. 
 
 This time the voice was brusque, quick, short and 
 emphatic and at least two full tones higher — but still 
 in good English. It was a complete change of per- 
 sonality. He said his name on earth was "Wilkins," 
 that he was a business man, gave us his last earthly 
 address, and the names of friends yet living who had 
 known him, and the time, place and manner of his 
 death — all of which we fully verified by letter. 
 
 After telling us something of his life of the Spirit 
 side he retired — as the former control had done-. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 75 
 
 Then followed a little girl's personality, and in 
 rapid succession something like 15 different person- 
 alities spoke to us during that first sitting — one of 
 whom represented itself as our Cousin who had been 
 drowned but a short time before. He told us min- 
 utely of the manner of his death — and where we could 
 find his pet dog that had disappeared after his death. 
 This also we verified, to our entire satisfaction. 
 
 This was the beginning of our investigation of 
 "Spiritualism," or more accurately, ' ' Mediumship. ' ' 
 
 After the first experience, which interested us in- 
 tensely, we attended a number of sittings — until we 
 became aware that the moral atmosphere of the place 
 and the people was not good. 
 
 It occurred to us that we had a sufficient number 
 at home to form a "Developing Circle." This we 
 finally accomplished — over the protests of Father and 
 Mother, who seemed to feel that it was only the work 
 of the Devil, and most dangerous to us all. They 
 consistently held that position and refused to have 
 any part in our sittings. 
 
 We selected Sunday evenings as the time and 
 mother's kitchen as the place, where we sat around 
 the kitchen table. 
 
 We were in serious earnest and followed the rules 
 laid down for us — and it was not many weeks before 
 we began to get results. 
 
 One after the other the members of our group — 
 or " circle' ' — yielded until we had some five or six 
 partially developed mediums. 
 
 But as for myself, I seemed to be entirely immune. 
 I did my best to develop into a medium, during the 
 
T6 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 first years of our sittings, but never for an instant 
 was I conscious of any outside influence upon me. 
 The same, I believe, was equally true of my three 
 brothers. 
 
 But in due course of time I began to have a distinct 
 feeling or conviction, that there was something in- 
 volved in the process of control that was not right, 
 was unwholesome, and even distructive and danger- 
 ous to the Medium. 
 
 After I was 18 years old and left home I was with 
 the home circle only at long intervals and knew but 
 little personally of what occurred — except in a gen- 
 eral way, by reports from those who were there. 
 
 But the others continued irregularly, to meet for 
 several years ; but ceased to obtain any very good or 
 satisfactory results and gradually the interest waned 
 and they virtually disbanded; and I believe the feel- 
 ing was quite general that the process was not a 
 wholesome one for the mediums themselves. 
 
 After I left home and entered the State University 
 I was so bent on my struggle for an education that 
 / had little time or opportunity to continue my in- 
 vestigation of psychic phenomena, except during 
 vacation times when visiting at home. 
 
 But during the years 1878-9-80 I enjoyed excep- 
 tional OPPORTUNITIES DURING WHICH TIME I VISITED 
 MANY MEDIUMS BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND PRIVATE AND 
 WITNESSED VIRTUALLY EVERY PHASE OF PSYCHIC PHE 
 NOMENA, TOGETHER WITH MUCH DELIBERATE FRAUD. 
 
 (*See next page.) 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 77 
 
 •Here TK volunteers the information that for three years, 
 1873 9-80, he enjoyed exceptional opportunities for consult- 
 ing mediums. In another place he refers to these same years : 
 In 1878 he was "finishing" his education in the Freshman 
 Class at the Iowa University, and of this period he says, "I 
 had little time or opportunity to continue my investigations 
 of psychic phenomena/ ' The years 1879-80 he calls "two 
 years of desultory work" — which we assume was consulting 
 mediums. 
 
 We have TK's own word for it that he was watched over 
 by his G. S. from birth. Also that from the time he was 16 
 years of age, up to and including the year 1880, he was almost 
 constantly monkeying with spiritual phenomena and mediums. 
 He says, 
 
 "In 1880, when I went to the Pacific Coast, I had arrived 
 at a point where I was fully satisfied that the 'Subjective 
 Psychic Process' — involved in both hypnotism and medium- 
 ship — is destructive and that, therefore, the lines along which 
 I had been studying and investigating, up to that time, were 
 wrong IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. Medium- 
 ship was "the wrong way. 
 
 "And I had resolved to have nothing further to do with 
 'Spiritualism' — nor with 'Mediumship,' nor with Psychic 
 Research along those lines. " 
 
 Then behold ! Our hero is in Stockton in 1881, and in order 
 to get into good c ' Society, ' ' the first thing he does is to join 
 a developing circle for the development "of a young and 
 handsome woman." 
 
 If TK's GREAT School and GREAT Masters knew all 
 this time that these practices were destructive — and they 
 permitted these practices even as a part of their future rep- 
 resentative's "education" — do not the whole bunch of them 
 stand convicted of what TK himself calls the Great Psycho- 
 logical Crime? 
 
78 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 I satisfied myself on a number of points, among 
 which are: 
 
 1. That I never saw an honest public medium 
 during that time. 
 
 2. That many of them, however, really were me- 
 diumistic, and their controls could — when conditions 
 were favorable — produce a wide range of psychic 
 phenomena through them. 
 
 3. But the desires of the mediums to make money, 
 overtaxed their psychic capacities and to guard 
 against poor sittings and dissatisfied patrons, they 
 learned a lot of tricks which they mixed in when they 
 found that their controls were unable to work through 
 them and produce the genuine phenomena. 
 
 4. That every private medium I ever visited con- 
 fessed that the process was harmful. 
 
 5v That after the first period of exultation and 
 fervor (covering varying periods, from a few weeks 
 to several months) there was a gradual letting down 
 of the moral tone of the psychic atmosphere and in- 
 fluence, from which the progress was one of steady 
 retrogression. 
 
 6. That in every instance the destructive nature 
 of the subjective psychic process upon the Medium 
 manifested itself in either physical, mental or moral 
 degeneracy, — and often in all three directions. 
 
 In 1880, WHEN I WENT TO THE PACIFIC COAST, I HAD 
 ARRIVED AT A POINT WHERE I WAS FULLY SATISFIED THAT 
 
 THE "SUBJECTIVE PSYCHIC PROCESS*' INVOLVED IN BOTH 
 
 HYPNOTISM AND MEDIUMSHIP IS DESTRUCTIVE AND THAT, 
 
 THEREFORE, THE LINES ALONG WHICH I HAD BEEN STUDY- 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 79 
 
 ING AND INVESTIGATING, UP TO THAT TIME, WERE WRONG 
 IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. MediumsMp WAS " The 
 
 Wrong Way." 
 
 AND I HAD RESOLVED TO HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO 
 
 do with "Spiritualism," — nor with "Mediumship" 
 nor with Psychic Research along those lines. 
 
 It so happened, however, that on my arrival and 
 location at Stockton, Cal., — I soon discovered a most 
 unusual and unexpected situation and social condi- 
 tion. The leading physicians, lawyers, judges and 
 men and women in the very best society, were all 
 members of a "Psychical Research Society" and 
 were meeting regularly, and were earnestly investi- 
 gating the subject of "Psychic Phenomena" along 
 the lines which I had but recently abandoned. 
 
 It was inevitable that I should meet these good 
 people and become known to them as a student along 
 those very lines in which they were engaged. 
 
 I was invited to join them and did so, and soon 
 became one of their active and prominent members. 
 
 At the time I joined them, they were just entering 
 upon a series of sittings for the development of a 
 young and handsome woman — a Mrs. L. — the wife 
 of a leading newspaper editorial writer. She was 
 a woman of refinement and brilliant mentality and 
 possessed a gracious and charming personality. 
 
 In one short year this charming and brilliant 
 woman became a complete wreck in every sense of 
 the term — physically, mentally, morally and spirit- 
 ually. She developed into one of the most remarkable 
 mediums I have ever known; but at the expense of 
 all that made her life worth living. 
 
80 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 This was the final truth that caused me to turn 
 forever from everything of a subjective nature in 
 psychical development. 
 
 I notified the society of my intention to resign, but 
 at the same time asked for the privilege of explain- 
 ing in open meeting my reasons for so doing, which 
 request was granted. 
 
 The evening came, and I took two hours and forty 
 minutes to tell them the story of my psychic inves- 
 tigations and the results of my own observations and 
 conclusions. 
 
 The result was that the society then and there dis- 
 banded and never held another meeting. 
 
 I told them that I had proven beyond all ques- 
 tion that the Mediumistic Process was hypnotic, sub- 
 jective and destructive and called attention to the 
 condition of their own Medium. 
 
 I said I was absolutely certain that we were on 
 the wrong way; that I was convinced, however, that 
 there was a right way if we only knew it, but I did 
 not know the method of procedure and I did not know 
 anyone who did know it; but until I found someone 
 who knew the Right Way — the way of Independent 
 Psychic Unfoldment, I was done with psychic re- 
 search and study and investigation and above all "ex- 
 perimenting." If I never found an instructor in this 
 life, then I would wait until I passed to the other 
 life and learn it there. 
 
 And from that day 1 put it all behind me and 
 turned to my legal work with undivided attention and 
 enthusiasm. I thought but little of those past ex- 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 81 
 
 periences, save, now and then, came to me the con- 
 viction that Nature must surely have made provision 
 for demonstrating the continuity of Life by Construc- 
 tive Methods, and that there must be those some- 
 where on earth who knew all about it, if I but knew 
 how and where to find them. 
 
 This was the general attitude of my Soul on the 
 subject up to the summer of 1883 when there came to 
 me an experience, the like of which I had never 
 before heard of, and which changed the entire course 
 of my life and all my plans, purposes, aspirations 
 and ambitions as fully and completely as it would be 
 possible to conceive. It is of this that I will now try 
 to tell you, very briefly, from necessity: — 
 
 For some four weeks continuously, immediately 
 prior to July 21st, 1883, I had been intensely engaged 
 in the trial of an important will contest involving an 
 estate valued at about $1,000,000.* 
 
 As the Attorney for the contesting heirs, I was 
 pitted against the ablest Attorneys on the Coast, 
 (with the exception of Hon. David S. Terry) and I 
 realized that, according to all the rules of logic and 
 common sense, I ought to be beaten, thoroughly. 
 
 But there was something that filled me with an 
 abiding conviction that I would be given the verdict 
 
 # The only will contest on record in Stockton for 1883 
 involved about $25,000.00, which is just $975,000.00, less than 
 TK's million dollar case. And any way this was two years 
 before he became a practicing attorney. But note how he 
 plays up his story of an imaginary "old Scotch mother 94 
 years old, and two maiden sisters past 65 years." 
 
82 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 when the jury was through with their deliberations. 
 I was absolutely certain there had been " undue in- 
 fluence" on the testator that led him, in the closing 
 hours of his life, to disinherit his old Scotch mother 
 94 years old, and two maiden sisters past 65 years. 
 
 After three days of argument the case went to the 
 jury about 10 a. m. of July 21, 1883. 
 
 At 2 p. m. I received word that the jury was ready 
 to report and I went at once to the Court room which 
 was filled with the intense partisan friends of both 
 parties. 
 
 I think if a vote had been taken of the spectators 
 and Attorneys, I would have stood alone. But I was 
 absolutely certain that the jury was with me. 
 
 To the amazement of the Attorneys against me, 
 the verdict was in my favor. 
 
 It was a great triumph, for so young an Attorney — 
 under all the conditions of the case, and I was ten- 
 dered quite an ovation by the members of the Bar 
 present. 
 
 After the jury was discharged and the proper or- 
 ders and records of the case made and entered, it was 
 about 10 minutes to 3 p. m., when I reached my office, 
 feeling well pleased with the world in general, and 
 myself in particular. 
 
 I opened my desk and found a large volume of 
 mail and legal matters awaiting my attention. I knew 
 I was nervously weary and needed rest. 
 
 As the day was well spent I did not feel like taking 
 up anything new, and was thinking about quitting, 
 when I suddenly seemed to recall having an appoint- 
 
' AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 83 
 
 ment to meet someone at the Grand Central Hotel, 
 a distance of four blocks from my office. Without 
 thinking who the party was I expected to see at 4 
 p. m., — I concluded to take a long walk in the North 
 part of town and return by way of the Hotel and 
 keep my supposed appointment. 
 
 I closed my desk, instructed my clerks to be on 
 hand early next day, took my hat and cane and 
 started for my walk. 
 
 At the foot of the stair, however, I met a fellow 
 attorney, who stopped to congratulate me and discuss 
 the Will case. Some other friends joined us and in 
 a few minutes quite a group had gathered, and I was 
 in the midst of an impromptu ovation, there on the 
 main street. 
 
 Time passed rapidly, and the hour was consumed 
 in chatting over the case. All the while however, I 
 had in mind my appointment at 4, and about 10 min- 
 utes of 4, I excused myself, and started for the hotel. 
 
 On the way up Main St. I stopped a moment at 
 tjie "Yosemite House," and then continued to the 
 
84 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 crossing of Main and California Sts., from which 
 point I could see the Grand Central Hotel, two blocks 
 North on California St. 
 
 I turned North on California St. and walked about 
 half a-block North, when it suddenly occurred to me 
 to ask myself who it was I expected to meet at the 
 hotel. I was astonished to find that I was unable to 
 recall having made an appointment with any one. 
 
 I was considerably disturbed, because it was the 
 first time in my life that my memory ever played me 
 such a trick, and I thought it must be the result of 
 the long nervous and mental strain of the trial. 
 
 I turned back intending to go home and rest as 
 completely as possible until the next day. 
 
 I had gone but a few steps, however, when a still 
 more unusual thing occurred. Suddenly there came 
 the distinct impression — "There is somebody at the 
 Hotel who wants to see you." 
 
 I seemed to hear those words with perfect distinct- 
 ness. I could feel them as they were impressed upon 
 my consciousness. 
 
 I stopped, turned again and looked toward the ho- 
 tel. I was puzzled. I could not understand it. It was 
 a wholly new experience to me. It troubled me deeply. 
 I thought it must mean that I was on the verge of a 
 nervous and mental collapse. The thought was hor- 
 rible. Then I mentally felt of myself and found that 
 I seemed to be in good condition. 
 
 All the while, however, I could feel those words 
 beating upon my brain: "There is somebody at the 
 Hotel who wants to see you" — just as if some pow- 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 85 
 
 erful mind was repeating them over and over, with 
 such force as to impress them upon my consciousness. 
 
 I stood there for some time trying to reason out 
 what it all meant. Then I realized the surest and 
 quickest way to prove whether or not it was only a 
 mental hallucination was to go on over to the Hotel 
 and see if there was anybody there wanting to see 
 me with enough intensity to make such an impression. 
 
 I started at once toward the Hotel, and as I ap- 
 proached the impression became so strong that the 
 individual was in the ladies ' parlor, that I passed the 
 main office entrance and went to the hallway leading 
 to the ladies ' parior. 
 
 I approached the parlor door which opened inward 
 and was partly ajar. I pushed it open and stepped 
 inside. I took a hasty survey of the room and saw 
 at once that there was but one person in the room. 
 This was a man whom I had never seen before, to my 
 knowledge, and I observed at a glance that he was a 
 foreigner, but of what nationality I could not have 
 determined. 
 
 He was dressed in American costume, and sat 
 quietly on a small divan near the window. 
 
 Realizing my evident mistake, I turned to leave the 
 room. As I did so the man called me by my correct 
 name, — "Mr. Richardson" — I turned quickly and as 
 I did so he arose, stepped across the room to me, ex- 
 tended his hand and said, — "I am glad you came." 
 
 I took his extended hand in a mechanical sort of 
 way, looked him straight in the eyes and replied: 
 "You have the advantage of me. I do not remember 
 having met you before. ■ ' 
 
86 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 He responded at once and with seeming frankness : 
 "I know you have not; although I have seen you 
 many, many times.' ' 
 
 I expressed my surprise at his remark, to which 
 he responded: "Moreover, I have known you inti- 
 mately from your infancy, and have come over Oceans 
 and continents to see you here and alone.' ' 
 
 Suddenly it flashed into my mind: "This is a 
 confidence man — a 'bunco' man whom I have met at 
 last, after all these years of wondering what a ' bunco* 
 man is like.'' 
 
 "No, No" — he replied to my mental thought — "I 
 hope you will not think so poorly of me. I am not a 
 confidence man, and if you will but permit me I am 
 sure I can prove to your entire satisfaction that all 
 I have said is true." 
 
 "But you must admit," I replied — "that it is most 
 unusual to meet a total stranger who without an in- 
 troduction, calls you by name and tells you he has 
 seen you many times, in fact known you from infancy, 
 and caps all this by assuring you he has come over 
 oceans and continents to see you alone. You must 
 admit that this is very much after the method of a 
 Confidence man." 
 
 Seeing my growing suspicion, he paused an instant, 
 looked me straight in the eyes and with a most inter- 
 esting expression, mixed with a smile, said: "By- 
 the-way, what brought you to this hotel?" 
 
 After an instant of silence — during which I had the 
 distinct impression of falling feathers — if I only had 
 some to "fall" — I replied, "You have asked me a 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 87 
 
 difficult question. Frankly, I do not know what or 
 who brought me here." 
 
 He then said: "You have been engaged for some 
 time in an* important lawsuit, have you not?" 
 
 I said I had. 
 
 "And at about 2 p. m., the jury returned a verdict 
 in your favor?" 
 
 Again I assented. 
 
 "At a few minutes before three you went to your 
 office?" 
 
 I did. 
 
 "As you sat at your desk you thought you recalled 
 having an appointment to meet someone at this hotel 
 at 4 o'clock?" 
 
 "Very true." 
 
 "And you took your hat and cane, intending to 
 take a walk in the North part of town?" 
 
 \tii&uiiiiiiflUMiuunuiitiiuiiiiiiuDiJuimtinimi»n»ticuiinuiuuiniiuiiiiminiiniiiinuniiumuiiuuiiunu\k 
 
 "I did." 
 
 "But you didn't do it?" 
 
 "No." 
 
88 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "At the foot of the stair to your office you met a 
 fellow Attorney who stopped you, and you were 
 joined by others. You passed the time at your com- 
 mand in talking with them. A few minutes to 4, you 
 left them, and walked down the street leading this 
 way. After reaching the street leading to this Hotel 
 you turned this way and walked half-a-block or more 
 — when you tried to recall the person with whom you 
 had an appointment, and you could not. You stopped 
 and became troubled lest this breach of memory 
 might indicate an illness from over work. You turned 
 back intending to go home. You had gone but a few 
 steps when you received an impression, strong and 
 clear, that there was some one at this Hotel who 
 wanted to see you; and, after further doubt and mis- 
 givings, you came on to see if your impressions were 
 true or merely hallucinations." 
 
 With much greater detail than I have given it, he 
 described my mental processes and conduct with per- 
 fect precision, requiring me to confirm his correct- 
 ness at every step of the way. 
 
 When he had finished his narration and I had ad- 
 mitted its accuracy, he looked me straight in the eyes 
 and said: "Can you doubt me when I tell you that 
 it was I who brought you here 1 ' 9 
 
 I .admitted that he had made out a pretty strong 
 case, and that he certainly had the advantage of me, 
 although I was still somewhat skeptical, as it was the 
 first experience of the kind of which I had ever been 
 conscious. 
 
 He asked me if I did not think he had gone far 
 enough to entitle him to an opportunity to prove to 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 89 
 
 me the truth of the statements he had made concern- 
 ing his knowledge of my life and the purpose of his 
 visit. 
 
 I said I thought he had earned that right, and he 
 asked me if I would go to his room. I assented, and 
 we proceeded at once to his room. 
 
 As we approached the door, I observed that the 
 number was "13" — and mentally I said to myself: 
 " Unlucky number.' ' 
 
 Instantly he replied to my thought: — "No, it is 
 the i Sacred Number' with us, and the most fortunate 
 of all, and that is why I selected it." 
 
 He unlocked the door and ushered me in. Then he 
 turned and locked the door, took the key and put it 
 in his pocket. 
 
 As he did this the thought flashed into my mind 
 again: "Surely he must be a 'bunco' man and is 
 preparing to spring some confidence game on me!" 
 
 Instantly he replied to my thought: "I am sorry 
 you have so poor an opinion of me: for I am not 
 a confidence man. My only purpose in locking the 
 door was to save interruptions from the intrusion 
 of the chamber-maid. ' ' 
 
 I replied that it was a rather unusual procedure 
 to be invited to the room of an entire stranger and 
 then locked in; and furthermore, if his purpose was, 
 indeed to prevent the maid from entering, then he had 
 better put the key back into the lock, for otherwise 
 there was nothing to prevent her from inserting her 
 key from the outside, opening the door and walking 
 in at once. 
 
90 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 He said that had not occurred to him; thanked me 
 for telling him, put the key back into the lock, and 
 then asked me to be seated. I did so and he took a 
 seat facing me and not over 2 or 3 feet away from me, 
 where he could look me straight in the eyes without 
 special effort. 
 
 After a moment of thoughtful silence he began 
 something as follows: "I have made a number of 
 statements which appear to you very remarkable, and 
 you have kindly given me the chance to prove the 
 truthfulness of my statements, if I can. I thank you 
 for the courtesy and will proceed at once." 
 
 "I have said that I have seen you many, many 
 times; that I have known you intimately from your 
 infancy ; that I have come over oceans and continents 
 to see you and you alone." 
 
 "I can think of no better way to proceed than to 
 begin at the beginning and tell you the history of 
 your own life. I am going to ask you, however, not 
 to interrupt me till I have finished. Then I will be 
 glad to answer any question or make any explanation 
 you may desire." 
 
 He then began, and his first sentence was, as nearly 
 as I can recall it, as follows: — 
 
 "You were born into this present life in a little log 
 cabin on the south bank of a little stream of water 
 in the state called Iowa, on the 20th day of July, (as 
 you count time) 1853, at 27 minutes past 12 o'clock 
 (noon)." 
 
 This was the first time I had ever heard any living 
 person tell me the hour of my birth, and also the fact 
 that I was born in a "log cabin," 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 91 
 
 From that point he proceeded with his story of my 
 Life, For four hours, without interruption, he told 
 me the story of my life. Many things during the 
 years of my infancy I had never before heard, and 
 of these I was skeptical; but to my great surprise, 
 I was able to verify every incident by the older mem- 
 bers of the family. 
 
 From the time when my own memory was active, he 
 related the incidents of my childhood, youth and ma- 
 ture life more correctly and sequentially than I 
 could have done. 
 
 He told me of the years spent in the little old saw- 
 mill and of my day-dreams of how I would go to col- 
 lege, get an education and become a writer. He fol- 
 lowed me into the harvest fields of the North; to 
 public school; then as a teacher; thence to the state 
 University, and through it; then bach into the news- 
 paper world; thence to California; to San Francisco; 
 and finally to Stockton, where he found me.* 
 
 But it was the inner, soul-life, that he related with 
 such a wonderful and extravagant wealth of detail 
 as to startle me with his knowledge of my whole in- 
 ternal life. 
 
 He told me of my natural skepticism concerning 
 the religious teachings of my father; how again and 
 again I had asked Father to explain to me his "Doc- 
 
 *Note that he says he went "thru" the State University, 
 and then "back into the newspaper world. " Up to this time 
 we did not know he had ever been in the " newspaper world,* ' 
 as no mention is made of it until we find him imagining him- 
 self editorial manager of the "San Francisco Examiner." 
 
92 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 trines" of "Foreordination," "Predestination," 
 "Election," the "Two seed," "Salvation," "The 
 Atonement," and their relation to "Personal Kespon- 
 sibility ■ ' ; and of my inability to harmonize them with 
 my own ideas of Consistency. 
 
 He told of my first meeting with the German family 
 of Spiritualists; of my deep interest in the old Ger- 
 man Medium ; of how the low moral plane of the Me- 
 dium, and finally the coarse familiarity and occa- 
 sional vulgar suggestions of the Spiritual "Con- 
 trols" themselves, had finally so hurt and disgusted 
 us that we ceased attending their sittings; then of 
 our decision to form a circle of our own ; of the many 
 interesting events that followed from our "Develop- 
 ing Circle," then of my drifting away from the home 
 circle; and of the years of travel and investigation 
 that followed the end of my college course. 
 
 He followed with the utmost care and detail the 
 experiences and the evidence from which I finally 
 identified Hypnotism and Mediumship as the results 
 of the same Process, and how I determined that the 
 Process was psychically Subjective and Destructive 
 to the Subject. 
 
 Step by step he followed the path of my psychic 
 unfoldment until I finally resigned from the Society 
 in Stockton on the ground that we were traveling 
 "The Wrong Way," and he said, "You were right; 
 Mediumship is destructive and it is the wrong way." 
 
 Then he told of how I had come to the conclusion 
 that "There ought to be a Right Way that would be 
 "Constructive," and he said, "In this also you were 
 right. There is a Right Way and it is Constructive 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 93 
 
 and also Independent. And it is because of this that 
 I am here." 
 
 "It is for this reason that I have traveled over 
 Oceans and Continents, from far-off India — the 
 Home of Ancient Mystery — to see you and you 
 alone. ' ' 
 
 "I have come to offer you the Personal Instruction 
 that will enable you constructively and Independently 
 to demonstrate the continuity of life beyond the 
 Grave — provided you are in a position to receive the 
 instruction and can satisfy me that you will make a 
 right use of the knowledge, and can meet all the terms 
 and conditions.' ' 
 
 For four hours I had listened to the smooth, steady 
 flow of his words and to his voice of wonderful rich- 
 ness and sympathetic power; until he said, "And now 
 I am through and you know why I am here. Have 
 you any questions to ask?" 
 
 / had. In truth, I was almost bursting with ques- 
 tions. I asked him about the School from which he 
 had come, — where it was, — how old it was, — Its man- 
 ner of initiation, — what were the Conditions of my 
 own admittance and instruction to which he had re- 
 ferred. All of which he answered fully and frankly. 
 
 Among the conditions were: 
 
 1. That I must arrange to give him at least 6 
 hours every day, from 4 to 10 p. m. and as much more 
 as I could. 
 
 2. That I must pledge myself to devote my life to 
 the Work. 
 
 3. That I accept the instruction as a gift from 
 him absolutely and in every sense. 
 
94 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 4. That I continue the work under his instruction 
 until I had made the personal demonstration, whether 
 that be 3 years or 20. 
 
 5. That I never deviate from the pathway and 
 that I exemplify the Spirit of the Work in my daily 
 life and conduct — to the very best of my abilities 
 henceforth. 
 
 6. That I devote myself to the formulation of the 
 Science and Philosophy of the Great School into def- 
 inite statement in the English language in the sim- 
 plest and most definite and exact form possible and 
 publish the same in book form to be used as the mod- 
 ern Text-books of the School. 
 
 7. That I do all in my power to circulate the books 
 so formulated and published and with these as a basis 
 that I would inaugurate a work of personal instruc- 
 tion of such applicants as could prove themselves 
 ready for the work. 
 
 8. That in all my work I should employ the Meth- 
 ods of the School and go as far as conditions and my 
 abilities and intelligence would permit to inaugurate 
 and establish an Educational Movement of the School 
 in this Western World. 
 
 On one point I protested, and that was that I 
 wanted to pay him for his time and expense. He told 
 me, however, in terms that could not be mistaken, 
 that he could not admit me to the instruction on any 
 other conditions; that the knowledge was a gift to 
 him and that it must ever and always be given in the 
 same way and the same spirit; that any variation 
 from that rule would be a violation of a fundamental 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 95 
 
 principle of the Work; that "By an endless chain of 
 Gifts shall the Great Work be established.' ' 
 
 He told me to go home, think the matter over care- 
 fully until the next day, and come back to him at 4 
 the next day and give him my decision. 
 
 I went home and did my best to sleep, but made 
 little headway until almost daylight, when I fell into 
 a deep sleep and slept a perfect sleep until almost 
 9 a. m. I arose at once, ate a bite of breakfast, and 
 started to my office. So skeptical was I, however, that 
 I was, by that time, wondering if the whole experi- 
 ence of meeting the Master wasn't a dream. So I 
 concluded to go by hotel and see if he was still there. 
 
 I went softly up stairs and along the hallway to 
 No. 13. I rapped gently on the door and almost in- 
 stantly it opened and there stood the same strangely 
 fascinating figure and face, half smiling. He greeted 
 me with "Yes, I am still here and it is not a dream. 
 Go on to your work and return to me at 4 p. m. I 
 will still be here.'' 
 
 7 said not a word but saluted him, turned and went 
 straight to my office and work. At 4 p. m. I was again 
 at his door. On being admitted he asked me to be 
 seated and his first question was: "Well, what is 
 your decision?' ' 
 
 I replied that I presumed he already knew, as he 
 seemed to know about all that was passing in my 
 mind. 
 
 He admitted that he knew my decision, but said at 
 once: "I want you to know that I have not in the 
 least degree influenced you in that regard, for to have 
 
96 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 done so would have been a direct violation of the Con- 
 structive Principle." 
 
 I then told him that I had determined to accept his 
 offer, provided I could know that in so doing I could 
 discharge the duties I owed to my little family. He 
 assured me on that point, and asked me how soon I 
 would be ready to begin the work. I told him I was 
 ready at any moment. 
 
 He seemed greatly pleased and said, "Then we will 
 enter upon your first lesson tonight.' ' 
 
 That was the beginning of the most wonderful In- 
 struction, Work and Experience of my entire pre- 
 vious Life. His personal instruction continued from 
 that evening, for exactly 13 months; during which 
 time he took me, step by step, over the entire field 
 of psychology covered in "The Great Work" and 
 taught me how to demonstrate every point, until I 
 had developed all my Spiritual Senses perfectly — 
 could see, hear, sense and talk with those of the Great 
 Friends on the Spiritual side of life.* 
 
 And my final and crowning achievement, under 
 his instruction, was to withdraw at will from the 
 
 PHYSICAL BODY AND TRAVEL WITH HIM OUT INTO THE 
 SPIRITUAL REALMS. 
 
 He had told me of the School, its work, and of its 
 headquarters in India, and that when I was able in- 
 dependently to go with him he would take me to the 
 
 *If this were true, then why did he continue consulting 
 mediums, as he did, almost up to the time he began writing 
 "The Great Psychological Crime" t 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 97 
 
 Central Temple in India, where I would be formally 
 initiated. 
 
 There were then 32 members living on the physical 
 plane. The full roster called for 33. Therefore one 
 vacancy was to be filled. 
 
 Before the end of his work with me I withdrew 
 from the physical body and with him as my guide 
 went to the Central Temple (an earthly Temple in 
 the province of Thibet) and was there formally in- 
 itiated as the 33rd, and youngest member of the 
 Order. My initiation occurred August 18, 1884. 
 
 The Great Master remained with me in Stockton 
 from July 21, 1883 to August 21, 1884, during which 
 time I was with him in his room No. 13 every day 
 from 4 p. m. until late mto the night — usually be- 
 tween one and two the next morning. As nearly as 
 I can estimate, I spent 9 hours out of every 24— on 
 the average — with him — receiving instruction and do- 
 ing the work he laid out for me.* 
 
 To tell what these 13 months of instruction and 
 work were in detail, and what they meant to me, would 
 be impossible. It would mean to give you the de- 
 tailed exposition of the Science of Constructive, In- 
 dependent Unfoldment and the Philosophy of Life 
 based thereon, and the individual steps by which I 
 demonstrated every proposition in my own personal 
 experience. 
 
 •This was the time in which it is declared positively that 
 Mr* Richardson was studying law every day from 4 to 11 
 p. m. and from 5 to 9 a. m., the balance of the day being 
 given to his duties as Deputy County Clerk. 
 
98 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 For the purpose of this historic narrative, it is 
 sufficient to state the facts that. I took the instruction 
 as the Great Master gave it me, did the personal work 
 required, and made the demonstrations; that I was 
 then inducted into the active membership; was ap- 
 pointed to represent the School and work in this 
 country; that I accepted the responsibilities and have 
 done my best to discharge them. 
 
 But I must tell you of one experience that meant 
 more to me than any other during the Master's stay 
 with me: 
 
 Toward the close of the term of my instruction, the 
 GM — during one of our " Travels in the Spiritual" 
 — took me to a home somewhere in the Northwestern 
 part of our own Country. There was but one person 
 there, a young and most beautiful woman. She sat 
 at a little table and had been writing. She was rest- 
 ing her head on her hand and was thinking intently. 
 I knew she was troubled and I longed to help her. 
 
 He said to me: " Study her face and eyes until 
 you will know her when you meet her in the physical ; 
 for you will meet her inside of three years from now, 
 and she will become your Student and first real 
 helper." 
 
 He took me to her twice thereafter before he left 
 me ; and on one occasion she was in a great Hall with 
 many gay and brilliant people, and she was the cen- 
 ter of attention and interest; but I knew her heart 
 was not in the occasion. She was still troubled, but 
 was covering that fact from all about her. 
 
 I studied her carefully. I knew that I could iden- 
 tify her if I should ever meet her. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 99 
 
 Two years later — May 7, 1887 — I met her for the 
 first time in my earthly form. It was in Bismarck, S. 
 
 Dakota, in the office of my friend, Dr. W , in the 
 
 First National Bank building. 
 
 The Dr. came to my Law Office, across the hall from 
 his own, and called me. He said: "Come to my of- 
 fice, I want you to meet a Lady-Friend of ours who is 
 visiting with us for a few weeks/ ' 
 
 I followed him to his office and there I met "Flor- 
 ence Huntley ' ' — the same beautiful woman I had come 
 to know in the spiritual. I recognized her at once; 
 and told her I had met her before, but would tell her 
 later the circumstances. 
 
 The next day I met her again and during an hour's 
 conversation I told her a little of my life and studies 
 and how and where I had seen her on three different 
 occasions, each of which she recognized and verified. 
 
 This was the beginning of my acquaintance with 
 my first real Student and the most wonderful woman 
 I have ever known. 
 
 In a few months thereafter I removed to Minne- 
 apolis, Minn., and she soon took a position as assist- 
 ant Editor of the ''Pioneer Press" and during the 
 next two years we met often at the home of Dr. 
 H , with whom and his wife she lived. 
 
 Here she began her work as a Student and during 
 the two years 1887-1888 made splendid progress and 
 made a number of verifications. 
 
 But a better position was offered her on the 
 "Washington Post" and she went to Wash. D. C, 
 
 where she worked under F H for 3 years, as 
 
 his assistant Editor of the "Post" 
 
100 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 About the end of that time, 1891, I removed to Chi- 
 cago, where she also moved in Jan. 1894. 
 
 Here she began her first writing on the MS of 
 "Harmonics of Evolution" in her room 130 of the 
 Leland Hotel — (now Stratford) at the corner of 
 Michigan Ave. and Jackson Blvd. 
 
 FROM THAT TIME— JAN. 1894, WE WERE 
 NEVER SEPARATED, BUT CONTINUED TO 
 MEET ALMOST EVERY DAY AND WORK TO- 
 GETHER FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 
 CAUSE OF THE GREAT SCHOOL AND WORK 
 IN AMERICA. 
 
 Her MS was finally completed and in 1899 was 
 published. With the publication of her book "Har- 
 monics of Evolution/' began the integration of a lit- 
 tle group of interested Students — among whom was 
 
 Dr. E. M. W , who, later on, became my first 
 
 regular Student of the "Technical Work." 
 
 As our little Group grew in numbers, it became 
 necessary for us to meet often, and this we did at 
 Mrs. Huntley's rooms.* 
 
 But we began to attract attention and to enable us 
 to answer questions of the "curious" without betray- 
 ing our real, serious work, — we organized the "Sub- 
 lime and Ill-Illuminated Order of Tacks." 
 
 This is, perhaps, the most unique "Order" over or- 
 ganized. 
 
 •According to Mrs. Huntley's diary she lived from August, 
 1894, till Oct., 1901, in ONE room, and it was in this one 
 room that the "students" met. 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 101 
 
102 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
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 ScudC* $£<*v»*»vvr: 
 
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 W^Wi 
 
 Tf ri T l 
 
 ^C^M^ 
 
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 /Iff 
 
 /*-*?. ~'?~° 
 
 /?«>> 
 
 kVlfe 
 
 ^^^^fJ^/^U^ 
 
 19: 
 
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 pROMlNEt/T MEMBERS OF THE "TACK FACTORY 
 
 Drawings by trie ~R>\^ 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 103 
 
 It grew out of a comical little incident around which 
 grew one of the most remarkable rituals of initiation 
 ever formulated. In the evolution of the ceremony 
 of initiation into this, the most remarkable order on 
 earth, the fun-loving natures of the blessed "RA" 
 and myself found full vent. 
 
 In this order each member was given a "Tack"- 
 name suitable to his or her station and character. 
 
 Florence Huntley was "Lady Tactful' ' — the Re- 
 cording Angel, — from which last designation her ab- 
 breviated name of "RA" developed. 
 
 I WAS MR. TACK, ALSO THE TACK-HAMMER, 
 AND MY ABBREVIATION OF^TK" GREW OUT 
 OF "TACK"— BEING THE FIRST AND LAST 
 LETTERr-TK. 
 
 The "Order of Tacks" formed the exoteric side of 
 our Group meetings, and served a splendid purpose. 
 
 Because of my desire to work quietly and avoid 
 observation I found it advisable to use some nom- 
 de-plume when publishing my own contributions to 
 the Literature of the Great School, — I chose the 
 "Tack" name that had become attached to me — and 
 hence Vols. II and III of the Harmonic Series were 
 published in the name of "TK." 
 
 So also my name as Editor of "Life and Action" 
 is "TK." 
 
 In the course of our mutual acquaintances, Mr. J. 
 
 E. M , of N. Y. City, came to know me. He gave 
 
 me the name of "St. John" from knowing that my 
 first name is "John." 
 
 Later on, when Dr. E. M. W had become inter- 
 
104 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ested actively in the treatment and cure of subjec- 
 tive, psychic insanity — along the lines suggested in 
 "The Great Psychological Crime/ 9 it often occurred 
 that he desired to call me into consultation for the 
 special purpose of having me give him my own inde- 
 pendent psychic diagnosis of some new case of in- 
 sanity. 
 
 In all such cases, I desired to avoid, as far as pos- 
 sible, attracting attention to myself personally, or 
 arousing curiosity in the minds of the relatives and 
 attendants of such patients, or prejudices in the 
 minds of any of the "Kegular" members of the Medi- 
 cal Profession. 
 
 To accomplish the desired results, Dr. E. M. W 
 
 simply "tacked" on to my new name of "St. John" 
 the title of "Dr." and in all such cases introduced 
 me to patients, their relatives and friends, and such 
 Drs. as were interested, — as "Dr. St. John." 
 
 The disguise worked like a charm, and saved me all 
 manner of embarrassments, and at the same time 
 made it possible for me to be of some help to the 
 
 Beloved Dr. W , during the early years of his 
 
 experience and work as an alienist, and until he had 
 become able to make his own "psychic diagnosis" 
 without my aid and without having to call me into 
 the case at all. 
 
 This, therefore, gives you, very briefly and imper- 
 fectly, the manner in which the name "Dr. St. John" 
 became attached to me, and the way in which the 
 name was naturally evolved from my first name — 
 "John." 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 105 
 
 Thus the name became attached to me, and has 
 served a most excellent purpose, all these years, in 
 that it has enabled me to work freely in the cause of. 
 suffering humanity, and without identifying me in 
 the public mind, with the Great School, with the 
 authorship of Vols. 2 and 3 of the Harmonic Series, 
 nor with the Great Work in America. 
 
 During the last few years, however, in my Work 
 of Instruction, and as the responsible head of the 
 "Men's Department" I have signed my letters to 
 Students and "Friends of the Work," as well as to 
 inquirers, — indiscriminately as "TK" and as "Dr. 
 St. John." 
 
 Some of them — especially those I have written 
 personally, on the typewriter — I have signed simply 
 TK — in type. Others I have signed the same and 
 then with pen and ink have added "E. J. St. John" 
 and occasionally "Dr. E. J. St. John." 
 
 But, during the last three years — prior to this 
 22nd day of Nov. 1912 — I have instructed most of 
 my correspondents to address me as "Dr. E. J. St. 
 John — South Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park, III. — and 
 this too, while signing most of my own letters as 
 "TK." 
 
 And thus, you will observe that it has become al- 
 most generally known that "TK" and "Dr. E. J. St. 
 John," are one and the same person. This has been 
 premeditated on my part, for the purpose of more 
 easily identifying both of these names with my real 
 name of "J. E. Richardson" or "John E. Richard- 
 son" — when the time comes, if ever, that it would 
 
106 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 seem wise for the general public to know my real 
 name. 
 
 On January 30, 1910, Florence Huntley — with 
 whom I had worked for almost 25 years — and I were 
 married, in the home of our Beloved Friend and 
 Brother — H. H , in the village of Oak Park, Illi- 
 nois. 
 
 THIS WAS THE CULMINATION OF ALL OUR 
 DREAMS OF EARTHLY HAPPINESS. 
 
 WE WERE, BY THE GRACIOUS BENEDIC- 
 TION OF THE "HIGHER DESTINY," PER- 
 MITTED TO REALIZE TWO FULL YEARS OF 
 "THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW" IN THE 
 SWEETEST AND MOST BLESSED AND BEAU- 
 TIFUL LIFE OF THE SOUL, AND IN THE MOST 
 PERFECT COMPANIONSHIP AND COMRAD- 
 SHIP— IN THE GREAT WORK— BEFORE HER 
 TASKS WERE FINISHED AND SHE RE- 
 SPONDED TO THE CALL FROM ABOVE: 
 "WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERV- 
 ANT"— AND LEFT ME HERE TO CARRY THE 
 DOUBLE BURDEN AS FAR AS I CAN BEFORE 
 I TOO, SHALL HEAR THE CALL TO "COME UP 
 HIGHER." 
 
 When that time shall come I pray that I may go as 
 calmly, sweetly and peacefully as she did, and that 
 I may leave behind me, in the Consciousness of our 
 many mutual Friends and Students, some small 
 measure of the Love, the Friendship, Gratitude and 
 Confidence they cherish for her. 
 
 As one more link in the chain of identification, let 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TK'S LIFE 107 
 
 me say that on the occasion of our earthly union and 
 legal marriage, Jan. 30, 1910, there were present the 
 following named guests, among others, who witnessed 
 the marriage ceremony and participated in the joys 
 of the occasion : 
 
 (Here follows a list of names of those who were 
 in attendance.) 
 
 With a prayer for the ever-increasing success of the 
 Great School, and a blessing for each and all who have 
 contributed to this success, and those who are now 
 contributing or who may hereafter contribute to the 
 success of the movement, I hereunto subscribe my 
 true, legal and correct name, and also my assumed 
 names, 
 
 'a art j 
 
 Uoliu 6.7tu7iarc(< 
 
 Finished and signed in my workroom at No. - 
 
 So. Kenilworth Ave., this 23d day of Nov., A. D., 1912, 
 at exactly 11 o'clock p. m. 
 
108 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 The Truth About TK's Alleged Thirteen Months 
 of "Personal Instruction ' ' 
 
 The foregoing autobiography is herewith printed, 
 word for word, from the original, which is in TK's 
 own hand writing. On page 65 is presented a photo- 
 graphic reproduction of page 6 of the original, while 
 on pages 63-64 you will find the same matter in type. 
 
 So far as we know only eight copies (typewritten) 
 were made and these are in the possession of some of 
 the older students. 
 
 We have given you this story chiefly because it con- 
 tains the full account of his alleged meeting and asso- 
 ciation with his imaginary "Hindo Master,' ' just as 
 he told the tale to those of his "accepted students' ' 
 whose kind of "loyalty" would never permit them to 
 question, or undertake such a thing as an investiga- 
 tion into his personal claims. 
 
 Now TK states in the clearest, most definite, un- 
 mistakable and unqualified terms that: 
 
 1. A "Hindo Master" came to him in Stockton, 
 Calif., on July 21, 1883. 
 
 2. That this Hindo Master remained in Stockton 
 from July 21, 1883, to August 21, 1884. 
 
 3. That he lived at the Grand Central Hotel, occu- 
 pying Room No. 13 during all that time. 
 
 4. That he, TK, was with this "master" on an 
 average of nine (9) hours every day during the thir- 
 teen months indicated. 
 
 5. That these nine hours began at 4 p. m. daily, and 
 lasted "until late into the night, — usually between one 
 and two the next morning." (See page 97.) 
 
TK'S ALLEGED "PERSONAL INSTRUCTION" 109 
 
 Now it is clearly evident that upon the truthfulness 
 or untruthfulness of these unqualified statements rests 
 the existence and superstructure of his entire so-called 
 " Great School.' ' This is the keystone to the arch, — 
 the one single decisive, pivotal point upon which turn 
 all his personal claims and pretensions. Disprove this 
 decisive point, — take away this " Great Master" story, 
 — show conclusively that TK's time, during these thir- 
 teen months, was occupied otherwise than as he states, 
 — that it was impossible for him to have spent nine 
 hours daily with his so-called " Great Master," — and 
 it becomes clearly impossible that there could be any 
 foundation whatever for his alleged contact with and 
 instruction under his " master." 
 
 Once the untruthfulness of what he has to say on 
 this one point is settled, it follows, as surely as day the 
 night, that his alleged "instruction" and "training"; 
 his personal experiences, claims and demonstrations; 
 his assumed authority in and relationship to the Great 
 School; his position as its "sole representative," — ■ 
 and everything he has ever written regarding these 
 personal claims is proven and established beyond all 
 
 POSSIBILITY OF DOUBT TO BE ENTIRELY IMAGINARY, A 
 MYTH, A FICTION, WITHOUT ANY FOUNDATION WHATEVER 
 IN FACT. 
 
 Now it so happens that before, during and follow- 
 ing the time specified, i e., between July 21, 1883, and 
 August 21, 1884, it is known definitely and has been 
 established beyond all question, exactly how Mr. Eich- 
 ardson's time was occupied, and that it was not occu- 
 pied as he states it was. 
 
110 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 There is living to-day in Stockton, Calif., a gentle- 
 man, a Mr. Nutter, an old resident and highly 
 respected citizen of that place. He is a successful and 
 prominent attorney; a man of unimpeachable char- 
 acter and reputation. He has practiced law in Stock- 
 ton since 1885. He worked with Mr. Eichardson daily 
 for a number of years. The two studied law together ; 
 took their examinations together, and following their 
 admission to the Bar on Nov. 10, 1885, they formed a 
 partnership and for several months thereafter prac- 
 ticed law together. 
 
 Upon* the basis of these facts, Mr. Nutter kixew Mr. 
 Eichardson, knew him intimately, — as intimately as an 
 association of from sixteen to eighteen hours daily 
 would make possible. 
 
 Now Mr. Nutter states unqualifiedly that Mr. Eich- 
 ardson and himself were together daily during the 
 entire time in which TK says he spent nine hours a 
 day with his imaginary " master.' ' Mr. Nutter states 
 further — and the Court records in Stockton sustain his 
 testimony — that he and Mr. Eichardson were engaged 
 at that time as deputy County Clerks, that in this 
 capacity they worked together from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. 
 daily. Mr. Nutter further declares that from 4 p. m. 
 to about 11 p. m., and from 5 to 9 a. m. daily he and 
 Mr. Eichardson read law together in the latter 's home. 
 
 In this manner there is established for Mr. Eichard- 
 son an absolute alibi which proves conclusively that 
 the statements which he makes regarding the matter 
 of a personal instruction and "initiation" are entirely 
 fictional and untrue. 
 
TK'S "POLITICAL ACTIVITIES" 111 
 
 The above is, of course, the most central, important 
 and vital fact to be established, and whatever addi- 
 tional time may be given to an analysis of TK's auto- 
 biography can be but supplementary — of interest only 
 as "A Study in Psychology, ' ' — an enigma in the 
 realm of human intelligence. He represents himself 
 as yielding a powerful influence among the important 
 men of the political, business and financial world. He 
 runs for local superintendent of schools and refers to 
 it as " years of political activities and ambitions on 
 the Pacific Coast/ ' In a letter dated Jan. 23, 1914, he 
 writes : 
 
 1 ' There was a time in my own political life when it became 
 necessary for me to determine whether I could render a larger 
 service to humanity as Governor of a great Commonwealth, or 
 as the obscure representative of the Great School. 
 
 "By a chain of events, I had become the pivotal center about 
 which revolved the destiny of the Democratic Party on the 
 Pacific Coast, and this had come about without any desire, 
 ambition or political effort on my own part; nevertheless the 
 responsibility of determining the question rested upon me 
 alone. I went before the convention and made a careful 
 address, asking that my name be withdrawn and that of a 
 young friend be substituted. This was done and by thus 
 throwing all my political influence on the side of my successor, 
 he was elected by a splendid majority." 
 
 Another illustration of this " tendency' ' appears in 
 Bv. 4, p. 164: 
 
 "When the time comes, if this is before my work here is 
 finished, I shall hope to give to the world some of the advanced 
 methods of therapeutics known to the Great School and 
 
112 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Friends. It will then be for the world to answer as to 
 whether these are 'better' than the methods of Christian 
 Science, or Christian Metaphysics, or the Emanuel Movement, 
 or Nature Cure, or the Regular Physician, or the various 
 other methods now in use. In my own best judgment, the 
 methods of the Great School are immeasurably superior to 
 those of any or all the other systems of treatment combined ; 
 but there are no doubt, many who would not trust my judg- 
 ment in a matter of so much importance. / cannot blame 
 them. In truth, I heartily commend them." 
 
 From this, one would hardly imagine disease and 
 sickness in TK's family. As a matter of fact, how- 
 ever, TK himself for years complained almost con- 
 stantly of indigestion, back ache, sleeplessness, etc., 
 and resorted to drugs and medicines practically all 
 the time. Few physician-students ever came to 
 "know" him or even to learn of his physical disorders 
 who did not furnish or prescribe for him some new 
 remedies. 
 
 We herewith present a list of the names and initials 
 by which TK was known to and spoken of by his 
 intimate students and friends : TK, E B, J E R, U J, 
 G M, Elder Brother, Tack Hammer, Chief Tack, Uncle 
 John, General Manager, Grand Master, Dr. E. J. St. 
 John, Wamhas, Zanoni and Iben. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Masters and Masters 
 
 1. What tangible evidence can you offer as to the 
 existence of the Great School at the present time, and 
 of its existence during the long periods you claim for 
 it? 
 
 2. What tangible evidence can you offer that it 
 sent Masonry forth into the world? 
 
 3. Where are the records which you mention, and 
 how were you convinced as to their authenticity and 
 great age? 
 
 — Life and Action, Bv. 1, p. 11. 
 "The only 'tangible' evidence I have to offer you at 
 this time, or to any other man, is myself " 
 
 — TK, in Life and Action, Bv. 1, p. 13. 
 
 Speaking of pre-judging the existence of the * ' Great 
 School' ' one prominent instructor wrote as follows: 
 
 "The spirit was illustrated by the reception ac- 
 corded 'The Great Work' by two clergymen to whom 
 I had presented the book, both good and rather liberal 
 men. One declared that if he had the knowledge sug- 
 gested by the author he would ' shout it from the house- 
 tops.' " The author did not so shout it, but rather 
 concealed his identity (for specific reasons), ergo, he 
 could not possess the knowledge. 
 
 The other simply said he "doubted entirely the ex- 
 istence of the Great School. * * * # A very 
 large interest must continually turn on the question of 
 
 113 
 
114 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 the existence of the Great School." — Bv. 1, No. 2, pp. 
 5-7. 
 
 Proving the Great School's Existence 
 
 "Either such men exist, or they do not. The fact of 
 their existence, if they exist at all, should be demon- 
 trable. Hoiv that demonstration should or could be 
 made, would be a serious question intimately involved 
 with that of their existence and powers per se. 
 
 Admitting or proving the existence of the real Mas- 
 ter, the existence of the Great School becomes merely 
 a question of aggregation and association.'' " 
 
 — Bv. 1, No. 2, p. 16. 
 The " Great School," A Failure All Down the Ages 
 
 ' ' They have the records of all the past ages to draw 
 from. In those records may be found many forceful 
 examples and illustrations wherein the best efforts of 
 the Great School have resulted in failure, or in suc- 
 cess of so qualified a nature as to spell 'failure* when 
 compared with the original ideals and designs which 
 the Great Friends have had in mind. 
 
 "No more forceful illustration of all this could be 
 found than in the life and ministry of the Master, 
 Jesus." —Bv. 1, No. 3, p. 24. 
 
 Taking No Chances this Time 
 
 "This present and latest effort of the School was 
 planned many years before its active inauguration. 
 It was based upon the experiences of the past ages 
 of effort, and as might readily be anticipated, every 
 phase of the contemplated Movement was given the 
 
116 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 most careful, thotful cmd exhaustive consideration, 
 cmd the methods of procedure to be followed were 
 wrought out with the utmost exactness and detail" 
 
 — Bv. 3, p. 63. 
 
 TK Chosen 
 
 " Through a combination of conditions and circum- 
 stances which some might call fate, others luck, others 
 good fortune, others destiny, but which I shall not 
 attempt to name or explain, it has been a part of my 
 experience to be chosen by the School of Natural 
 Science to undertake a definite and specific work in 
 this country." 
 
 •— TK,inBv. l,No..3,p. 24. 
 
 To Peotect the Wokld fbom Imposition 
 
 " There are fifteen additional 'Marks' or 'in- 
 dices' of the real 'Master' stated in the same chapter. 
 They are all equally clear and unqualified. The pur- 
 pose of the Great School in giving this definite and im- 
 portant information to the public in this particular 
 manner and form was to enable honest and intelligent 
 students and inquirers to have at command the sim- 
 ple and unqualified data which would enable them, at 
 any and all times and under any and all circumstances : 
 To determine the TRUE from the false and thus pro- 
 tect themselves from imposition and from falling into 
 the hands of charlatans, fakirs and frauds who adver- 
 tise themselves to the innocent and the unsophisticated 
 as 'Masters' and as 'Members' and 'Representatives' 
 of The Great School" 
 
 TK, in Bv, 1, No. 5, p. 23. 
 
MASTERS AND MASTERS 117 
 
 Danger of Being Imposed upon and Misled 
 
 "In these days of psychic inquiry and wide gen- 
 eral awakening to the possibilities of definite knowl- 
 edge in the realm of things spiritual, there are " Tea- 
 chers' ' and " Instructors' ' and "Guides" and "Mas- 
 ters" waiting at every turn of the road. In this age, 
 as in every other, there are impostors, pretenders and 
 charlatans who seek to turn the spirit of inquiry to 
 their own selfish gain. And because of these impostors 
 the honest inquirer and seeker after spiritual light is 
 in constant danger of being imposed upon and mis- 
 led." — TK, in Bv. 1, No. 5, p. 24. 
 
 People Deceived and Exploited by Masters 
 
 "The old saying — ' Nothing can be concealed from 
 him who knows ' has not a trite, but a very deep mean- 
 ing. * Occultism ' has become a fad and the very name 
 raises curiosity to the highest pitch. People flock to- 
 gether like a lot of gossips at a * quilting/ just burst- 
 ing to hear the latest lingo or the most astonishing 
 secrets, and they are told to 'Take a Mantram' as they 
 would be told to 'help themselves to the preserves.' 
 These people are deceived, exploited, robbed and fin- 
 ally discouraged/ 9 — Bv. 1, No. 4, p. 29. 
 
 People Pay Liberally for Being Humbugged 
 
 "There is, moreover, at all times a 'running after* 
 these teachers by the multitude, generally with the 
 expectation of finding a 'short-cut,' a desire of ' climb- 
 ing up some other way,' so as to avoid self-control and 
 personal effort to which I have referred. It is here 
 
118 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 that the charlatan sees his opportunity and gets in his 
 work. People pay liberally for being humbugged." 
 
 — Bv. 1, No. 2, p. 4. 
 
 Fakirism Past and Present 
 
 "The middle ages were not more full of 'Soothsay- 
 ers/ ' Astrologers/ 'Adepts/ 'Magicians/ and the 
 like, than is the present age with 'Mediums/ 'Healers/ 
 'Leaders/ and 'Official Heads/ who for a 'sufficient 
 consideration' can be induced to take your money, 
 'Give you a Mantram/ 'lead you into the silence/ and 
 land you on the stool of repentance or in the mad- 
 house, and then dodge the law by shifting, with another 
 nom de plume, to another parish. They are shorter- 
 lived now than formerly, on account of the newspapers 
 and prying reporters; but the psychological exploita- 
 tion of to-day is equally popular and successful with 
 the fakirism of all the past, and the people just beg 
 these fakirs to take their money. 
 
 — Bv. 4, pp. 262-3. 
 
 On Judging True Masters 
 
 "There must be an absence of ambition, greed, sel- 
 fishness, pride or any ulterior motive. The man and 
 his work must agree, thus revealing 'consistency, co- 
 ordination, completeness and harmony'." 
 
 — Bv. 1, No. 4, p. 29. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 What Is This " Great School?' ' 
 
 "It matters not who the individual may be, or what 
 are the claims he makes. His actual life and conduct 
 
 ARE THE BASIS UPON WHICH HE MUST BE JUDGED.' ' 
 
 — TK in Bv. 1, No. 5, p. 25. 
 
 What is this "Great School"! 
 
 Whence came it? 
 
 Who are its representatives? 
 
 What is it all about? 
 
 Has it any real existence? 
 
 Who knows anything about it? 
 
 What has it done? 
 
 What has become of it? 
 
 If you have read and remembered what TK has 
 written about it, you yourself will know as much con- 
 cerning its existence as anyone else, and so far as his 
 personal relationship to a Great Spiritual School of 
 Light, it is all a beautiful fiction. If he is a representa- 
 tive of any spiritual school at all, it is the Great School 
 of Spiritual Darkness. 
 
 TK himself tells us that he came from a numerous 
 family, practically all members of which were or are 
 spiritualists; that many of them were mediums, and 
 that he himself tried for a number of years to become 
 a medium. He states also that as a result of the med- 
 iumistic process one relative developed into a serious 
 nervous condition, another became insane, another 
 
 119 
 
120 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 obsessed, while still others were unfavorably influ- 
 enced in various ways. 
 
 Evidence exists which proves conclusively that he 
 was in the habit of consulting mediums, even up to 
 near the time he wrote "The Great Psychological 
 Crime," — against mediumship and hypnotism. 
 
 There can be no question but that TK himself has 
 been a medium for a number of years, and subject to 
 spiritual influences and impressions. Not only this, 
 but the evidences in his life suggest that he was just 
 the type of intelligence to readily co-operate with and 
 lend himself to the direction and will of dishonest and 
 unscrupulous spirit guides and controls. 
 
 As to the origin of his " Great School,' ' it appears 
 from an abundance of his letters to Florence Huntley, 
 that it began in veiled hints and suggestions . to her, 
 to the effect that he (TK) was in touch with a spiritual 
 school of some kind. These letters bear further evi- 
 dence that as she became impressed with this thot, and 
 questioned him, he found it necessary to amplify the 
 original hints until in the course of five or six years, 
 and as their love relation grew, she came to accept 
 his stories as the living truth. As time passed, in 
 order to strengthen his position and prospects in her 
 mind, and in order to establish his influence over her, 
 he began posing as a "master." From the entries in 
 her diaries, it appears that this influence and power 
 which he sought to exercise was unquestionably hyp- 
 notic; in other words, in order to accomplish his de- 
 signs he was, either consciously or unconsciously, re- 
 sorting to what all occult writers describe as Black 
 Magic. 
 
WHAT IS THIS "GREAT SCHOOL"? 121 
 
 In due time in the course of his letters to Florence 
 Huntley, he introduced the word great, thus referring 
 to his imaginary school as a GREAT School, and 
 thereafter spoke of it as such. In a veiled way he 
 spoke also of his "master," who in due time, became 
 a Great Master, and following this, in the course of 
 evolution, other imaginary "masters" came into the 
 occult tales he wove into his "love" letters. 
 
 Thus with proper suggestions, stories and hints, and 
 belief in the honesty of his intentions and claims, the 
 "existence" of his "Great School," his Great Mas- 
 ters and his own "mastership," etc., etc., it gradually 
 became impressed upon Florence Huntley's mind as a 
 reality. 
 
 In 1894, Mr. Richardson persuaded her to come to 
 Chicago to live, and for several years thereafter, she 
 lived in a single room in the Leland Hotel. During 
 this time she wrote her "Harmonics of Evolution," 
 and helped out on her living expenses by selling in- 
 surance and stock offered by various Masonic Insur- 
 ance "Associations" the "master" was engaged i'n 
 floating from time to time. 
 
 Under the impression from TK that she was, with 
 him, destined and chosen by the "Great Masters" of 
 his "Great School" to represent their interests in 
 America, she readily yielded herself to the belief that 
 they should inaugurate a modern metaphysical cru- 
 sade of some kind. Thus it came about that Mrs. 
 Huntley in her meetings with people in a business way, 
 took occasion to try out certain individuals with some 
 of the "spiritual" ideas which she was in the habit 
 of discussing with her "master." In this way, in 
 
122 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 time, she succeeded in impressing two or three peo- 
 ple sufficiently to get them to express a willingness or 
 desire to meet the "modern master of the law." As 
 a result, a meeting was usually brot about between the 
 new prospect and the Great One. 
 
 By 1899 her book "Harmonics of Evolution/' ex- 
 plaining just how often and when to love wisely, "as 
 well as well," — was published. By that time, thru 
 Mrs. Huntley's efforts, a half dozen or so people had 
 been impressed to believe that what she told them of 
 TK's stories was too true to be good — that he was as 
 one "born out of due time," a sure enuf, simon-pure, 
 flesh-and-blood "master," and that he had not arrived 
 a day too soon to save mankind from being humbugged 
 by the horde of spurious "masters" already doing 
 business in Chicago and elsewhere. 
 
 Furthermore, this little group were duly impressed 
 to believe that Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Huntley were 
 soul-mates; that they had made this scientific demon- 
 stration, and were therefore equipped by Nature, to 
 become teachers and messengers to mankind. If the 
 "little band" of students knew anything at all of the 
 existence of Mr. Richardson's wife and child, they 
 probably got the information in a way to mislead them 
 as to the truth, so that they paid little or no attention 
 to the true situation. 
 
 Thus, TK's "Great School" had its beginning. He 
 became the "sole representative," the center, the head, 
 the tail light and speed indicator. And thus under 
 the strong, swaying influences of false impressions, 
 Florence Huntley innocently lent her brilliant intelli- 
 gence to the domination of an unprincipled schemer. 
 
WHAT IS THIS "GREAT SCHOOL"? 123 
 
 During these early years of his " Great School's" 
 existence, TK got considerable practice in the role 
 of a "master." He discovered many tricks of psy- 
 chology, learning how to meet, handle and properly 
 impress different types of men. 
 
 In the weekly meetings which were inaugurated and 
 carried on for several years, he learned things which 
 later on became his stock in trade. Out of these few 
 followers and such as were added from time to time, 
 he evolved and tried out new hints, suggestions, stories 
 and poses, until in 1909 when he launched his maga- 
 zine, Life and Action, he had accumulated considerable 
 "personal experience" in his new line, and a great 
 many practical ideas about the "master" business. 
 He had developed many new designs in psychological 
 hood-winks, had invented many a new occult hook and 
 had discovered and worked out as clever a line of in- 
 tellectual and moral bait as ever were cast into the 
 surging sea of humanity. He knew too, how to set 
 and trip his own make of spiritual trap in a way that 
 amazed most of his competitors. 
 
 Thus step by step, he made his "scientific demon- 
 strations," and got his spiritual eyes open to the best 
 methods for carrying on the business which he so aptly 
 termed his * ' Great Work. ' ' He had really reduced the 
 practice of occult grafting to a science. He had ele- 
 vated this science to the dignity of a profession. He 
 demonstrated that the master business can be made to 
 pay, purely by a system of personal impressions, based 
 solely upon faith in an honesty which did not exist. 
 
 By the time he started his magazine, TK already 
 had a nice publishing business and had collected prob- 
 
124 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ably a hundred thousand dollars on the side. He had 
 built up an imaginary " Great School" in the minds 
 of a number of his readers, and they had been im- 
 pressed to look to him as the sole representative 
 and proprietor. He alone possessed full power to use 
 it, advertise it, clothe and exploit it; run it or ditch 
 it, just as he might see fit. 
 
 On the physical plane he had drawn about him a few 
 people whose names he used in his writings as fully 
 endorsing his "mastership." None of these could 
 have sworn whether he was a master or a mummy, but 
 they had his word for it, and believing implicitly in his 
 honesty, permitted themselves to be deceived and mis- 
 led. 
 
 Instead of offering any proofs of his "mastership," 
 he took the negative side of the question and left with 
 those who might be interested, the burden of proving 
 that he was not a ' ' master ' ' ! When any new inquirers 
 asked him for evidences of the existence of his ' * Great 
 School," he turned his hand and in a way not to of- 
 fend human intelligence, said simply: "There are 
 people whom I have admitted to studentship. They 
 are students in the Great School. How could they be 
 students in a Great School if there were no Great 
 School? The existence of these students is proof posi- 
 tive of the existence of my Great School. 
 
 Is it not so?" 
 
 And it was not so. 
 
 The remainder of TK's evidence of the existence of 
 his school consisted of stories, hints and suggestions. 
 These stories, etc., played more or less hypnotically 
 upon the susceptible imaginations of those who wished 
 
WHAT IS THIS "GREAT SCHOOL"? 125 
 
 or demanded something "tangible" to believe and 
 think about, and in time the objects, happenings, places 
 and personages which figured in TK's spiritual tales, 
 took on the nature of reality, very much as Santa 
 Claus is a reality to children. 
 
 TK was supposed to have a number of "masters" 
 assisting him with the management of his "Great 
 School": there was the "Great Master," the "Great 
 Chinese Master," "Master Alamo," the "Beloved 
 Master,' ' — for the ladies to pray to, and a host of 
 lesser lights for emergencies. 
 
 Whether TK believed what these spirit guides told 
 him or not, it would be just like him anyway to brag 
 on them as being GREAT ones, just as he boasts of his 
 former imaginary escape from being Governor of 
 California, his $30,000.00 a year income, his cats and 
 other accomplishments. Anyway, he frequently de- 
 scribed his masters' robes, their eyes, their whiskers 
 and little mannerisms, until in time a number of stu- 
 dents called them by their first names and imagined 
 they could recognize them off hand if they should 
 ever get an opportunity to give them the "once over." 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 The Indo-American Book Co. 
 
 Harmonics of Evolution was published in 1899. 
 
 The Great Psychological Crime in 1903. 
 
 The Great Work in 1906. 
 
 Up to 1907 it was believed by the students, and 
 TK himself encouraged this belief at every oppor- 
 tunity, that the Book Co., had not done so well, and 
 it was during this year that plans were laid for the 
 " extension of the work." 
 
 The Plan Proposed 
 
 "The Indo-American Book Co., is the agency thru which 
 the School of Natural Science has undertaken to reach the 
 world. It was organized and to-day exists solely for that pur- 
 pose. This agency can be supported and its object secured. 
 By aiding and supporting this agency, we may in the only 
 legitimate way possible uphold the hands of the Teacher 
 (TK) and further the Great Work in this country. 
 
 "It is therefore herein and hereby proposed, that as many 
 of us as can do so and desire to co-operate in the Great Work, 
 and aid the School of Natural Science in its educational exten- 
 sion work, agree together to purchase from the Indo-American 
 Book Co., each month, one set of the three books, each (more 
 or less as he feels able or inclined), and present them as a 
 gift to some individual or library, or other institution where 
 he believes they will do the most good." 
 
 I now quote you a paragraph which tells the whole story 
 as plain as day: 
 
 126 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 127 
 
 "By aiding the work, we many become co-workers with the 
 Teacher, in a modest and acceptable way, and so enable him 
 to devote his entire time and energy to the furtherance of 
 the Work. It would be a shame to offer him i charity,* in the 
 ordinary meaning of that term; and he cannot accept 'remun- 
 eration' nor become a 'pensioner* even upon those who would 
 esteem it a sacred privilege to 'give'." 
 
 Who, then or what was the Indo-American Book 
 "Co."? The Indo-American Book "Co." was simply 
 another business-name for John E. Richardson. It 
 was not a "Company"; it was never incorporated. 
 TK was the sole owner; he alone dictated its policies 
 and grew rich on its profits. To call himself a ' * Com- 
 pany" was strictly in line with his regular method of 
 false-facing the various "departments" of his 
 "GREAT Work." Few would suspect the above facts, 
 for throughout his writings and in his personal inter- 
 views and correspondence, TK always referred to the 
 Book "Co." as if it were a thing separate and apart 
 from himself, as for instance, (Bound Vol. 5, p. 209) : 
 
 "It was because of this fact that I was led to rec- 
 ommend to the Indo-American Book Co. (himself) the 
 publication, or circulation of M. Notovich's book, 
 "The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ" — after dis- 
 claiming any definite knowledge on the subject. And 
 while the Book "Co." (TK) has made its (TK's) 
 disclaimer as suggested," etc., etc. 
 
 This is but one example. A hundred might be 
 quoted. 
 
 In the spring of 1909, "The Indo-American Maga- 
 zine" was launched. 
 
128 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 With its second issue (Sept. 1909), the name was 
 changed to "Life and Action. " 
 
 The three principal books published by the "Com- 
 pany" were known as the "Harmonic Series.' ' The 
 first of these, "Harmonics of Evolution," was pub- 
 lished in 1899. Thus TK's publication work began in 
 1899 and continued to April 1st, 1916. 
 
 During all these years, TK foisted the idea, and it 
 was universally accepted and believed to be true by 
 all his followers intimately associated with the work 
 in Chicago, that, 
 
 1. The Book "Co." up to 1912 had never paid 
 running expenses. 
 
 2. That in 1911, the "Co." ran behind $6,000.00, 
 which sum (according to report made* to the Board of 
 Assessors, Cook Co., 111., April, 1912) had to be made 
 up in order to keep the "Co." running. 
 
 3. That when in 1912 the Book "Co." began show- 
 ing a "small margin above running expenses," every 
 dollar of the revenue therefrom was devoted to the 
 extension of the "work." * 
 
 From the very beginning, TK planted the idea, 
 watered and cultivated it, both in conversation and in 
 all his writings, and made it clear and definite, that 
 no part of the "Great Work" would or could ever be 
 used for money making or grafting of any kind. 
 
 In Bound Vol. Ill, "Life and Action" for 1912, 
 p. 59, third paragraph, TK says : 
 
 # The "small margin' ' here referred to amounted to 
 $6,000.00 in TK's favor for the year of 1912. 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 129 
 
 " However unbusiness-like it may appear, we are, 
 nevertheless, not handling and selling books for the 
 sake of making money. Our primary and impelling 
 motive is educational." 
 
 So clearly, regularly and persistently was the pov- 
 erty idea passed around that even in the latter weeks 
 of TK's program, and up to his exposure in March, 
 1916, not a single student except his private stenog- 
 rapher knew or even suspected but that he was living 
 almost from hand-to-mouth, and in constant need of 
 funds with which to carry on his "work." Not one 
 would have imagined the incredibly large sums of 
 money he had on deposit in various banks at that 
 very time. 
 
 Up to October, 1911, the I-A Book "Co.," besides 
 publishing "their" own books, did a general book 
 business. TK's income at that time, and for several 
 years previous thereto, was from various sources: 
 
 1. Publication of the "Harmonic Series," and 
 several other books which he owned. 
 
 2. The magazine, Life and Action. 
 
 3. New Thot and other liberal books which his 
 "Co." handled. 
 
 4. Individual, regular, monthly contributions to 
 pay for imaginary stenographers, office help, etc., etc.* 
 
 ♦Exactly how many " Friends'' were contributing reg- 
 ularly to this graft is not known. It is known that one 
 Friend sent $250.00 monthly for a long time. Another sent 
 $70.00 per month. Examination of the records shows that 
 still another Friend, a Mr. T-— , in 1910, sent a check for 
 
130 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 5. Donations to a " Gift Account Fund ' ■ from which 
 books, magazines, etc., were supposed to be supplied 
 free to the poor and aged. 
 
 6. Purely personal cash gifts "for the good of the 
 ' GREAT CAUSE.' " 
 
 7. Gifts — cash and otherwise — from "Friends" 
 for his own "personal use." 
 
 It has been stated that it was generally understood 
 by even the most intimate students and employees 
 in TK's "confidence," that up to 1912, the Book 
 "Co." had failed to meet its own running expenses. 
 
 Let us now figure with figures: 
 
 Up to April 1, 1916, there had been published and 
 sold the following number of copies of the ' ' Harmonic 
 Series" in cloth binding: 
 
 Harmonics of Evolution, 19,000 at $2.00 each, $38,- 
 000.00. 
 
 Great Psychological Crime, 16,000 at $2.00 each, 
 $32,000.00. 
 
 The great Work, 24,000 at $2.00 each, $48,000.00. 
 
 Total number of copies, 59,000; total value, $118,- 
 000.00. 
 
 Of the above total amount, the following table 
 shows the sales of the "Harmonic Series" from Jan. 
 1, 1912, to Jan. 1,1917: 
 
 $1,000.00. TK promptly suggested that this amount also be 
 used in the same manner — as salary for an imaginary stenog- 
 rapher. It is needless to say just how any of these contri- 
 butions were really "applied." 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 131 
 
 1912 $8,589.70 
 
 1913 7,717.99 
 
 1914 7,412.62 
 
 1915 8,320.61 
 
 1916 7,597.03 
 
 Total: $39,637.95 
 Or a total of 19,682 copies in cloth binding.* 
 
 To make these figures stand out more forcefully, let 
 us call it an even 4,000 copies per year. This then 
 will account for 20,000 of the total 60,000 copies pub- 
 lished. 
 
 WE NOW HAVE 40,000 COPIES ($80,000.00 
 WORTH) TO ACCOUNT FOR, AND THESE 40,- 
 000 COPIES COULD HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED 
 AND SOLD ONLY IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN 
 1899 AND JAN. 1ST, 1912. 
 
 With this one fact alone before us, can any mind 
 imagine how the Indo-American Book "Co." could 
 have possibly failed to meet its running expenses up 
 to 1912? 
 
 Keeping in mind the fact that TK sold in eighteen 
 years over $130,000.00 worth of the "Harmonic Se- 
 ries" alone, we must not forget that this represented 
 
 •Besides these 20,000 copies in cloth at $2.00 each, there 
 were published during the five years indicated, 3,000 copies in 
 morocco binding which sold for $3.50 each, and 200 copies 
 of the ' ' Three-in-One " at $12.00 each, giving us an addi- 
 tional sum of $12,900.00. 
 
132 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 but a small part of his income. We are reminded 
 that his " Company, " i. e. himself, had several other 
 sources of income: 
 
 1. He published a great number of other books 
 besides the " Harmonic Series." 
 
 2. Up to September, 1911, he did a general book 
 business. 
 
 3. There were magazine subscriptions. 
 
 4. There were generous contributions — monthly 
 and otherwise. 
 
 5. There were remittances to "Gift Account 
 Funds." 
 
 6. Checks and cash for "personal use." 
 
 In handling contributions and contributors, TK 
 had a system that so effectually covered up his opera- 
 tions that in the majority of instances, practically no 
 one but himself and the giver ever knew anything 
 about the transaction. For instance, "gifts" could 
 best be given and accepted in " confidence, ' ' and 
 where a sum of any considerable amount came thru 
 the Book "Co.," TK, by means of his clever "per- 
 sonal' ? letters took care to "educate" the new "Friend 
 of the Work" so that all future contributions for the 
 "Cause" were thereafter sent to him direct, — and if 
 possible in cash, if he could make them see it that 
 way. This was just a little "precaution" so there 
 would be no canceled checks or other means of iden- 
 tifying the transaction in a way that might sometime 
 "embarrass the Great School," i. e. TK. It was not 
 an unusual thing for contributions in sums of $100, 
 $300, $500, $1,000, to be sent to TK, and they always 
 came at a time when his "Great School" was sup- 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 133 
 
 posedly u sorely in need of funds" to carry on some 
 imaginary " educational ' ' project, etc., etc. 
 
 From this it will be seen that no one may ever 
 know exactly the extent of his financial operations, 
 but when I tell you that those operations cost one 
 man alone nearly a quarter of a million dollars in 
 cash, to say nothing of over ten years of his time: 
 that TK had many wealthy and generous " Friends' ' 
 on his list and knew how to work them with his 
 "Great Work" — who of us can imagine the number 
 of hundreds of thousands of dollars he must have 
 "made" out of his Great-School graft? 
 
 Perhaps the one thing about the Book "Co.," that 
 impressed more people than anything else was the 
 apparent amount of "charity" work it was doing — 
 especially the tens of thousands of books and maga- 
 zines that were annually being distributed free to the 
 poor and aged, to prison libraries, etc., etc. 
 
 The particular hind of "charity" here represented 
 was certainly a clever and original innovation. It 
 illustrates a unique business sagacity that enabled the 
 Book "Co." to not only get a great amount of credit 
 and valuable advertising out of its "charity," abso- 
 lutely without cost, but at the same time make a profit 
 on its "gifts." 
 
 To understand just how this unique system of 
 "charity" worked itself out, it will be necessary for 
 you to know that there were at least three known 
 separate and distinct "Gift Accounts." 
 
RECORD OF GIFTS RECEIVED 1914 
 
 RECEIVED PAID OUT 
 
 May 
 
 21 
 
 ..R.H.W 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 June 
 
 a 
 
 J.R.L. 
 
 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sept 
 
 2 
 3 
 4 
 
 H.G.C. 
 
 F.R. 
 
 M.D.G. 
 
 100 
 
 4 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 J.F.L. 
 
 35 
 
 
 Sepi 
 
 9 
 
 A.H.N, sub 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 II 
 
 C.H.W. 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 15 
 
 H.V.A.P. 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 I.H.R. 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15 
 
 E.M.P. 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 Mrs.M.R. 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 J.R. 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25 
 
 A.H.M. 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29 
 
 T.W.B. 
 
 100 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Oct 
 
 12 
 
 L.S.L. 
 
 I 
 
 
 Oot 
 
 19 
 
 Sub. and 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 C.C.P, 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 Books drawn 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 N.B.C.- 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 H.V.A.P. 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19 
 
 W.N D. 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20 
 
 Dr.B. 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 H.W.B. 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 C.E.D. 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23 
 
 M.E.D. 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29 
 
 Mrs, P. 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29 
 
 L.H\ 
 
 100 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Nov 
 
 2 
 3 
 8 
 10 
 85 
 37 
 37 
 30 
 
 M.L.J. 
 
 J.F.L. 
 
 T.W.E. 
 
 A.H.P. 
 
 L.G.S. 
 
 B.G.Co. 
 
 T.W.B. 
 
 H.W.W. 
 
 20 
 35 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 10 
 
 3 
 100 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Dec 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 II 
 19 
 
 G.N. 
 A.W.E. 
 H.W.R. 
 Cash 
 
 15 
 I 
 3 
 5 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 W.F.H. 
 
 I 
 
 
 Dec 
 
 31 
 
 To close 
 Account. . .$ 
 
 5?8 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 $ 
 
 605 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 605 
 
 50 
 
 Total profit to TK from the Book Co.,for 1914, $5,500.00 
 
 This included the above "Gift Account" fund of 598.50 
 
 No record is given for the first five months, or up to 
 
 Uay 21 at. 
 
 From thle "Gift Acoounty books and magazines fere sup- 
 
 posed to be furnished "free" to all who *ere to poor to 
 
 pay. Total "Gift Accounffor two years $1,925.25. 
 
 Total paid out for two yeare:$9.00. Total to Tk: $1,916. 2! 
 
RECORD OF GIFTS RECEIVED 1915. 
 
 RECEIVED PAID OUT 
 
 Jen 
 
 13 
 
 T.T. 
 
 500 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 M.S.F. 
 
 I 
 
 
 Jan 
 
 15 
 
 Sent "G/W." 
 
 
 
 Feb 
 
 5 
 13 
 I? 
 
 A.W.U. 
 J. A. 
 
 B.B.B. 
 
 30 
 I 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 to M.E.S. 
 
 3 
 
 
 Mar 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 34 
 
 Mre.F. 
 J.F.L. 
 A.H.P. 
 
 30 
 
 30 
 
 I 
 
 75 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Apr. 
 
 7 
 33 
 
 J.W.H. 
 I.C.J.W. 
 
 5 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 May 
 
 3 
 
 O.F.S. 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Aup: 
 
 II 
 S3 
 
 Mrs.E.H. 
 E.D. 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Oct 
 
 13 
 16 
 18 
 18 
 31 
 
 S.P.L. 
 
 T.W.B. 
 
 L.H. 
 
 Dr.E.L.H. 
 
 A.H.P. 
 
 3 
 
 500 
 
 50 
 
 I 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Deo 
 
 10 
 15 
 14 
 13 
 14 
 
 n 
 
 « 
 
 16 
 n 
 
 H 
 
 17 
 
 N 
 
 18 
 
 M 
 
 n 
 30 
 
 a 
 
 31 
 n 
 
 ■ 
 33 
 
 R 
 
 34 
 
 E.M.P. 
 F.K.S. 
 M.C. 
 
 o.w. 
 
 J.A.L. 
 
 E.M. 
 
 F.K.S. 
 
 Mrs. G. 
 
 T.J.C. 
 
 Mrs. P. W. 
 
 M.J.C. 
 
 J.J. 
 
 C.H.P. 
 
 C.P. 
 
 G.E.S. 
 
 A.C.E 
 
 C.E. 
 
 J.C.S. 
 
 A.J.M. 
 
 S.M.K. 
 
 R.M.D. 
 
 C.J.M. 
 
 H*L.K. 
 
 A.H.P. 
 
 J.F. 
 
 3 
 
 I 
 
 10 
 
 10 
 
 35 
 
 3 
 
 I 
 
 3 
 
 30 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 10 
 
 I 
 
 10 
 
 5 
 I 
 
 13 
 5 
 5 
 
 30 
 3 
 I 
 5 
 
 10 
 
 50 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 Mr.& Mrs. H.J. 
 
 5 
 
 
 Dec 
 
 31 
 
 To Close 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 S.P.L. 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 Account 51. 
 
 317 
 
 75 
 
 
 
 «I 
 
 319 
 
 75 
 
 
 
 *j 
 
 319 
 
 75 
 
 Total profit to TK from the Book Co. for 1915, §4,938.00 
 This inoluded the above "Gift Aocount" fund of $1,317.75 
 
136 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 1. A graft "fund" — plain and original — into which 
 went all remittances ''for the Gift Account.' ' This 
 fund went annually into TK's pockets. For instance, 
 only $9.00 worth of books were charged against this 
 fund in two years, 1914-15, while $1,916.25 went into 
 TK's profits. See plates for details. 
 
 2. A fund of about $200.00 out of which books for 
 certain libraries were paid for. 
 
 3. The real and genuine "Gift Account Fund" 
 provided by a noble and generous Friend, and against 
 which was charged all books and subscriptions sup- 
 posed to be "gifts" from the Book "Co." 
 
 It will be seen that TK, i. e. the Book "Co.," bore 
 absolutely no part of the expense connected with these 
 ' 'gifts," but actually made the regular profit on each 
 and every "gift" book and subscription "he" gave 
 away! In fact some unusual charges often went 
 against this catch-all "gift account.' ' For instance 
 on April 21, 1914, Dr. B. wrote the Book "Co." for 
 four copies of his own book, "A Study of Man." Dr. 
 B. was at the time Assistant Editor of Life and 
 Action, and had held this position without salary or 
 other remuneration for over five years. He had also 
 contributed a half dozen or more books which had 
 added many thousands of dollars to TK's bank ac- 
 count, and for which not a cent of royalty was paid 
 by the genial and " generous" TK. Under these cir- 
 cumstances one would naturally think that any books 
 asked for by Dr. B. would have been furnished with- 
 out even so much as thinking of charging for 
 them. But when this request for four copies came, 
 
THE 1ND0-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 137 
 
 the item was promptly charged to the Gift Account, 
 at full price, $6.00. 
 
 Again, on Nov. 19, 1915, TK himself wrote from 
 Pasadena, Calif., for two sets of the Text Books 
 ($12.00) "for my own use" — and ordered them 
 charged to the "Gift Account." Can anyone imagine 
 the moral deformity of a "master" who would thus 
 betray, abuse and misuse the confidence of so true 
 and loyal a Friend, as TK did this man who was pay- 
 ing all the "charity" expenses of his Book "Com- 
 pany"? 
 
 When you study TKs' writings after knowing the 
 hitherto hidden side of his nature, it seems that his 
 tendency has always been to exaggerate everything, 
 and to do so to such an extent that the exaggeration 
 becomes what appears to be deliberate and intentional 
 deception and misrepresentation. In Life and Action 
 many examples of this kind are found smiling good- 
 natured smiles at the real facts: 
 
 "THE DEADLY PARALLEL." 
 
 In 1914, TK in I. ^ i. (Bv. 5, Let us examine this "compara^ 
 
 p. 121), says: tivel 7 sma11 faction": 
 
 . 1. It was never TK's policy or 
 
 "It may, perhaps, be a matter ,. , tt . nmn ,, nm + Min „ 
 
 Ji r l ' practice to .'• give away 7 anything. 
 
 of interest as well as information 2. In 1914, there were printed 
 
 , , 40,000 magazines. 25,000 of these 
 
 to our many readers, to know that . ., -. „ „ 
 
 J ' went to subscribers, exchanges, 
 
 during every sixty days we give etc., leaving about 15,000 for sam- 
 
 away to the deserving Friends of P le C0 P ies ' back numbers and bait 
 
 for selling the Bound Volumes. 
 the Work who are in need, all the 3. i n the same year, were pub- 
 
 way from 6,000 to 10,000 copies of Hshed not to exceed 15,000 books. 
 
 4. Total number of both books 
 our various publications, including and magazines for 1914,-55,000 
 
 copies of Life and Action. copies. 
 
138 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "This statement is made as a 
 simple statement of fact, and in 
 no sense in the spirit of boastful- 
 ness; for this represents but a 
 comparatively small fraction of 
 the labors of the Great School in 
 behalf of 'those who need.' " 
 
 ? How then could TK or his 
 "Co." (himself) give away from 
 "6,000 to 10,000 copies" during 
 every sixty days? 
 
 As an illustration of TK's keen 
 sense of "humor," the following 
 paragraph from the annual report 
 of his Business Manager for this 
 same year, 1914, is exceedingly 
 illuminating. Please note the al- 
 most reckless generosity with which 
 these subscription blanks, price 
 lists, etc., were distributed. 
 
 "In connection with this report 
 permit me to say, we have sent out 
 during the year past about 60,000 
 pieces of Literature, in the form 
 of CATALOGS, INSERTS, SUB- 
 SCRIPTION BLANKS, LOOSE 
 LEAVES, PRICE LISTS, MA- 
 SONIC LEAFLETS AND LEAF- 
 LET OF ALL OUR PUBLICA- 
 TIONS.' > 
 
 In L. 4- A., Bv. 5, p. 314, TK 
 
 says: 
 
 "We cannot close this brief re- 
 port without expressing our pro- 
 found thanks to those splendid and 
 generous souls who have made it 
 possible for us to send out, free of 
 all cost to the recipients, over 42>- 
 000 books and magazines" during 
 the last year. These books are 
 constantly going to libraries, and 
 to those intelligent and hungry 
 souls who find themselves unable 
 financially to purchase them." 
 
 This ' ' over - 42,000 - books - and- 
 magazines ' ' is the same ' ' between - 
 6,000-and-10,000-copies-every- sixty- 
 days" mentioned in the preceding 
 paragraph. And in the light of 
 the above explanation and state- 
 ment of facts, TK's "42,000" be- 
 gins to look pretty much like a 
 shrewdly hidden hook for more 
 funds for his "Gift Account" 
 graft. 
 
THE IND0-AMER1CAN BOOK CO. 
 
 139 
 
 In L. 4- A., Bv. 5, p. 371 (1914), 
 
 the "master" says: 
 
 "We are working under many 
 handicaps because of intense oppo- 
 sition and antagonism, but if every 
 subscriber will renew his subscrip- 
 tion and if he will try to secure 
 just one other subscriber," etc., 
 etc. 
 
 In L. 4- A., Bv. 5, p. 371 (1914), 
 the astute TK says: 
 
 "It may interest our readers 
 and friends to know that we are 
 placing a free copy of this maga- 
 zine in every prison of the United 
 States. It will also be to them a 
 source of pleasure to know that as 
 fast as we ean do so, we are plac- 
 ing a copy of ' ' Harmonics of Evo- 
 lution, " " The Great Psychological 
 Crime" and "The Great Work" 
 on the shelves of all these penal 
 institutions absolutely free of 
 charge to them or the State. ' ' 
 
 Again, Bv. 5, p. 372 (1914) : 
 "Besides these free gifts of 
 books, we are continually giving 
 to those who are crippled or aged 
 and are unable (owing to financial 
 reverses) to purchase copies for 
 themselves. These free gifts to 
 our unfortunate Brothers and Sis- 
 ters sap our financial vitality to 
 the utmost," etc., etc. 
 
 This little spiel never failed to 
 spur the "Faithful" into more 
 speed, and was always good for a 
 few extra dollars that otherwise 
 might never have seen the inside 
 of TK's always capacious pockets. 
 
 1. The records show that only 
 36 penal institutions were com- 
 municated with. 
 
 2. Only 14 out of the 36 ac- 
 cepted the offer of books. 
 
 3. Only 10 accepted subscrip- 
 tions. 
 
 4. The entire expense if met by 
 the Book "Co."— TK, would not 
 have been more than $30.00. 
 
 5. Both subscriptions and books 
 were, however, in every instance 
 charged to the "Gift Account" 
 and paid for at the regular retail 
 rates— $94.00. 
 
 And probably only TK himself 
 will ever know how many wealthy 
 bankers, brokers and business men 
 and women of means were sending 
 in big and regular checks to be 
 used in carrying on his fictitious 
 "Harmonic" penal crusade. 
 
 Take this for what it may be 
 worth to you. The "master's" 
 total dividend from his Indo- 
 American Book "Co." for 1914 
 was just $9,301.90, without his 
 turning a hand; and authentic 
 Bank records show that this 
 amount is less than half what TK 
 spent for general living expenses 
 the same year. 
 
140 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Bv. 5, p. 312: This giving "as nearly at cost 
 
 "We do, however, give to li- as possible" is the nearest TK 
 
 braries all over the United States ever came to giving anything. But 
 
 our books and literature as nearly even here, the books were simply 
 
 at cost as possible." sold at half-price, $3.00, so that 
 
 the "giving" really did not cost 
 the "Co." a single cent, but even 
 left a small margin of profit. In 
 every instance the books were 
 paid for, either by individuals, 
 groups, — or, as a last resort, 
 charged to the "Gift Account" 
 at full price, $6.00. 
 
 As for "libraries all over the 
 United States": There are about 
 6,000 all told, and so far as known, 
 only 74 have the Harmonic Series. 
 
 A few more strictly modern innovations in connec- 
 tion with TK's Book "Co." and we are done: 
 
 1. The Indo-Amencan Book "Co." is justly enti- 
 tled to the great distinction of being the only "Co." 
 on earth whose sole business was publishing its own 
 advertising matter and actually selling that advertis- 
 ing at regular book rates: cash to retail customers 
 and 30 days' credit, 25 per cent discount to the trade. 
 Practically every book sold advertised something, and 
 that something, in its final analysis, was the " mas- 
 ter/ » TK. 
 
 The three "Text" books, or "Harmonic Series," 
 announce and advertise, over and over again, in every 
 conceivable manner and place, npon the slightest, or 
 no apparent provocation — the new and modern "mas- 
 ter" with a course of profoundly secret something- 
 or-other in his poke. Literally hundreds of clever 
 
THE IND0-AMER1CAN BOOK CO. 141 
 
 paragraphs and sentences in these books invite, beckon 
 and challenge the honest reader to " knock* ' at the 
 imaginary door of TK's " Great School" and be tried 
 for a secret " personal instruction. ' ' This is particu- 
 larly true of " Harmonics of Evolution' ' and "The 
 Great Work." And a "knock" frequently sold more 
 advertising matter, i. e., more books. 
 
 The Lost Word Found was specifically intended by 
 TK to be just what it is — an advertisement — and 
 nothing but an advertisement — of "The Great Work." 
 It sold for 50 cents. 
 
 The New Avatar is an attempt to identify TK as a 
 new John E.-on-the-spot diety incarnate. The book is 
 simply an advertisement for TK, and naturally he 
 felt justified in recommending the book to all his read- 
 ers — at $1.00 per. 
 
 "Modern World Movements" was written at TK's 
 own request and was intended to be an advertisement 
 to be sold to unwary Theosophists, which latter obser- 
 vation probably accounts for the significantly small 
 number sold. The price was $1.00, including a free 
 "Introduction" by the advertising manager, TK. 
 
 Bridging the Great Divide. This volume was in- 
 tended to attract the attention of people interested 
 in the work and records of the "Society for Psychical 
 Research." TK bore all the expense of getting out 
 this book, but to better hide the point of his hook 
 while angling for members of the S. P. R., he arranged 
 to have the name of another publishing concern than 
 his own to appear as the publishers. 
 
142 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 In L. S A., Bv. 5, p. 312, TK says: 
 
 " As our readers know, we do not advertise our books 
 to the public in glaring headlines/* 
 
 It would appear from this frank admission that 
 "glaring head-lines" is a kind of advertising that 
 cannot readily be sold at regular book rates. 
 
 2. TK not only sold his advertising, but actually 
 sold the same identical matter over and over again to 
 the same people and — at advanced prices. 
 
 For instance, his readers paid $1.00 for two years' 
 subscription — 12 issues of the magazine. Then at the 
 close of each year when the six current numbers were 
 bound, many paid an additional dollar for the maga- 
 zine in book form. Thus in two years, they paid $3.00 
 for two chances at the same material. 
 
 This would seem to be sufficient, but soon we dis- 
 cover TK offering for sale three new and separate 
 books : 
 
 The Spirit of the Work $1.00 
 
 The Question Box, Vol. 1 1.00 
 
 The Question Box, Vol. II 1.00 
 
 out of the same magazine material and actually tell- 
 ing his students they should come across with another 
 three " bucks.' ' 
 
 3. In the matter of securing personal helpers: 
 
 TK's ability, thru veiled hints and subtle sugges- 
 tions and falsehoods, to mould to his will and service, 
 those whom he chose, testifies to his knowledge of 
 hypnotism and psychology, and his utter abandonment 
 of all sense of morality, justice and right in the use 
 of that knowledge. 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 143 
 
 Blinded by the impression that they were being 
 " permitted' ' to assist in a " Great Work" for human- 
 ity, both men and women willingly and cheerfully 
 placed their time, talents, means, honor and even life 
 itself at TK's disposal. Such as he could use to fur- 
 ther his secret, selfish schemes, he took; and holding 
 them beneath the spell of his false, crafty intelligence, 
 he bent them to the task of meeting and carrying out 
 his cunning plans and purposes. 
 
 As an illustration : TK had in his employ for about 
 six years, three young ladies. In 1910, one of these 
 young women, believing implicitly in TK's honesty 
 and that his Indo-American Book "Co." was really 
 handicapped in its ' ' educational' ' work, on account of 
 lack of helpers, gave up $25.00 per week, came to Chi- 
 cago, and offered her services. She was not a stenog- 
 rapher, but at TK's suggestion, she took the neces- 
 sary training (at her own expense) and qualified for 
 the position. She hurried thru the training as rap- 
 idly as possible, on account of (as she was led to be- 
 lieve) the great need of a stenographer, but upon 
 starting to work at the Book "Co." she did not receive 
 any dictation for about eight months. 
 
 TK's "Great School" had in its possession at this 
 time and just a few doors from where the "master" 
 lived in Oak Park, 111., a large three-story residence. 
 This building was the gift of a Friend of the "work," 
 and three rooms of the ground floor were used as a 
 temporary headquarters and office for the department 
 of personal instruction. This arrangement left the 
 house practically vacant. Under these circumstances, 
 and in order to have someone on the premises all the 
 
144 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 time, as the "master" explained, "to guard the secret 
 work," it was arranged that the three young ladies 
 in his employ as stenographers, should live at "234." 
 This they did from January, 1911, to August, 1913, 
 under the following conditions : 
 
 TK paid each of them $10.00 per week, and required 
 each of them to pay him $9.00 per month rent. In 
 addition to this rental, they were also required to pay 
 the expenses of keeping up the house, as well as the 
 water tax, light and gas bills, etc. They were released 
 from paying rent some time in 1912, but continued to 
 carry all the expense of keeping up the house. 
 
 After nearly three years under these conditions, 
 one of the girls had drawn on her savings account 
 until she had just $30.00 left. It was plain they could 
 not continue under these conditions which did not 
 even begin to pay their living expenses. A consulta- 
 tion was held and the three of them went to J. E. R. 
 and told him the facts. He then requested them to 
 make out a statement of the least they could live on 
 and continue their work. This they did, and TK 
 promised he would pay them "$20.00 per month extra 
 out of his own money," but with the definite under- 
 standing that it was in strict confidence, and that they 
 were to tell no one. He did pay the "extra" sum, 
 from time to time, but not regularly. 
 
 Beginning with December, 1914, Mr. Richardson 
 had his Indo-American Book "Co." pay each of these 
 girls $15.00 per week, but with the distinct under- 
 standing that they should keep an accurate and item- 
 ized account of their expenditures, and at the end of 
 the year if anything remained from their salaries 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 145 
 
 over their actual personal expenses, it was to be 
 returned to "J. E. R." — John E. Richardson, alias 
 " Uncle John," alias the " Elder Brother/ ' otherwise 
 heretofore favorably known as TK. 
 Kindly note in the above that 
 
 1. The "master" paid each of these helpers the 
 enormous sum of $10.00 per week. 
 
 2. That out of this sum he collected $27.00 per 
 month for rent, for rooms which would otherwise have 
 remained vacant — $27.00 which would pay for a lot of 
 halo polish or cream for his cats. 
 
 3. In December, 1914, this "Elder Brother" or- 
 dered the I. -A. Book "Co." (himself) to pay these 
 girls $15.00 per week, but at the same time provided 
 that out of this sum they should return to him at the 
 end of the year all their savings above actual living 
 expense. 
 
 Briefly reviewing the TK's book "Co.," we fix in 
 mind the following facts: 
 
 1. That the Indo-American Book "Co." and TK 
 are one and the same. 
 
 2. That from Jan. 1, 1912, to Jan. 1, 1916, the total 
 business of this Book "Co." amounted to $91,070.30. 
 
 3. That over $130,000.00 worth of the "Harmonic 
 Series" were disposed of between 1899 and Jan, 1, 
 1916. 
 
 4. That besides profits on his magazine and many 
 thousands of copies of other books, he obtained vast 
 sums of money thru various other — channels. 
 
 5. That in one instance alone he secured sums 
 which, including interest, amounted to considerably 
 over $200,000.00. 
 
146 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 My Work 
 
 is entirely a. G\ FT.. 
 It brings me no material 
 reward of ^ny kind. Daring 
 the last tenye&rs I have- 
 vvrlttea over tkirty ttiou^ni 
 letters to Inquiring men 
 and Women, a.nsWering'ifceiV 
 ions to the. hc:$t of mu 
 ^feiJity, awd in t/ie- 
 very /arrest number 
 of instances n>ve receive <L 
 S- 3 not even sornach as a. 
 kV ^posta^*e stamp for re p?u. 
 
 QUOTED FPOM "LIFE AND ACTION" 
 BOUND VOL. I, page 15. 
 
THE INDO-AMERICAN BOOK CO. 147 
 
 6. That it is simply impossible to estimate how 
 many hundreds of thousands of dollars he must have 
 accumulated. 
 
 7. That TK's much advertised "charity" was ac- 
 tually a source of profit, a dishonest bid for "busi- 
 ness" and the meanest kind of betrayal of human 
 confidence. 
 
 8. That from the inception of his Book "Co.," TK 
 secured and held all his employees at, and even below 
 the barest living wage. And be it remembered that 
 the very nature of his work was such that he could 
 not employ any but the most efficient, competent and 
 trustworthy help. 
 
 With sponging his rent, his help, and practically 
 all kinds of favors and services off of three or four 
 hundred unsuspecting friends, and with business, 
 profits, interests and "gifts" rolling into his coffers, 
 it is plain that TK's greatest "great work" was work- 
 ing his workers. 
 
 Thus he built up his business; preaching and pos- 
 ing for profits — for years wringing additional profits 
 out of the confidence of his helpers — and all this in 
 the name of a "Great Work" and under the cloak of 
 an assumed "mastership." 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 The League of Visible Helpees 
 
 A really beautiful name — one that suggests many- 
 pictures of people clad in modest garments, going in 
 and out among the hovels of the poor, carrying baskets 
 of provisions and leaving everywhere words of wis- 
 dom, comfort, encouragement and good cheer. And to 
 those who were actually engaged in doing this needed 
 work, it was, as it must always be to every helpful 
 soul, a privilege and opportunity that can be under- 
 stood only by those who carry the idea into practice. 
 
 Nearly always where men and women come together 
 in any kind of religious or philosophic movement, it is 
 usually not long before something on the order of 
 "charity" work is suggested. The energies of certain 
 members appear naturally to seek and demand some 
 outlet thru activities along these lines. Anyway, the 
 "Great School" eventually had its "League of Visible 
 Helpers," which served very well two purposes: 
 
 1. A work of charity. 
 
 2. A good subject on which TK could TalK. 
 
 Next to talking on "Morality," TK's LVH proved 
 to be his strongest advertising card. His direct profits 
 from this organization came legitimately only thru 
 the "lease" of membership pins, but as a talking 
 po'mt upon which to advertise his "Great School," i. e., 
 
 148 
 
THE LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS • 149 
 
 himself, he could have found nothing better than this 
 idea of a "League." And indirectly, it all brot in 
 book orders, "gift" funds, checks for the good of the 
 GREAT CAUSE, etc., etc. 
 
 Since about 1899, TK was working a small * ' Central 
 Group" of students in Chicago. He became quite 
 prosperous as early as 1904-5. It appears as if he 
 could have organized his "physical helpers" at any 
 time, and commenced his "Great Work" for "poor 
 orphan humanity." Evidently he was not aching to 
 begin his "work" or losing any sleep over the "poor 
 and needy," for not until Sept. 1, 1903, do we see any 
 evidences of the plans of the GS. along these lines. 
 At that time, the "Harmonic Association" was 
 formed. This was a right promising youngster, with a 
 "sweet tooth" already cut. It was a sort of "Copart- 
 nership Firm" — a co-operative candy-making enter- 
 prise. The members of the "firm" consisted of John 
 E. Richardson, Florence Huntley and two students, 
 one of whom was a candy-maker. TK was, of course, 
 the Secretary and Treasurer. The idea was that TK 
 would put up enough capital to purchase the candy 
 pans and the "Harmonic Associate" with the candy- 
 making disposition would do the work. 
 
 Just to give you some idea of TK's imaginative 
 sense of humor, and the remarkable "features" that 
 illuminated the modest agreement which bound the 
 members of this sweet alliance, we are here going to 
 republish just a few of the items enumerated. 
 
o 
 
 Q 
 
 > d 
 
 O 9 
 
 o- o 
 ♦a ♦» . 
 
 Of<4* 
 
 * 5 a 
 
 *- • 
 «> dco 
 
 *-« o 
 
 O *> V 
 
 ° - ° 
 
 O -H C 
 
 4> o 
 
 3 3 S 
 
 4* (4 •*-! 
 D 01 O 
 
 a$ 4* o 
 
 *> CD 
 
 rt eg co 
 
 & 
 
THE LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS 151 
 
 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. ' 
 
 It is hereby mutually agreed by and between the parties 
 hereto, — 
 
 1. The name of this copartnership shall be "Harmonic 
 Association." 
 
 2. Its principal place of business shall be in the city of 
 Chicago, said County and State. 
 
 3. This copartnership shall continue for the term of TEN 
 YEARS from and after the date hereof, or until the same 
 shall be duly and legally dissolved. 
 
 4. The central purpose of this copartnership shall be to 
 convey to humanity, as far as may be possible, a knowledge 
 of the truths of " NATURAL SCIENCE," and inspire the 
 students thereof with the earnest desire and unfaltering pur- 
 pose to exemplify those truths in their daily lives and con- 
 duct, and thereby become demonstrators of the law and 
 teachers of the truth. To accomplish this purpose involves 
 the accumulation and expenditure of a large amount of 
 money. 
 
 To that end the business of this copartnership shall be to 
 manufacture and sell candies of all kinds, both wholesale 
 and retail; to establish and maintain candy stores, parlors 
 and kitchens wherever they shall deem advisable ; to establish 
 and maintain restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores and gen- 
 eral merchandise businesses; to engage in, establish, or main- 
 tain any other business or enterprise they may deem advis- 
 able; to establish, maintain and conduct libraries, schools 
 and other institutions for the study and demonstration of 
 Natural Science and of THE HARMONIC PHILOSOPHY; 
 and finally, to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire legal title 
 to or possession of such real estate and personal property as 
 may be deemed necessary or desirable in the conduct of its 
 business. 
 
152 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 All thru even these four brief articles of agreement, 
 you will have no difficulty tracing the profound wisdom 
 and foresight of the " Great Masters,' * and we may 
 well believe that at least one entire annual Convoca- 
 tion must have been devoted to planning this newest 
 venture of the Great School's American Representa- 
 tive in behalf of humanity. 
 
 This "HARMONIC ASSOCIATION" did not, of 
 course, cut any great figure in the business world, but 
 it almost gives one a sense of awe to look down the 
 miles and miles of imaginary streets, avenues and 
 boulevards lined on both sides with thousands of the 
 Great School's imaginary candy kitchens, factories, 
 restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, parlors, libraries, 
 ice cream stations, shoe-shining stands, telephone 
 booths, etc., etc. 
 
 A year or so later, in 1904-5, when the publishing 
 business began " looking up," the candy association 
 gradually died away, and we hear no more of TK's 
 plans for the "poor" until 1912. In 1910-11, some of 
 the more active students took up some Christmas 
 work among a few poor families, and the stories of 
 their experiences were received, listened to and 
 repeated with such interest that it gave TK an idea. 
 He immediately called all his invisible and invincible 
 " Great Masters" into consultation, and as near as 
 they could figure it out, "the time had come"! A day 
 or so thereafter, TK was fully inspired to imagine 
 that, as the duly qualified American Representative of 
 his " Great School," he had for "28 years" past been 
 
THE LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS 153 
 
 laboring day and night to establish an organization of 
 men and women to engage in charity work of this very 
 kind. It is our understanding that one of the students 
 really suggested the idea of organizing, but anyway, it 
 was a good idea, and dressed up in J. E. R. 's evening 
 dress-suit English it would all read well in Life and 
 Action. 
 
 The L. V. H. was duly organized in Oak Park, 111., 
 Jan. 4, 1912, with twenty-one members. It was at first 
 called the " Harmonic Association," but later was 
 incorporated as the "League of Visible Helpers" 
 The objects and purposes were: (1) to fraternally 
 unite all acceptable persons, (2) to carry on organized 
 work of charity, relief and assistance to the needy and 
 distressed, (3) to promote the cause of Equity, Justice 
 and Right, (4) to establish a fund, etc., etc., and to 
 reserve to itself "full power to enact, maintain and 
 enforce all needful laws, rules and regulations for the 
 proper government of its members, and all subordinate 
 groups and the members thereof" — Bv. 3, p. 134. 
 
 These objects and purposes are all quite worthy. 
 They are no different from those of all other similar 
 organizations. The aims of all charity movements 
 appeal to the noblest and best in human nature. They 
 are meant to do so. One point, however, that shows 
 TK's keen "spiritual" vision, is his provision for 
 the undemocratic government of subordinate groups 
 and their individual members. Nominally, this reser- 
 vation of power belonged to the Central Group, but 
 in reality TK was the one-man power of this group. 
 He said to one come, and "he cometh"; to another 
 
154 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 go, and "he goeth"; to another suspend, and he sus- 
 pendeth. 
 
 In "The Great Work," p. 448 (1906) TK tells of 
 the existence, on the spiritual planes of life, of a 
 "Liberal League of Spiritual Helpers." Later in 
 Life and Action, Bv. 3, p. 132, 2d paragraph, in refer- 
 ring to this "League" of his GS, he speaks of it simply 
 as a "League of Spiritual Helpers." On the same 
 page, 4th paragraph, he speaks of a hope of organizing 
 a "League of Physical Helpers." But behold, when 
 it came to naming his new advertising idea, he called 
 it the "LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS." 
 
 Why "VISIBLE HELPERS"? It is plainly a 
 "trade" upon the pleasing and attractive name of 
 C. W. Leadbeater's interesting and helpful little book, 
 1 ' Invisible Helpers. ' * 
 
 You will recall that one of the objects of the LVH 
 was to "unite all acceptable persons in a closer bond 
 of fellowship." Now to get a definite idea of just 
 what is meant by the word "acceptable," we quote 
 from the "President's Annual Report." Bv. 6, p. 155: 
 
 "Concerning the qualifications necessary for mem- 
 bership in the League, your President will take this 
 opportunity to say that the first and fundamental 
 qualification is that the applicant must be an accepted 
 student of the Philosophy of Natural Science. That 
 is, he must have been accepted by the Elder Brother 
 to receive Personal Instruction. ' ' 
 
 As for "featuring" a charity scheme where indi- 
 viduals give their time free to the work, there are at 
 least two kinds of people who lend themselves readily 
 to this idea: 
 
THE LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS 155 
 
 1. Those who do such work out of a clean, pure 
 heart, whether under the direction of some "move- 
 ment" or on their own personal account, and, 
 
 2. Those who are blindly supporting and working 
 for some religious or philosophic grafter. 
 
 In Life and Action, Bv. 6, p. 64, a correspondent, 
 "H. D. H." says, 
 
 "I think that the friends there at the center with 
 the TK, actively engaged in the work of teaching and 
 publishing, must feel, with him, a sensitiveness about 
 calling for financial aid. In the midst of the frauds 
 so freely perpetrated everywhere, and the general sus- 
 picion resulting, they feel an unwillingness about even 
 suggesting that they could do more effective work if 
 they but had more financial assistance." 
 
 Imagine TK feeling any sensitiveness about calling 
 for financial aid ! 
 
 . In the same Bound Volume, p. 68, TK suppresses 
 this "sensitiveness," so acutely imagined by his dis- 
 tant student, and in his campaign for money, clothing, 
 shoes, etc., says: "We have fed hundreds of families 
 in all parts of Chicago. ' ' Just why he made use of the 
 word "we" doth not appear, for it is well known 
 among his intimate associates and the members of his 
 LVH that TK never went in person to visit or minister 
 m any manner whatsoever to the poor and needy. 
 He did use a good quality of "poor-and-needy" talk, 
 when going after his readers for contributions, but so 
 far as yet learned, in not a single instance did he him- 
 self do anything in this connection except stir up and 
 spur up his workers, — and pass the hat. 
 
156 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 The following table is compiled from the Annual 
 Reports of the LVH:— 
 
 B. Vol. 
 
 Year 
 
 Families 
 
 Total 
 
 Per Family 
 
 4, P. 114 
 
 1912 
 
 49 
 
 $ 642.25 
 
 $13.10 
 
 5, P. 134 
 
 1913 
 
 80 
 
 1,000.06 
 
 12.50 
 
 6, P. 165 
 
 1914 
 
 80 
 
 1,032.88 
 
 11.73 
 
 7, P. 148 
 
 1915 
 
 96 
 
 664.55 
 
 6.92 
 
 Total number of families, 313. 
 
 Average per family, per year, $10.66. 
 
 Just about what it cost TK to feed and " clothe* ' 
 his two cats per week. 
 
 This table gives an entirely different impression 
 from that conveyed by TK's extravagant advertising 
 statement, "We are feeding hundreds of families in 
 all parts of Chicago,' ' etc., etc. 
 
 TK'S "PIN MONEY." 
 
 In Bv. 3, p. 347, the "master" explains that he is 
 obliged to sell membership pins to the members of the 
 League "as nearly at cost as possible." Later in Bv. 
 4, p. 59, he "explains" that these pins will not be sold 
 outright to members, "but given out only on a con- 
 tract of lease which leaves the legal title always in 
 the League, i. e., in your foxy "Uncle John." 
 
 At $3.50 each, about 200 pins and buttons were 
 leased to members. This total income of $700.00 
 "went" to TK personally, and has not yet come back, 
 though many in-" visible helpers" would like to be re- 
 leased to the extent of $3.50, in the currency of the 
 11 Great School." 
 
THE LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS 157 
 
 Again the Lively Parallel: 
 
 I. THEORY 
 
 In Life and Action, for Dec, 1914, TK, in drumming 
 up trade for the LVH, says : 
 
 "Each year I take an account of my material means, and 
 carefully determine how many dollars I can spare for the 
 help of the Great Army of the hungry and unclad. Then I 
 eend the amount, in a lump sum, to the League, where I 
 KNOW that it will be made to go much farther and do 
 vastly greater service than I could make it do, for those who 
 are in need." 
 
 II. PRACTICE 
 
 The following table taken directly from the Records 
 of the "League of Visible Helpers," show the follow- 
 ing significant i i lump sums } 9 contributed by TK to his 
 pet advertising novelty, the LVH. 
 
 1910 John E. Richardson $ 25.00 
 
 Nov. 22,1911.... " " " (money 
 
 advanced) 30.00 
 
 1912 John E. Richardson 
 
 Jan. 6, 1913 " " " 100.00 
 
 1914 " " " 
 
 1915 " " " 
 
 1916 " " " 
 
 GRAND Total $155.00 
 
 TK's total dividends from his Book "Company" 
 alone, during these five years, were about $40,000.00. 
 
158 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 I. MORE THEORY 
 
 Again, Bv. 5, p. 16, TK continues : 
 
 "And you will be glad to know that the beloved RA, who 
 shared with me the glorious triumph of bringing the League 
 into existence, — tho on the other side of the Great Divide — 
 is still a contributor to the Fund of the League for the re- 
 lief of those who need, and will continue to be, so long as the 
 means she left shall last. One of my greatest earthly joys 
 is that of carrying out her wishes in that regard." 
 
 II. MORE PRACTICE 
 
 The following taken directly from the Records of 
 the LVH show contributions as stated : 
 Nov. 22, 1911, Florence Huntley Richardson. . .$ 30.00 
 
 1912 
 
 Dec. 5, 1913, Check by John E. Richardson for 
 
 Florence Huntley Richardson 100.00 
 
 1914 
 
 1915 
 
 1916 
 
 Total $130.00 
 
 From the above we learn that : 
 
 1. Either the " means' ' left by Florence Huntley 
 Richardson amounted to only $130.00, or 
 
 2. TK forgot "one of his greatest earthly joys in 
 (not) carrying out her wishes, or 
 
 3. He needed her money to buy flowers for the act- 
 resses at the Warrington Theatre in Oak Park, or 
 
 4. His talk was, after all, only beautiful bunk, — and 
 why should a man contribute to his own charity game, 
 anyway, so long as he could get others to pay the 
 running expenses? 
 
THE LEAGUE OF VISIBLE HELPERS 159 
 
 STILL MORE PRACTICE 
 
 In the Summer of 1915, TK began calling for funds 
 for his Edgemoor Sanitarium venture, and knowing 
 that the Chicago LVH had some money, he set about 
 to " think* ' it out of the League's bank account into 
 the personal possession of one TK, the "Elder 
 Brother." The result of his first campaign was that 
 on Oct. 18, 1915, the League issued a check to J. E. R. 
 for $1,200.00. Then after a spiritual pause of a few 
 months, he went after them again. This time he 
 cleaned up their "funds" completely, with a check for 
 $1,948.00. 
 
 These sums, amounting to $3,148.00, together with 
 contributions from other "groups," TK called a 
 "Trust Fund," and pronounced the following tender 
 words over the remains : 
 
 "Reports of the work accomplished and of the 
 administration of all trust funds for that purpose will 
 be rendered from time to time thru the columns of 
 Life and Action. 
 
 Your Friend and Elder Brother. TK." 
 
 Then on April 1, 1916, the wiley EB played another 
 one of those humorous pranks of his, in which he with- 
 drew these trust funds from the Bank in Oconomowoc, 
 Wis., and carried them away with him, on Monday, 
 April 4, 1916. 
 
 But the Chicago Group played even on July 12, 1916, 
 at which time the voting members expelled the TK 
 from the "League of Visible Helpers." 
 
 On Feb. 1, 1917, the LVH was dissolved and thus 
 endeth another chapter. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 The Edgemoor Sanitarium 
 
 * ' Edgemoor ' ' is located about two miles northwest 
 of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. 
 
 Oconomowoc is thirty-two miles west of the brew- 
 eries "that made Milwaukee famous." 
 
 Milwaukee is eighty-five miles north of Chicago, and 
 Chicago was formerly the headquarters of TK's 
 "Great School" i. e., TK. himself. 
 
 From Chicago, TK did most of his talking about 
 this GS, and what he hoped to do — when he could 
 command the "means." 
 
 Along with other melo-dramatic topics of his ' ' Great 
 School," TK talked quite frequently and a great deal 
 about obsession, or "Subjective Insanity.' ' On this 
 subject, as on all others, he always used a good brand 
 of imitation positive statements. He claimed to have 
 studied medicine and to have had a very special course 
 of personal instruction under a first-class "Great Mas- 
 ter,' ' in the diagnosis and treatment of insanity. He 
 further claimed to have had "thousands of cases" 
 pass under his " observation,' ' and it was generally 
 believed by all who read his literature that he could 
 cast devils out of people quicker and farther and 
 faster, and do it more scientifically and with less effort 
 than any man before, during or since the days of the 
 Master Jesus. 
 
 161 
 
162 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 As early as 1903, TK publicly recommended him- 
 self in the role of a "diagnoser" of, and rapid-fire pre- 
 scriber for insanity. His idea was that being able to 
 see spiritually, all he had to do in "treating" obses- 
 sional insanity, was to open his spiritual eyes, look at 
 the obsessing spirit or spirits, give them the high sign 
 and a certain secret spiritual wink, rap them on the 
 knuckles and tell them to go about their business. 
 
 In a chapter "To the Physician/' p. 383-84, "Great 
 Psychological Crime/' we read that as an experiment, 
 TK " once-upon-a-time " went into a certain State In- 
 stitution for the Insane, and out of 600 insane inmates, 
 diagnosed and prescribed for 349 cases, each and every 
 one of whom was cured. "Not a single failure re- 
 sulted." 
 
 Thus in 1903, he gave out the hypnotic suggestion, 
 and in 1909, and thereafter, advertised, reiterated 
 and emphasized the idea; until he had two or three 
 thousand people believing and repeating his claims as 
 gospel facts. And this too without a single item of 
 evidence or proof of any kind. 
 
 Says TK, in Life and Action, Bv. 1, No. 2, p. 25: 
 
 "It is also hoped and expected that, in due course of time, 
 a private sanitarium will be equipped for the treatment and 
 cure of subjective insanity, according to the methods of the 
 Great School, as indicated in Vol. II of the Harmonic Series. 
 When that time comes, however, the facts will be announced 
 in such manner as to leave no uncertainty in the mind of any 
 who may be interested. At the present time there are phy- 
 sicians in course of preparation for such a work, but the 
 School is not yet in possession of sufficient material means 
 to equip an institution. ' ' 
 
 For "material means/' TK was ever on the look- 
 
THE EDGE MO OR SANITARIUM 163 
 
 out, and his opportunity to put his illusory " sanita- 
 rium' ' into effect came in 1915. In an almost incred- 
 ibly short space of time and with an ease "that passeth 
 all understanding, ' ' he turned the trick. Thru the 
 simple means of a half-dozen personal, forceful, fol- 
 low-up letters, which for calculating sagacity, " punch' ' 
 and quick action would amaze a Philadelphia lawyer, 
 your "Uncle John" succeeded in having a property 
 valued at the enormous sum of $650,000.00 deeded over 
 to his imaginary ' * Great School. ' ' 
 
 But note what a beautiful, external polish he puts 
 on this transaction: — 
 
 "Thru channels that are entirely constructive, and in har- 
 mony with the Spirit of the Work, the Great School has come 
 into possession of a magnificent property. . . . The prop- 
 erty lies two miles north from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, in 
 the most picturesque and beautiful spot that can well be im- 
 agined. It consists of 28 acres of land that have been im- 
 proved to the extent of over $650,000.00. "—Bv. 6, p. 235. 
 
 Later, in Life and Action, Vol. 7, No. 1, Dec, 1915, 
 in his usual masterly, misleading manner, TK gives us 
 another and little more poetic glimpse of how he 
 landed this property : 
 
 " Suddenly and without warning there came to us 
 as if it had dropped from the sky, a property which I 
 verily believe cannot be duplicated in the entire United 
 States.' ' 
 
 It "dropped" alright, but not until TK had spread 
 his net and gone after the "sky" with his smooth, 
 fluidic, persuasive English. 
 
 The acquisition of this property opened up new 
 visions of profits, and TK began at once to need money 
 and to need it awfully "quick and fast." 
 
164 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Now it so happened that the Chicago Group of 
 League of Visible Helpers had on hand a considerable 
 sum of money: money which had been donated by hun- 
 dreds of people with the definite understanding and 
 for the express purpose that it was to be used for char- 
 itable work among the poor and needy. 
 
 It was at this point that the "master," by a little 
 metaphysical hocus-pocus which he affectionately 
 referred to as a "Trust Fund" for the use of the 
 "Edgemoor Sanitarium, ' 9 succeeded in wheedling 
 $3,000.00 out of the Chicago LVH.— (L. & A., Vol. 7, 
 No. 1, p. 20). This "noble" example was promptly 
 used on the other Leagues and individuals here and 
 there over the States, and very soon additional checks 
 and drafts, money orders and currency, were going the 
 way of the funds of the "Central League." 
 
 TK humorously promised that reports of the admin- 
 istration of all trust funds would be published, from 
 time to time, in "Life and Action/' but somehow 
 1 ' from time to time ' ' he reported not. 
 
 The less than 4,000 readers of Life and Action read 
 the "Edgemoor" announcements, but not many com- 
 ments were offered one way or another. The great 
 majority seemed to say: "TK has for the past ' thirty 
 years' been making certain unusual claims about his 
 ability to cure insanity ; he now has an opportunity to 
 back up those claims with something real and tangi- 
 ble." Some, long used to the "master's" boasts and 
 promises, simply waited courteously, and said nothing. 
 Comparatively few even of the 500 or so "accredited" 
 students made any show of lively interest. Those stu- 
 
THE EDGEMOOR SANITARIUM 165 
 
 dents who had completed the Ethical Work, and espe- 
 cially those who were going to live at Edgemoor, or 
 those who expected to be there later on, furnished all 
 the enthusiasm. 
 
 There were comparatively few inquiries for Sani- 
 tarium literature, and most of these requests came, 
 not from prospective patients or their relatives or 
 guardians, but from "Friends" and students who 
 wished to help advertise the new i ' charity. ' ■ Outside 
 the limited number of readers of TK's magazine, few 
 people ever even heard of this Edgemoor adventure. 
 
 The Sanitarium was officially opened for business 
 Feb. 1, 1916. The March- April No. of Life and Action 
 contained a reprint of an Oconomowoc Enterprise 
 article, and this was the last that subscrib- 
 ers heard of the great Edgemoor " Sanitarium. ' ' As 
 time passed, Friends asked what had become of little 
 Edgemoor, but on this subject all was as quiet as a 
 country cemetery. However, since for the past 18 
 years, people have been buying TK's fiction and pay- 
 ing for it at regular philosophy prices, they are now 
 entitled to the truth, and we hope to be able to set 
 these facts down in plain, simple, every-day English. 
 
 1. All TK's Talk about his knowledge of, and 
 experience and success in diagnosing and curing insan- 
 ity is simply bluff and pretense — pure, deliberate and 
 original. 
 
 2. There is no evidence whatever to substantiate 
 the tale recorded in "The Great Psychological Crime/ 7 
 p. 383-84. On the contrary, it is known to be abso- 
 lutely and most positively untrue and impossible. 
 
166 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 3. So far as can be proven, TK never at any time 
 diagnosed, released or cured a single case of subjective 
 or any other kind of insanity. 
 
 4. TK never in any instance instructed or trained 
 anyone so that they, as a result of his pretended teach- 
 ings, could diagnose, release or cure what he termed 
 subjective insanity, or obsession — his own published 
 statements, and inferences to the contrary notwith- 
 standing. 
 
 5. TK was not a physician in any sense of the word. 
 He did not study medicine, as he claims to have done, 
 in the Iowa State University, at Iowa City, Iowa. 
 
 6. Neither TK nor his imaginary " Great School" 
 possessed any secret "formularies" for or methods of 
 treating insanity, such as he falsely led his readers to 
 believe he had demonstrated to his students. 
 
 7. His suggestion that "thousands of cases of 
 insanity had passed under his observation" is very 
 good evidence that he can get most any kind of a "per- 
 sonal experience," "record" or "proof" out of his 
 imagination. 
 
 8. Many people : students and non-students, physi- 
 cians and laymen, can testify that they applied to 
 TK for both diagnosis and treatment for insane cases, 
 and all the satisfaction they ever got out of him was 
 an excuse or dodge of some kind. In a few instances 
 he was called into consultation by two or three stu- 
 dents of his philosophy, Chicago physicians ; but each 
 of these men now know that they knew far more about 
 their cases than TK did, and that he was simply pit- 
 ting his pretensions against their actual knowledge, 
 
THE EDGEMOOR SANITARIUM 167 
 
 experience, and professional training and skill. These 
 physicians are sincere, honest and honorable men. In 
 asking TK into consultation they did so, just the same 
 as they would call in any man whom they had been 
 led to believe was honest and capable of rendering 
 some possible service to the patients under their care. 
 See "Review of "The Great Psychological Crime." 
 
 NOW AS TO EDGEMOOR 
 
 The Sanitarium was ' ' officially ' ' open from Feb. 1, 
 to July 1, 1916. The entire move was undertaken 
 purely upon belief in TK's pretensions that thru the 
 exercise of certain spiritual powers, he could diagnose 
 and release certain insane patients from obsessing 
 spiritual intelligences. The results of the whole ven- 
 ture at Edgemoor proved positively that TK did not 
 possess the powers to which he pretended, and that 
 he had neither the knowledge nor the ability to diag- 
 nose, treat or prescribe for insanity, — or any thing 
 else for that matter. 
 
 Only five (5) patients were received at Edgemoor, 
 and of this number, three (3) were "pay" patients, 
 as follows: 
 
 1. A patient from Chicago, the expense of whose 
 treatment was met by the * ' Central League of Visible 
 Helpers.' ' No benefit reported, other than physical. 
 
 2. In this instance, the patient is a sister of a 
 former student and ' i Friend of the Work. ' ' For sev- 
 eral years she had been a patient in one of the Cali- 
 fornia State Hospitals for the Insane. The relatives 
 live in the State of Washington. They are honest, 
 
168 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 industrious and worthy people, but unable to have the 
 sister cared for in a private Sanitarium. 
 
 Having read TK 's literature for a number of years, 
 and being misled as so many others have been by his 
 theories regarding insanity, they concluded the sister 
 was under spirit control or obsession. Thus, when 
 they learned of the opening of the Edgemoor Sani- 
 tarium they resolved to undertake any sacrifice in 
 order to place their sister under TK's direction and 
 treatment. Entirely upon their confidence in TK and 
 his published statements as to his ability, knowledge 
 and experience in treating insanity, they planned to 
 have her removed as soon as possible. They had "the 
 utmost confidence in his integrity and unbounded faith 
 in his power to live and operate upon both the 
 physical and spiritual planes, and also in his great 
 and earnest and sincere desire to help "suffering 
 humanity." 
 
 Under these circumstances, and at very great per- 
 sonal sacrifice, one of the family made the trip to Cali- 
 fornia and accompanied the patient to Oconomowoc, 
 Wis., — a distance of several thousand miles. The fol- 
 lowing few sentences taken from a recent letter "ex- 
 plains" the results: 
 
 "My sister was in the Edgemoor Sanitarium from 
 the 11th of April until the 20th of June, when to our 
 almost overwhelming disappointment, we were noti- 
 fied to take her away." 
 
 Not being in position to send anyone for their sis- 
 ter at the time, the family was compelled to make ar- 
 rangements for her detention for the time being in a 
 
THE EDGEMOOR SANITARIUM 169 
 
 private sanitarium in Chicago. Thus, time passed, 
 and when finally a member of the family did come for 
 the patient and had returned to Washington, the 
 expenses had mounted upward to over $1,200.00, 
 $300.00 of which had to be borrowed. These unfor- 
 tunate victims of TK's great school "philosophy" and 
 buncombe morality still have this debt hanging over 
 their heads to remind them of their " treatment' ' at 
 Beautiful Edgemoor," and their personal experience 
 with John E. Richardson's "Great Work." 
 
 In this case every cent of the expense connected 
 with the brmging of this patient to Edgemoor and her 
 removal, should have been refunded promptly, because 
 the entire outlay was the direct result of published 
 misrepresentations. 
 
 In this case, kindly note the significant fact that this 
 patient was received at Edgemoor on April 11, — seven 
 days after the TK had quit the Sanitarium. 
 
 This patient is reported as having received abso- 
 lutely no benefit. 
 
 3. In this instance, a young man, the main support 
 of his parents' home was upon his confidence in TK's 
 writings, induced to place his father in the Edgemoor 
 Sanitarium. He too, believed that an immediate diag- 
 nosis would be made, and there was an understanding 
 that as soon as it could be determined whether or not 
 the patient could be benefited or cured, the son should 
 be notified. Under these arrangements, the patient 
 was detained at the institution for over four months, 
 at $25.00 per week, and so far as the son ever heard, 
 no diagnosis of the case was ever made, altho TK and 
 
170 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 his " independent spiritual vision" was there all dur- 
 ing the first two months of the patients' detention. 
 
 Finally, the latter part of June, nearly eight weeks 
 after TK 's exposure, suddenly and without explana- 
 tion of any kind (other than that the Sanitarium was 
 to be closed) the son was ordered to remove his 
 father from the institution at once, or he would be sent 
 home at the son's expense. 
 
 In this case, also, the patient was not benefitted, and 
 shortly after his removal from Edgemoor, was com- 
 mitted to the State Insane Hospital at Elgin, 111. 
 
 This young man and his family were victims of TK 
 and his personal misrepresentations. Every cent of 
 the money obtained from him should by every law of 
 common honesty be refunded. 
 
 # # * # # 
 
 On April 1, there was a meeting of the Edgemoor 
 Board of Trustees. Upon that memorable occasion, 
 TK learned for the first time that for a month past 
 he had been under secret surveillance, and that enough 
 evidence had accumulated to relieve him from the bur- 
 den of further responsibility as the "sole representa- 
 tive" of his "Great Work in America.' ' 
 
 In June, Edgemoor was legally returned to the 
 donor, and on July 1, Edgemoor Sanitarium was of- 
 ficially dissolved, and soon faded away into the things 
 of which memory is made. 
 
 What 20th Century Fiction! 
 
 But with it all, Blessed be Edgemoor! For there 
 occurred the beginning of the end of a time of blkid 
 belief and mental darkness for several hundred souls 
 
THE EDGEMOOR SANITARIUM 171 
 
 — perhaps for many thousands, in the course of future 
 generations. 
 
 Blessed be the Light! 
 
 Blessed be the Watchers with the Independent 
 Physical Vision. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 The Department of Personal Instruction 
 
 What was this instruction? Why was it a secret in- 
 struction? If it was simply an instruction and train- 
 ing in moral principles, why was it not published 
 frankly and openly to all the world? Did it really con- 
 stitute an accurate and final ethical education in such 
 manner, and to such a degree, as to enable one to live 
 a daily life in conscious, perfect and mathematical 
 harmony with all of Nature's laws, forces and prin- 
 ciples ? 
 
 There can be no question but that "secrecy" is a 
 strong psychological cord with which it is possible to 
 so bind men and women that they may for years be 
 held in a kind of spiritual unconsciousness to every- 
 thing except the directing voice and influence to which 
 they give attention. 
 
 The one thing that made possible the integration, 
 development and exploitation of those who were drawn 
 into the activities of the " Great School" was secrecy. 
 Back of or beyond the books, the students and every- 
 thing connected with the movement, was the secret 
 personal instruction. To this, all who took the philos- 
 ophy seriously aspired. To this everything in the 
 books directed attention. And to make it more attrac- 
 tive and give it the appearance of having no strings 
 tied to it, the reader was assured over and over again 
 that it was FREE ; that it could not, under any circum- 
 
 172 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 173 
 
 stance whatsoever, be purchased or obtained upon any- 
 other terms than as a Gift. 
 
 To make it still more attractive, it was evidently 
 purposely clothed in great mystery. 
 
 1. By advertising it as a secret work. 
 
 2. By misrepresenting its nature, its origin and 
 antiquity, and, 
 
 3. By greatly exaggerating its importance and 
 value, and its possible effects upon the individual in- 
 telligence. 
 
 TK impressed certain of his readers to believe that 
 what he called the " secret work," was the results of 
 tens of thousands of years of study, experiment and 
 demonstration; that it represented in a condensed, 
 crystallized form the essence of all religion, philosophy 
 and science known to man. 
 
 This impression originally applied to the twelve 
 problems comprising the "Ethical Section,' ' or Secret 
 Formulary, but as time passed and " preliminary' ' and 
 "supplementary" courses were added to the difficulties 
 of the applicant, these too evolved to the dignity of 
 secret work. In this way students of late years came 
 to believe that all these steps in the process of initia- 
 tion were handed down from ages long since forgotten 
 of men. 
 
 Naturally this idea is quite impressive — if you hap- 
 pen really to believe it. But once you know just what 
 this secret personal instruction consists of and exactly 
 how it works itself out in practice — its real meaning 
 and the purpose bach of it all — there is then no mys- 
 tery. You begin to see from the viewpoint of a disin- 
 terested spectator, and the feeling of your having been 
 
174 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 deprived of some great privilege that you imagined 
 essential to your happiness, gently leaves you and 
 fades away forever. You breathe freely once more, 
 you smile softly and even congratulate yourself on 
 your not having been permitted to sit at the " mas- 
 ter V feet. This is especially true of all those who, in 
 the face of an absorbing and profound conviction that 
 this " Great School* ' possessed the only true knowl- 
 edge of life accessible to humanity, — were denied ad- 
 mittance to studentship. Some who were repeatedly 
 denied what they imagined to be priceless spiritual 
 benefits and the companionship of a " chosen* ' people, 
 suffered for years as if ostracised of men and forsaken 
 by their God. To these, the Light of Truth will be 
 welcome, and its healing rays will awaken into new 
 life some of the long unsung songs of the Soul. 
 
 Of late years and to new comers, TK's highway to 
 spiritual progress appeared to be quite elaborate. 
 Back in the nineties, however, it was just a simple 
 affair. Until 1903 there was but one "text" book; 
 there were no preliminary questions, no "test" course, 
 no examinations to pass, no references required, no 
 anything, as of late years, to frighten the soul stiff 
 with fear of failure. 
 
 New experiences, circumstances, changes, interests 
 and relationships are inevitable in the course of every 
 life, no matter how humble or how exalted its position 
 or nature may be. By this process Nature, or Uni- 
 versal Intelligence appears to be forever engaged in 
 growing individuals. And in making these daily and 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 175 
 
 hourly adjustments in our lives all of us come to puz- 
 zling situations; situations, questions and problems 
 which put our very best intelligence to the test. Nat- 
 urally then we would all like to rind and possess some 
 kind of Magic Eule by which to measure off these per- 
 sonal puzzles and problems, with the same ease and 
 accuracy that the dry-goods merchant measures off a 
 yard or five yards of cloth. We feel that if we could 
 but find such a Rule, all our difficulties and lessons 
 would be at an end forever. A fairy dream, perhaps, 
 but its realization would no doubt put an "end" to us 
 as individuals. It would immediately and effectually 
 close all those glorious hours of golden opportunities 
 in the "School of Life" which alone can lead us up- 
 ward out of the darkness of inexperience, pain and 
 discord, into the pure spiritual light of our own in- 
 tellectual and moral development. Regarding his very 
 secret and personal course of Ethical Instruction, TK 
 represents it to be a " formulary, ' f — Nature's formu- 
 lary,— a formulary discovered, demonstrated and used 
 for many thousands of by-gone years ; a formulary he 
 himself received out of the "ages" in all its original 
 and ancient purity, etc., etc. 
 
 But let us examine this very secret course of instruc- 
 tion and see what it is, how it operates and what it has 
 done, is doing, or will do for its ' ' students. ' ' 
 
 Application for this instruction was nearly always 
 by correspondence, and usually made thru the Indo- 
 American Book Co. Upon receipt of inquiry or appli- 
 cation, if TK concluded the writer was not "ready," 
 he simply put him off with advice to secure and read a 
 list of the books of his Book Co. If they showed signs 
 
176 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 of being already sufficiently impressed and suscep- 
 tible of aligning themselves with the exoteric work of 
 advertising the movement, the road to the TK's 
 " South " was about as follows: 
 
 Upon acceptance of TK's terms, a list of " Prelim- 
 inary Questions' ' were sent to the applicant. These 
 questions were 48 in number, and covered very thor- 
 oughly the applicant's philosophic, religious, domes- 
 tic and personal life, and constituted an index to the 
 individual's future possible usefulness to the " Great 
 School." 
 
 The list being answered satisfactorily, the applicant 
 was instructed to prepare for a rigid examination on 
 the contents of the four books and booklet named. As 
 an aid to this preparation, the Question Booh and Key 
 were used. Upon this part of the TK's " Great 
 Work," the applicant was required to spend not less 
 than three hours daily, and even with this extravagant 
 waste of time, it took from one to three years — in some 
 cases longer — to write out the answers, and memorize 
 the books sufficiently to stand an examination on their 
 contents. 
 
 Following a satisfactory written examination which 
 lasted from a few months to as many years, TK 
 officially accepted the candidate *s application, gave the 
 official "nod" to some local group, and the applicant 
 was "elected" to be admitted to the next regular step 
 known as the "Test Course." 
 
 This "course" consisted of 52 subjects of from a 
 dozen to two dozen questions each, printed in imitation 
 type-writer type. Besides these "official" lists, the 
 "course" included sixteen supplementary lists on the 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 177 
 
 spiritual subjects of i ' Flirting, * ' " Indolence,' ' "Luke- 
 warmness, ,, " Shirking, ' ' etc., to be used at the dis- 
 cretion of the "instructor" assigned. 
 
 This "Test Course" required not less than one 
 year's time, and the subjects covered constituted a 
 most exacting personal quiz on all sorts of personal 
 questions, the answers to which gave TK a fairly cor- 
 rect estimate of the student's individual convictions, 
 mode of life, ideals, aims and abilities, strong and weak 
 points, and his possible usefulness to the GREAT 
 CAUSE, i. e., to TK. 
 
 These results were exactly what were contemplated 
 in the preparation of this Test Course. It was not 
 for the purpose of testing the applicant's spiritual de- 
 velopment or possibilities, but to test his "loyalty," 
 i. e., his willingness to accept the TK's rule of secrecy 
 and the heel of authority which he imposed. Not but 
 that some of these lists of questions comprising the 
 "Test Course," might have a certain amount of in- 
 terest and possible value in the analysis of a man's 
 mental attitudes and activities, but in this instance 
 the whole idea was put to a wrong use. Under false 
 impressions as to its spiritual value, importance and 
 the purpose which it was supposed to serve, several 
 hundred people wasted from one to five years of all 
 the time they could spare, to this "great work." 
 
 To give you an idea of just what this Test Course 
 consisted, we will here reproduce a few pages of the 
 lists of questions submitted to the student. 
 
178 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 JEALOUSY AND ENVY 
 
 What is Jealousy? Define in your own words. 
 
 What destructive elements enter into it? 
 
 Are you ever Jealous? 
 
 Is there a cure for it? 
 
 How do you know? 
 
 Is Jealousy a Proof of LOVE? 
 
 Do you believe it possible for two people who LOVE 
 each other TRULY and without reservation, ever to 
 be Jealous of or toward each other? 
 
 What is the distinction between the " Jealousy" of 
 the betrayed love or friendship, and the " Jealousy* p of 
 Suspicion and Imagination? 
 
 Which is the more destructive? 
 
 What is the corrective of unwarranted Jealousy? 
 
 What is ENVY? Define, analyze and illustrate. 
 
 Is this a common trait of human nature? 
 
 What is the psychological effect of Envy upon the 
 one who indulges it? 
 
 What is the corrective? 
 
 Are you m any sense a "Money LoverV 
 
 Do you spend money easily, or with regrets? 
 
 How does the possession of Wealth by others affect 
 you? 
 
 Do you envy those who have more than you? 
 
 If you had $1,000,000 of your own, what USE would 
 you make of it? 
 
 In what ways, if at all, would you Indulge your- 
 self? 
 
 Do you, IN PRACTICE, apply the Law of Com- 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 179 
 
 pensation to Material Possessions, or only to Spiritual 
 things? 
 
 Why? 
 
 Kindly note that after successfully asking nineteen 
 questions on the subject of "Jealousy and Envy/' we 
 suddenly discover the " master' ' shifting around to his 
 favorite pastime of 
 
 " Money, money, who's got the money ?" 
 
 Which brings us again to TK's application of his 
 knowledge of psychology to the problem of money. 
 The "Test Course' ' consisted of 52 subjects, submitted 
 weekly. The last two topics were timed for the last 
 two weeks of the student's probation. He was about 
 to complete a long, tiresome work. He was approach- 
 ing the wonderful Ethical Section — the real instruc- 
 tion. He was soon to be an "ethical student." The 
 long sought, long struggled-for Secret Work was just 
 coming into view. Says TK, "This is the psycho- 
 logical moment," and so it was, as the following lists 
 of Test questions show : 
 
 51. MONEY 
 
 What is Money, as you understand it? 
 
 What do you consider its legitimate Function? 
 
 What do you consider a legitimate income? 
 
 What do you regard as a Surplus ? 
 
 What do you hold to be the right Uses of a Surplus? 
 
 Which do you enjoy most, to earn, to accumulate, 
 or to hoard, Money? 
 
 Or, does it give you greater satisfaction to spend, 
 give or squander? 
 
 Why? 
 
180 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Define, analyze and illustrate the individual you 
 would call Economical. 
 
 One you would call Saving. 
 
 A Penurious person. 
 
 A Miserly person. 
 
 In the same way define, analyze and illustrate one 
 you would call Liberal, Generous and Just? 
 
 Also one who is extravagant and Prodigal in the 
 use of Money? 
 
 Which of these is your own Ideal? 
 
 Among your family, do you regard your Material 
 income as exclusively your OWN, to dispose of as you 
 please? 
 
 Or, do you hold it as a Trust for the benefit of all? 
 
 Why? ' 
 
 What, in your judgment, must be the right internal 
 attitude of Soul on this subject of Money, in one who 
 seeks to become a Representative of this Great School, 
 and a participator in this Great Work? 
 
 Why? 
 
 Turn the searchlight upon your own Soul and ask 
 yourself if your own attitude toward material posses- 
 sions justifies the Great School in giving you further 
 instruction, and justifies you in claiming fellowship 
 with the Great Friends and Teachers of Humanity? 
 
 52. THE BEST GIFT 
 
 All things duly considered, which do you hold to be 
 the more worthy and valuable Gift: (1) A gift of 
 one's time, energy, personal effort, knowledge and ex- 
 perience, or (2) a Gift of Money? 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 181 
 
 According to your own view, who has made the more 
 commendable Gift to a worthy cause, — the man who 
 gives his life, with all its intelligent faculties, capac- 
 ities and powers ; or, one who gives but a part of his 
 material surplus ? 
 
 Give me your own analysis of why it is that men of 
 the world, generally speaking, seem to regard a gift 
 of money as of so much greater value and importance 
 than any other a man can make for humanity? 
 
 Weighed in the balance of time, which do you think 
 will count for most (for individual development) — the 
 gift of one 's time, energy, knowledge, counsel and sym- 
 pathy, — or money? 
 
 For example, how would you measure values as be- 
 tween the poor man's time and the rich man's money? 
 
 Are you prepared to give to humanity out of your 
 own abundance in whatever you may possess? 
 
 If you have Time, will you give it ? 
 
 If you have Knowledge, will you impart it? 
 
 If you have Energy, will you expend it? 
 
 If you have Wisdom, will you lend it? 
 
 If you have Sympathy, will you bestow it? 
 
 If you have Money, will you use your surplus for the 
 good of mankind?* 
 
 How? 
 
 Two other "educational" questions that were used 
 earlier in the game of the "Great School," are also 
 herein reprinted : 
 
 *That is, for TK. 
 
1S2 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 i. As you understand them, to what extent is it consistent 
 with the principles of the Great Work, to accumulate wealth 
 (surplus), when there are those who have proven their devo- 
 tion to the cause that are in poverty and actual want for 
 the necessities of life? 
 
 2. Do you believe you have the moral courage to with- 
 stand the temptations of wealth without growing selfish, and 
 to USE all your legitimate surplus for the good of the Great 
 Work and the proper help of those employed in itf 
 
 What illuminating "spiritual" questions! 
 
 What magnificent training! 
 
 What lu lu hints! 
 
 And all this is a part of the profoundly secret work 
 of TK 's imaginary Great School ! 1 
 
 What a pity that so many earnest, really beautiful 
 souls have for years been kept in mental darkness, 
 dreaming and hoping, struggling and suffering, plan- 
 ning and praying — almost willing to crawl in the dust 
 — that they might be admitted to this wonderful " wis- 
 dom of the ages." All because TK cunningly made 
 it a secret work and subject wholly to his pretended 
 authority. 
 
 But as this mystery veneer is ripped off you see it 
 not as the efforts of a Great School of Masters, but 
 as the shrewd scheme of an occult pretender and 
 grafter. 
 
 All the preliminary and test course work was tedious 
 and trying. It was meant to be so, for it was simply 
 a system of "stringing" both students and applicants. 
 The object was to gain time; to admit only a limited 
 number, ever, to the Ethical Section. Every applicant 
 and accepted student wanted the more secret E S, and 
 not one would have submitted to the "preliminary" 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 183 
 
 grind and useless waste of valuable time but for the 
 reason that they were given to understand that it was 
 absolutely the only way they could get this MORAL 
 instruction. 
 
 TK's entire Great Scheme depended upon secrecy, 
 and so firmly did he hold each student and applicant, 
 that at any point along the way, and without a mo- 
 ment's notice, he could "eliminate" him or her with- 
 out even so much as a word of explanation. 
 
 Where it became known that any applicant or stu- 
 dent doubted TK's honesty or showed the least dis- 
 position whatever to question any of his personal 
 claims, his motives, manner of life, tin-horn powers 
 or authority, or what he was doing with the large sums 
 of money he had collected "for the good of the Great 
 Cause," — that applicant or student was promptly 
 "eliminated," and henceforth branded by the "mas- 
 ter" as an apostate, a dangerous spy and secret enemy 
 of his Great Fraud. And all students were warned to 
 have nothing to do with the heretic! 
 
 Some people imagined that when an applicant came 
 to TK for his course in Morals, all the "master" had 
 to do was to turn his spiritual spot lights on them or 
 in the direction of their home, and in a few winks 
 would know all about them. For such purposes, how- 
 ever, TK would never use his * l powers. f ' And it was 
 just as well, for his unique and original system of spy- 
 ing on everybody connected with him in any way, was 
 quite efficient. In fact, his spy system was a marvel of 
 perfection ; as simple, sure and automatic as it is pos- 
 sible for human intelligence to imagine. 
 
184 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 1. He secured a signed and dated detailed written 
 history of the applicant's personal life, environment 
 and past and present connections. 
 
 2. Before being ' ' admitted, ' ' each applicant was 
 required to meet at least one, sometimes several of 
 the accepted students. This was for the purpose of 
 judging the applicant's qualifications for " student- 
 ship,' ' each student being required to submit a writ- 
 ten report of his impressions concerning the applicant 
 to the TK. At the same time, the applicant was re- 
 quired to write out and submit to TK his own personal 
 impression of each student to whom he was sent. Thus 
 the GS "catched 'em agoin' an' acomin'." Thus he 
 kept a cross-file on practically everybody connected 
 in any way with his i i activities. ' ' 
 
 Here the writer wishes to give some sound advice 
 to every living soul who may ever be tempted to give 
 his or her life history to some "master." 
 
 Don't do it! 
 
 You cannot afford to do it, and above all do not put 
 it in writing. A real master would not need to have 
 your personal secrets in writing, nor would he 
 even suggest such a thing. The very fact that any man 
 advertises and holds himself out to be a "master" is 
 evidence enuf that he is either mistaken or he is a fake 
 and a fraud. If you happen to be of that type of mind 
 that simply must have a "master," then by all means 
 get one — temporarily, — but do not trust him. 
 
DEPARTMENT OF PERSONAL INSTRUCTION 
 
 185 
 
 An Applt cants Idea, of TKs Spirttfta.1 Spot Ughtg 
 
 TK in Life and Action, for Oct. 1913, says: "We now 
 have a corps of some 300, or more active 'instructors/ con- 
 stantly engaged." 
 
 Again in Dec. 1914, he says: 
 
 "To-day we have thus educated a very few thousands of 
 such students in America, and they are scattered from one 
 end of the country to the other." 
 
 Again, in Bv. 4, p. 294: 
 
 "The largest number in any one center does not exceed 
 100 men and women. Then there are groups of 50, 25, 15, 
 10, 5 and so on here and there in the cities and towns in all 
 parts of the United States." 
 
186 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 If you have been under the impression that TK's 
 students numbered into the thousands or tens of thou- 
 sands, the following table will set you right. This 
 table compiled direct from the records of " Active 
 Students' ' to date of July 1st, 1916, gives you the 
 exact number of students and their relation to the 
 great " secret' ' work. This table covers ALL recog- 
 nized students, including those " scattered from one 
 end of the country to the other." 
 
 PRELIMINARY TO ETHICAL SECTION 
 
 Accepted 30 
 
 Taking First General Examination 69 
 
 Completed First General Examination 6 
 
 Working on Test Course 151 
 
 Completed Test Course 24 
 
 Working on Examination for ES 9 
 
 Completed Examination for ES 41 
 
 Total 330 
 
 ETHICAL SECTION 
 
 Working on Ethical Section 129 
 
 Completed Ethical Section 38 
 
 On Problem After No. 12 10 
 
 Completed Problem After No. 12 7 
 
 Completed No. 13 73 
 
 Marked as Official Instructors 35 
 
 Total E S Students 292 
 
 Both Preliminary and Ethical Students 622 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 201 
 
 8. That this training constituted the first section of 
 what he calls the ' ' Technical Work of Spiritual Devel- 
 opment. ' ' 
 
 9. That this process is in every sense of the word 
 an "independent process/ ' and at every point under 
 the complete control of the student. 
 
 All of which seems quite proper and wonderful, and 
 as it should be. 
 
 The advertising of this so-called Technical Work 
 began with the publication of "Harmonics of Evolu- 
 tion" in 1899. It was continued in "The Great Psy- 
 chological Crime" in 1903, and again in "The Great 
 Work" in 1906. In the last named book it is meant to 
 be the crowning achievement of the entire volume; in 
 fact, of the entire Harmonic Series. It is the central 
 idea around which everything else revolves, and up to 
 which every other line of thot reaches. 
 
 In a plausible sort of way and in a manner evi- 
 dently meant to give the book an air of being scientific 
 and exact, TK leads the mind, step by step, up to this 
 chapter "The Technical Work." This is his final card, 
 the premium, or reward, or inducement which lends 
 a temporary semblance of authority to himself and his 
 entire "Great Work." Take this away, and you re- 
 move THE FOUNDATION OF TK*S ENTIRE MOVEMENT. True, 
 
 such laws and principles as he assumes to elucidate, 
 remain, but the "work," the "movement" itself, is 
 not built upon principles, but upon a most flagrant 
 violation and misuse of principles, and upon belief in 
 and acceptance of TK as a " master, ' ' — an ' ' Avatar/ ' 
 or Deity. 
 
202 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Speaking of his pseudo "Technical Work," TK, in 
 "The Great Work," p. 411, says: 
 
 1 ' 1. The Technical Formulary is secret work. 
 
 2. Every individual who receives it is obliged to give it 
 only to those who have been tried and tested, and found to 
 be duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified to 
 receive it. 
 
 3. It can be given only in the same manner in which it was 
 received, which is "from mouth to ear." 
 
 4. The information contained in the Formulary is of such 
 a nature that it might be made the basis of incalculable injury 
 to the innocent if placed in the hands of the unscrupulous 
 or ambitious." 
 
 Again on pages 181, 82, 83, "The Great Work," 
 TK says : 
 
 "Every scientific formula, in order to be such, must be so 
 exact and so entirely free from the possibility of interpre- 
 tations, that every individual who uses it will be able to fol- 
 low its directions step by step from beginning to end and 
 thus prove its accuracy. 
 
 "To bring the illustration more closely to the subject 
 under immediate consideration, the formulary of the Great 
 School for the demonstration of a life after physical death, 
 is definite and specific. Any individual who can understand 
 it and who is able to comply with its terms can prove its 
 scientific value. All those who are able to follow its condi- 
 tions and provisions reach the same results. What it does 
 for one intelligent soul it will do for another under the same 
 conditions. What it does for these two it will do for as many 
 others as are able and choose to make the test in strict con- 
 formity with its terms and conditions. Thus far it has opened 
 the channels of spiritual sense for all those who have made 
 the test under all the terms and conditions prescribed. It 
 will do the same for as many more as are able to repeat the 
 process in the same way and under the same conditions. 
 These are the facts which stamp the formulary with the seal 
 of * science \" 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 203 
 
 From this last quotation one receives the distinct 
 impression that this so-called Technical Work is as 
 definite, reliable and scientific as mathematics. That 
 the claims made for an instruction and training under 
 this formulary are always sure to follow in the most 
 satisfactory and systematic manner until the entire 
 work of spiritual development is completed. The facts 
 are, however, that Tk does not possess any Technical 
 Work, such as he pretends to have. His "technical 
 work" was simply a metaphysical "gold brick," an 
 occult "confidence" trick. 
 
 In plain words: 
 
 1. TK's so-called "Technical Work of Spiritual De- 
 velopment" is not what he impresses his readers to 
 believe it to be, and, 
 
 2. It has not made possible the kind and number of 
 personal demonstrations which TK deliberately, inten- 
 tionally and falsely tries to make his readers believe 
 have been made. 
 
 A number of people in times past asked for this 
 pseudo-technical work, only to learn that it would take 
 them from four to five years special training upon a 
 so-called • scientific * ' Ethical Formulary, ' ' before 
 they could possibly be admitted to the "technical" 
 work, and even then it would be about one chance in 
 a million in favor of their ever being "admitted" to 
 this "instruction." To show you just how TK han- 
 dled honest inquirers, I shall here quote from two let- 
 ters, as follows: 
 
204 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Oak Park, 111., 8-14-1912. 
 C. E. L , 
 
 "You make quite clear, in a number of your answers, the 
 fact that the principal motive and purpose that impel you 
 to apply for instruction in this School is your desire to make 
 the scientific demonstration of another life. This motive is 
 entirely worthy, and nothing would give me further pleasure 
 than to guide you in that work of demonstration, if it were 
 a physical possibility with me at this time. 
 
 But you will understand that difficulties of my own posi- 
 tion when I explain the fact that at the present time I am 
 the only individual in this country who is authorized and 
 equipped by the Great School to give what is termed the 
 "Technical Work" which covers that part of the instruction 
 that deals with the scientific demonstration. 
 
 At the present time I am loaded down with the work of 
 the entire Movement in such a manner that I have but a very 
 small part of my time and energy that I can devote to that 
 branch of the Work. And I have a list of over 400 applicants 
 for that Work ahead of you. I could not possibly add an- 
 other student to my own personal list until I shall be able 
 to relieve myself of some of the work somewhere — which I 
 do not now see how it is possible for me to do. 
 
 For these reasons, I dare not hold out to you the remotest 
 prospect that it will be possible for me to guide you over the 
 "Technical Work" at all. For this reason I cannot hold out 
 to you any promise that you will be able to make the demon- 
 stration, because / have no Student who has gone far enough 
 to qualify a\s an Instructor in that branch of the Work. A 
 number have gone far enough to have demonstrated the future 
 life ; but they also are men who have their responsibilities of 
 families on their hands, and must devote all but a small part 
 of their time to the problem of making a living and paying 
 their debts." TK. 
 
 # * # * # 
 
 Dr. C. S. McC , 
 
 "Question 18 is as follows: 'If you knew in advance that 
 you never would have the opportunity to take up the ' ' Tech- 
 nical Work," or personally make the scientific demonstration 
 of a life after physical death, would you still desire to become 
 a Student of this School?' Your answer is 'No.' 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 205 
 
 At present I am the only individual in this country who 
 is in a position to give you or any other Student the Tech- 
 nical Work. I already have applications ahead for that 
 Work from more than 400 Students. I do not expect to do 
 more in this lifetime than to care for those who are already 
 on my waiting list. Therefore, it would be virtually a misrep- 
 resentation on my own part if I permitted you to enter upon 
 the Work in the face of your answer, and these conditions; 
 for it would be equivalent to an encouragement on my part 
 to you that at some time I shall be prepared to give you that 
 work. This I do not at all expect to do, for reasons stated. 
 
 Furthermore, that Work is a most profoundly Secret 
 Work, and can be given only ' ' from mouth to ear ; ' ' and this 
 means that before you could even hope to receive it you would 
 be compelled to put your affairs in such shape that you could 
 come to Chicago where you could be in daily touch with me 
 during all the time necessary — which is indefinite, depend- 
 ing on the ability of the Student, but at least three years 
 under favorable conditions. 
 
 These facts and conditions seem to make further progress 
 both undesirable and inexpedient on your part." TK. 
 
 Looking thru TK's files covering a number of years, 
 we find that he always had "more than 400 appli- 
 cants" for his technical instruction, ahead of all other 
 correspondents. As cheap as figures are, he could just 
 as well have made it 4,000,000 and scared his applicant 
 stiff at one single operation. 
 
 From your remembrance of what TK has written 
 on the subject of his "Technical Work," how many 
 students would you judge had taken this "work" and 
 made the scientific demonstration of another life? 
 
 I have asked this question of many people and the 
 replies have ranged all the way from a dozen to sev- 
 eral hundred. Never once was the correct number or 
 anywhere near the correct number ever guessed. 
 
206 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 In Life and Action, Bv. 1, No. 4, p. 8 (1910), TK 
 says: 
 
 "I was sixteen years in finding just two students who 
 were sufficiently 'agonized' over the great problem of another 
 life to enter upon the work of verification. These were my 
 first two regular students. And during all that time my 
 search was earnest and unremitting. ' ' 
 
 In his autobiography, TK explains that in 1887 
 Florence Huntley became his first regular student, and 
 that Dr. E. M. W. some time about 1899 became his 
 first " regular student of the Technical Work/ 9 
 
 In Bv. 4, p. 301 (Oct., 1913), TK, in speaking of 
 his Classes of Technical Students, says : 
 
 "It is a fairly well known fact, that some of the students 
 of the Central Group have been admitted to the 'Technical 
 Work/ and that they have accomplished considerable along 
 the line of their independent psychic unf oldment. ' ' 
 
 Again in the same article, same page, he says : 
 
 "In a few instances I have asked one or two of these Stu- 
 dents to explain some of the instructions and their experi- 
 ences — to certain of the Students to whom I desired to con- 
 vey the specific information covered therein." 
 
 From these quotations, one might imagine there 
 were quite a number who had taken or were taking 
 the "Technical Work." Just why TK should say, "I 
 have asked one or two of these students," etc., etc., 
 does not appear — but the way in which he speaks gives 
 one the impression that there were more than two 
 technical students. 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 
 
 207 
 
 "Do we understand you to say that TK had only 
 two i technical ' students ?" 
 
 That is exactly the truth. Just two technical stu- 
 dents, and only two. 
 
 WbewTK (THE TACK HAMMER) Delivered his 
 
 Me-mor&ble Addrefs tb aJl h«& Technical Stu.d«*vT& 
 Berth erf the™ v^ere Jsvesevft atiel listened v/itfo VAf>f attenTJ 
 
 »nM< 
 
 In the light of this fact, one knows not whether to 
 weep or simply feel amused at the following dramatic 
 "charge" made by the "master" in his memorable 
 public address to what his readers must have imag- 
 ined, was an extensive amphitheatre crouded to its 
 ceiling with Technical Students. Says TK: 
 
 " Those of you, my Students, who have been regularly 
 admitted to the Technical Work, are charged with a doubly 
 heavy burden of responsibility. For this reason, it is well 
 for you to keep the fact of your advancement in the Work 
 strictly a matter of confidence between yourselves and the 
 School.' ' 
 
 — Bv. 4, p. 304. 
 
208 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 No wonder TK urges the soft pedal on all discus- 
 sions of his " Technical' ' work, as he does in the fol- 
 lowing paragraphs : 
 
 "Do not ever introduce the subject of the 'Technical 
 Work/ at any Group Meeting, nor at any meeting of Stu- 
 dents, or Friends of the Work, — unless you have been spe- 
 cifically and definitely asked by me, or by some one of the 
 Great Friends, to do so." 
 
 "Do not ever discuss the subject with any individual who 
 is not an accredited Student in good standing; nor in any 
 event whatever, unless you have been specifically authorized 
 by me, or by my superiors, to do so." 
 
 "Make it a rule to avoid being drawn into any discussion 
 or narration of any psychic experiences you may have had 
 — unless there is some real and urgent necessity for doing 
 so. Otherwise you are liable to make the impression of 
 'boasting'." 
 
 Trust your spiritual "Uncle" to anticipate and 
 head off any discussions which are liable in any way 
 to uncover or bring into question any of his "spirit- 
 ual" pretentions. 
 
 Speaking of the necessary steps in the development 
 of the spiritual senses, TK says: 
 
 "1. A studio must be prepared and properly equipped for 
 the study of 'Spiritual Optics'." 
 
 —Great Work, p. 394 
 
 This is only so much horse-play with the reader's 
 intelligence. He purposely leaves everything to the 
 reader's imagination, with never a hint of the real 
 truth. One may conjure up all sorts of "scientific" 
 optical instruments : spiritual telescopes, astral micro- 
 scopes, angel dark lanterns, colored lights, spirit tar- 
 gets and pointers, disposition barometers, spooky sign 
 boards and ghostly guide lines indicating where the 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 209 
 
 technical student should look and what he should 
 imagine he sees. 
 
 There was really nothing of the kind. 
 
 The truth is TK's ' ' technical ' 9 work was simply a 
 "system" of concentration, entirely experimental, and 
 not unlike similar methods employed by spirit medi- 
 ums and "mystics" for thousands of years. The 
 whole "instruction" can be given in five minutes talk, 
 and its application does not in any way depend upon 
 morality or any previous knowledge of or even inter- 
 est in ethical or spiritual philosophy. The results 
 were not in any way dependent upon TK's presence, 
 as he misleads his readers to believe, tho they may 
 have been due more or less to his use or misuse of 
 suggestion, or suggestions coming from his so-called 
 "Great Masters," or Spirit Guides. 
 
 On the subject of a scientific "technical" diet, TK 
 had nothing definite or specific to suggest. The stu- 
 dent simply experimented: first with one negative 
 food, then with another. It was the same with the 
 "methods" of concentration: the student simply ex- 
 perimented: first one way, then another, and the re- 
 sults of ten to fifteen years of such experimenting, 
 were about as "scientific" as pulling one's finger out 
 of water and looking for the hole. 
 
 I purposely do not give the "method" of concen- 
 tration suggested by TK because it is unreliable and 
 dangerous. It is a forcing process, and so far as the 
 individual experiences anything at all, the results are 
 due to an auto-inversion of the channels of physical 
 sense, exactly the same as occurs in hypnotic practice. 
 The results following such tampering and interference 
 
210 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 with Nature's laws must always and inevitably be 
 indefinite and dangerous. In all such experiments, 
 the experiences which come to the experimenter are 
 just as uncertain and the kind of spirit guides at- 
 tracted just as vague and unreliable as the results of 
 any other similar process of developing mediumship. 
 
 It was the general impression among TK's readers 
 that his technical students had so far demonstrated 
 the "scientific" value of his instruction as to be able 
 to open their spiritual senses and converse with spirits. 
 This impression is absolutely untrue. 
 
 Both students suggest that while practicing certain 
 mental exercises they at times saw various colored 
 lights, and sometimes what appeared to be faces — 
 either motionless, as in a picture, or forming and dis- 
 solving as in clouds of constantly changing shadows. 
 In a few instances when " conditions' ' seemed favor- 
 able, one student saw what appeared to be pictures 
 peopled with living persons, but the experiences were 
 not under control of the student, to be seen at will 
 and voluntarily — as in the case of thousands of gen- 
 uine clairvoyants in private life, many of whom pre- 
 tend to no knowledge whatever concerning their ex- 
 periences. 
 
 # * # # # 
 
 Florence Huntley labored in behalf of TK's "Great 
 School" for sixteen years. She was TK's first stu- 
 dent. She wrote the first "text" book; was the author 
 and originator of practically all the plans and means 
 for the work of extension; she edited all of TK's writ- 
 ings, and was the head of the Woman's Department 
 of the GL S, She was recognized by all students and 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 211 
 
 friends as TK's spiritual mate. She was accepted, and 
 so announced by TK, as the only duly authorized 
 Representative of his Great Work, aside from him- 
 self. She died in 1912. 
 
 Here at least it would appear that the two technical 
 students would have demonstrated and proven to 
 themselves, and to the Chicago students, the reliability 
 of their " technical' ' training. One had been a tech- 
 nical student for twelve years, the other for three 
 years. In the course of their experimenting both had 
 had some experiences which, at the time, they believed 
 to be constructive and genuine. Under the circum- 
 stances, it would seem reasonable to expect that every 
 possible effort from both planes of life would be made 
 whereby both of these men would be able to see, recog- 
 nize and communicate with Florence Huntley face to 
 face. Such a demonstration would have constituted a 
 crowning achievement in support of the truth and 
 value of TK's teachings. 
 
 But what are the facts? 
 
 Did either of the two technical students communi- 
 cate with Mrs. Huntley following her death? 
 
 Did either of them see her or otherwise recognize, 
 or sense her presence, state or condition? 
 
 Absolutely NO. 
 
 The only word that was supposed to come from her 
 
 THRU ANY CHANNEL CONNECTED WITH THE SO-CALLED 
 
 g. s. was a few suggestions by TK to the effect that 
 she had gone swiftly to the "8th spiritual plane" and 
 was no longer subject to the law of earthly gravity. 
 And considering the life TK was living at the time of 
 
212 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 these alleged " messages' ' we may safely assume that 
 he was simply faking. 
 
 Surely if the results of TK's "Technical Work of 
 Spiritual Development' ' were as nothing under cir- 
 cumstances of this kind, we may properly conclude 
 that it is not what he represents it to be and will not 
 do for the student what he claims for it. We may 
 then safely conclude that no very valuable " scien- 
 tific' ' demonstrations are ever likely to be made under 
 that particular process, no matter how great or an- 
 cient or well advertised it may happen to be. 
 
 It is the opinion of the only two men who took the 
 Technical Work that in addition to his misuse of 
 psychological suggestions and influences, TK has been 
 simply an impressional medium. This would seem to 
 be borne out by the following statement made by TK 
 himself relative to his Technical instruction: 
 
 "Under certain conditions, his consciousness will slowly 
 but surely respond to the play of spiritual forces and condi- 
 tions. His first conscious experience of this kind may come 
 to him thru any one of the five spiritual senses. It may he 
 that he will first become aware of 'Presences' about him 
 thru the sense of spiritual touch. Or it may he he will see 
 a spiritual form or light.' ' 
 
 This in substance reads exactly the same as one may 
 find in dozens of books on mediumship, and indicates 
 very clearly that his "independent process" is the 
 same that "waits" for "the play of spiritual forces 
 and conditions." The results may be one thing or 
 another, but whatever experiences may come (if any 
 come at all) they are NOT subject to the will, choice 
 or control of the student or medium. 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 213 
 
 Another point : If what TK professed to know and 
 teach along the lines of spiritual development, and the 
 influences back of him were constructive, why did some 
 of his most advanced students — those closest to him 
 for years — have personal experiences in which they 
 "saw" what they could only describe as "Terrors" 
 — reports of which were carefully and closely guarded 
 from all but the most trusted inner students? 
 
 The mere recital of these personal experiences, as 
 they were reported, would be sufficient to shock the 
 strongest intelligence, and for the moment, paralyze 
 all his senses with an unnamable horror. 
 
 TK "explained" that these experiences were Na- 
 ture's "tests" of the individual's courage and right 
 to progress in his "Great School." 
 
 But why such soul-paralyzing, terrifying influences 
 and entities in such intimate fellowship with the "mas- 
 ter ' ' — a vital part of his ' l system " of " spiritual devel- 
 opment ' ' ? 
 
 It appears that whenever TK was in touch with any 
 spiritual conditions at all, it was with those of the 
 lower astral planes of darkness, and not the planes of 
 spiritual Light. 
 
 Many sensitives have testified that at various times 
 and places they have both seen and felt these un- 
 friendly influences when in the same house with TK. 
 
 Hundreds of people testify to having been warned 
 in one way or another to keep away from and to have 
 nothing to do with either TK or his so-called "school." 
 And we wish here to state that many of the people 
 thus forewarned know that these warnings came from 
 relatives and friends in the Spiritual Summer Land. 
 
214 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 We wish further to state most clearly and earnestly 
 that what has been said in ftiis chapter applies solely 
 to TK's so-called "Technical" work and to that par- 
 ticular "worW only. 
 
 Not a single word is in question of the existence of 
 the spirit world, — of the continued intelligent activi- 
 ties and conscious, uninterrupted individual identity 
 of relatives and friends who have passed to those 
 planes, nor of actual and tangible communication with 
 those relatives and friends. 
 
 Let this fact sink deeply into your soul and abide 
 with you forever. 
 
 There is a spirit world, just as there is a material 
 world, — a "Summer Land," — a world of unlimited 
 planes of conscious, victorious, immortal individual 
 life. And those we love, and those we do not love, 
 those we know and those whom we may never know: 
 — thousands of millions of spirits first born upon the 
 earth plane, now live in glories undreamed of, unimag- 
 inable to mortal intelligence, in homes in those bright 
 worlds of light and progress. The pathway, the pow- 
 ers and possibilities of the soul when liberated from 
 this plane are illuminated with the light of Suns and 
 Sons more glorious than any possible earthly com- 
 parison. 
 
 Not only do our Beloved and the friends and com- 
 panions of our earthly confidence, dwell in security 
 upon the spirit side of life, but not one of us living 
 this side of the Friendly, Waiting Gateway, but walks 
 daily and every conscious and unconscious moment of 
 
TK'S TECHNICAL WORK 215 
 
 our existence in this "Light from Above." There is 
 no other light, for life and light are inseparable, and 
 both are spiritual. Look into the eyes of one who has 
 passed from his physical body: the "light" has gone; 
 the one who was and is Life has departed. 
 
 If we live at all, we must live in light. Light is the 
 native element of our spirit, because we are spiritual 
 beings. The world-beloved Teacher, Jesus of Naza- 
 reth, said of some whose spiritual minds were asleep, 
 "They are dead while they live." Spirits dwell in 
 light according to the light awakened and developed 
 within themselves. This is the ' ' Kingdom of Heaven. ' ' 
 "If the light that is in you be darkness, how great is 
 that darkness." 
 
 Our Beloved not only dwell upon planes more sub- 
 stantial than this changing, crumbling, uncertain, tem- 
 porary earth plane, but every one of us has been as- 
 sisted and is being assisted from the spirit side of life, 
 by those who have preceded us to that glorious experi- 
 ence. They are more interested in the great problems 
 of life than ever. They see with the clearer vision; 
 they realize there the meaning, the interpretation, the 
 possibilities of our present life and its far-reaching 
 effects more definitely than we can ever know until 
 we too join them and view the path from that side. 
 
 In this chapter we have said that no message ever 
 came from Florence Huntley thru any channels con- 
 nected with the so-called ' ' Great School. ' ' 
 
 But communications have- been received from Flor- 
 ence Huntley, the same individual, the same intelli- 
 gence, the same Florence Huntley who lived and was 
 deceived, and suffered and gave the best years of her 
 
216 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 life toward establishing what TK deliberately misled 
 her to believe was the work of a Great Spiritual School 
 of Light. 
 
 Florence Huntley today lives consciously upon the 
 spiritual planes of life. She has communicated with 
 those who were her true friends upon the earth plane. 
 And as she gave her earth life to what she was 
 impressed by a deceiver to believe was her duty, so 
 now she works just as bravely and with the same 
 quality of fearless honesty and^ determination and 
 nobility of spirit to undo, unmask, counteract and ex- 
 pose the false, misleading claims and pretentions of 
 the TK who so shamelessly represented himself to the 
 world as a " master.' ' 
 
 To Florence Huntley is due much of the credit for 
 the data embodied in this volume. For months, to- 
 gether with other spiritual helpers, she has labored to 
 bring about this present message to mankind. Time 
 after time she has made it possible to locate certain 
 data and documents hidden away in places where she 
 alone knew of their existence and their important 
 bearing upon certain phases of the subject matter of 
 this book. 
 
 •?? ^W TT * Vp 
 
 With all the earnestness and intensity of her soul, 
 she has desired, and urged and assisted with this work, 
 in order that the facts contained in these pages may 
 be given to the world. 
 

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CHAPTER XVI 
 "Doctor" Richardson (TK) and the Oxydonor 
 
 "OXY,"HAIL! 
 
 A song without words, 
 
 A cure without drugs, 
 
 This triumph of science outleaps 
 
 Every tonic and toner, 
 
 All hail, Oxydonor! 
 
 That cures a man up while he sleeps. 
 
 P'r'aps you've not heard 
 
 How the plant and the bird, 
 
 And horses bowed down with the heaves, 
 
 Were vitalized quite, 
 
 In space of a night, 
 
 As were cockroaches, kittens and beeves. 
 
 Would we could inspire 
 
 You now to inquire, 
 
 And ask us to fully explain 
 
 How we guarantee 
 
 Without any fee, 
 
 Rosy health and redemption from pain. 
 
 F. H. 
 
 219 
 
220 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 In his autobiography, TK makes record of his mov- 
 ing from Minneapolis to Chicago, as follows: 
 
 (1). " About the end of that time, 1891, I removed 
 to Chicago." 
 
 (2). "In the Autumn of 1890, I came to Chicago 
 and, with three of the good business men of Chicago, 
 formed a business association with which I remained 
 connected until 1900." 
 
 You will note that TK does not tell us what this 
 business "association" was; also that his dates do 
 not seem to be "affinities" by several months. Evi- 
 dences, however, show that he was in Chicago and in 
 "business" either in 1899 or in January, 1890. His 
 "business" at that time was promoting the old-time, 
 reliable "Oxydonor" Doctor, for which TK and his 
 partner were "Exclusive General Dealers for the 
 State of Illinois." 
 
 Most of our older readers will recall the "Oxy- 
 donor" craze. The instrument consisted of a hollow, 
 closed metal tube, about four inches long and one and 
 one-half inches in diameter, all highly nickle-plated 
 and having a red cord attached to one end. It was 
 widely and wildly advertised some twenty-five years 
 ago, and tens of thousands of people all over the 
 country went in for the red-string treatment. 
 
 The Government finally tried one of the "oxydon- 
 ors," discovered the hoax and decided the thing was a 
 fraud. As a result, the inventor was denied the use 
 of the mails, and his business declared fraudulent. 
 This of course put an end to the local activities of all 
 "Exclusive General Dealers," and so we find "Doc- 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 221 
 
 tor" Richardson with thousands of other representa- 
 tives and agents going out of "business." 
 
 But it is doubtful if there was another oxydonor 
 agent in the country who sold the instrument more 
 cheerfully or philosophically than TK. His scientific 
 ethical training, his independent spiritual vision and 
 hearing, his ability to withdraw from his spir- 
 itual body, his love for humanity and utter disregard 
 for money would naturally fit him for the business, 
 and enable him to "do" everybody good. 
 
 The following oxydonor "poems" passed between 
 TK and one of his friends, a physician of the Regular 
 School of Medicine. These efforts to immortalize the 
 Oxydonor give us another view of the "master's" 
 metaphysics. If TK's poetry should seem a bit bet- 
 ter than his friend's, it is due to the fact that he always 
 wrote with an "OXY" attached to his leg, and the 
 "power" turned on to XXX. 
 
222 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 OXYDONOR 
 
 TftADS Mars'* 
 
 Cory right 1894. by Dr. H. Sanche. 
 
 Tlie Most Wonderful Discovery Ever Made. 
 
 Nature's own preventive and cure of Disease. 
 No Drugs, no Medicines. The cheapest and 
 most effective Doctor ever introduced to 
 Mankind. 
 
 No PersoD can Afford to be without It. 
 
 We want good reliable people everywhere to 
 handle and sell the Oxydonor. For territory, 
 terms and all matters relating to OXYDONOR. 
 write us or call at our office. 
 
 (OVER) 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 223 
 
 THE "OXY." 
 
 Whoe'er is not owner 
 Of one OXYDONOR, 
 
 Is subject to every disease. 
 Howe'er he endeavor 
 To live bn forever, 
 
 He dies, sure as Fate, if you please. 
 
 Whoever IS owner 
 Of one OXYDONOR, 
 
 Is MASTER of every disease. 
 By honest endeavor 
 He lives on forever, 
 
 In spite of the Fates, if you please. 
 
 Just one OXYDONOR 
 On any sick "Jonar," 
 
 Will cause the old "whale" of disease, 
 To writhe and to vomit, 
 And scoot like a comet, 
 
 And "get off the earth," if you please. 
 
 Whenever a "groaner" 
 Buys one OXYDONOR 
 
 From us, if it doesn't relieve 
 All his aches and his ills. 
 Without doctors' bills. 
 
 He can bring it right back, if you 
 
 [please, 
 and we will do the right thing by him, 
 "and don't you forget it." 
 
 LADD & RICHARDSON, 
 
 Exclusive General Dealers for the State of ILLINOIS, 
 941 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO. 
 
224 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 My Dear John : — 
 
 I've read your poem on "Oxy," 
 And I think you're getting foxy, 
 Or going off with Coxie, 
 Just for your country 's sake. 
 
 There's no use to bemoan her, 
 But you had better disown her, 
 For your old Oxydonor 
 Is all a big fake. 
 
 But Barnum he fooled 'em, 
 Suggestion she schooled 'em, 
 And now you have muled 'em 
 Clear out of their aches. 
 
 "Good Morning,' ' "Pear's Soap," 
 "See that Hump," yes I hope 
 Have each pulled a strong rope 
 For the suckers to take. 
 
 Doctors physiced, puked and bled, 
 Blistered, sweated, starved and fed, 
 Did other things that can't be said, 
 That ended in an Irish wake. 
 
 "Blue Grass" took a craze, 
 Charmed off warts, if you "plaze," 
 Hair on bald heads it would raise, 
 Even cure an ague shake. 
 
TK AND THE OXY DONOR 225 
 
 " Christian Science," heads or tails, 
 I win you lose, it never fails. 
 Faces fixed with "Madam Yales," 
 Caused many, many hearts to break. 
 
 Seen the circus, heard the band, 
 Drank the waters of the land, 
 Took the sunlight to get tanned, 
 Played the goose and also drake. 
 
 Carried buckeyes in their pockets, 
 Stared their eyes clear out of sockets, 
 Sent their money up like rockets, 
 Simply playing ' i Country Jake. ' ' 
 
 "Jo- Jo," the wild man, 
 Girls that dance the "Can-Can," 
 After each weVe all ran, 
 That they might money make. 
 
 We blow hot, we blow cold, 
 Get our fortunes oft told, 
 Then swear weVe been sold 
 With our eyes wide awake. 
 
 Howling Dervishes, Indian dances, 
 Wizards, witches, girls in trances, 
 Wise and foolish all take chances, 
 Nothing will their belief shake. 
 
226 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Willow sticks," for digging wells, 
 "Splashing spit" the secret tells, 
 Throw old shoes for wedding bells, 
 Fearing marriage a mistake. 
 
 "Bad luck Friday," "Groundhog day," 
 ' ' Trim your corns in month of May, ' ' 
 All these things have had their day, 
 And still humbugs their millions make. 
 
 Old Ireland's "Blarney Stone's" been kissed, 
 Hoodooed dogs and cats been hissed, 
 Chased the rain-bow, always missed 
 To catch the end and get the stake. 
 
 Poor old moon controls the crops, 
 Slot-machines the nickel drops, 
 Mortgages the people crops, 
 And finally their sheckels rake. 
 
 So now there is no use to fuss, 
 Neither beg, nor growl nor cuss, 
 Because it always has been thus, 
 And your heart it will not break. 
 
 So go ahead and do your best, 
 
 Give old "Oxy" a fair test, 
 
 Suckers they will do the rest, 
 
 Since old Chicago's drained her lake. 
 
 Your friend, 
 . M. D. 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 227 
 
 Chicago, 111., Mar. 8, 1900. 
 Friend Doc: — 
 
 I have in my possession, 
 From one of your profession 
 A pitiful confession 
 Of a lack of common lore. 
 
 The author's name is 
 
 A thorough disbeliever 
 
 In every new achiever 
 
 Of results he can't explore. 
 
 The knowledge he professes, 
 As he himself confesses, 
 Is nothing more than guesses, 
 Three times in every four. 
 And yet, he keeps on guessing, 
 And never stops professing 
 That he's the only blessing 
 This side of Singapore. 
 
 Whenever his attention 
 Is called to an invention 
 Which schoolbooks fail to mention, 
 Those books he will explore ; 
 Then when he fails to find it 
 In books which don't define it, 
 He tries to undermine it 
 With a loud and empty roar. 
 
 His roar is like the lion, 
 Like ' i Dowie " in his i l Zion, ' ' 
 
228 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Still more like "Billy" Bryan, 
 Who roars the country o'er. 
 It sounds like distant thunder, 
 It fills our souls with wonder 
 To think of such a blunder 
 From such a Hellebore.* 
 
 He howls in bleak December, 
 In April and November, 
 In June and in September, 
 He howls till he is sore. 
 He howls in every season, 
 He howls without a reason, 
 He howls till it is treason, — 
 And then he howls some more. 
 
 He yelps: "All men are fakers, 
 "Except the undertakers, 
 "Who've planted sixty acres 
 With friends IVe sent before." 
 With poisonous potation, 
 In regular rotation, 
 He keeps up emigration 
 To that "Bright and Shining Shore." 
 
 'Tis my unasked opinion, 
 That he 's a low-down minion 
 Of Satan, whose dominion 
 Is Hades, evermore. 
 
 'See medicinal properties of this plant. 
 
TK AND THE OXY DONOR 229 
 
 Although his tragic falling 
 Was something most apalling, 
 He'll soon be where his bawling 
 Will bother us no more. 
 
 Concerning Oxydonors, — 
 These doctors, howlers, groaners, 
 Will only help their owners, 
 To keep them to the fore. 
 When all the people use them, 
 The doctors can't abuse them, 
 And none will then refuse them, 
 Nor the health which they restore. 
 
 Now, let us draw the curtain, 
 For 'tis unkind to hurt an 
 " Ornery Cuss" who's certain 
 To scorch forevermore. 
 'Tis neither wise nor witty, 
 To dedicate a ditty 
 To one we ought to pity 
 Because he's such a bore. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 John E. Eichardson, TK. 
 
230 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "JOHNNY TACKS' 3 AND THE OXYDONOR. 
 
 I've a notion you're a sinner, — Johnny Tacks, 
 Not at all a new beginner, — on the tracks. 
 You've been tramping on the earth, 
 Causing trouble, and some mirth, 
 A good bit more than you are worth, — Johnny 
 Tacks. 
 
 I will notify you here, — Johnny Tacks, 
 
 That your rhymes are rather queer, — something 
 
 lacks. 
 You may waste some ink and brains, 
 Singing out your short refrains, 
 
 But they never will bring gains, — Johnny Tacks. 
 
 < 
 
 Now, you're fussing with the doctors, — Johnny 
 
 Tacks, 
 And you're calling them ' ' concoctors " — at their 
 
 backs. 
 But they'll get you "bye and bye," 
 And they'll fix you like a pie, 
 For the undertaker, spry, — Johnny Tacks. 
 
 You may think you'll beat old Barnum,— Johnny 
 
 Tacks, 
 And you'll no doubt try to "larn 'em 1 ' — some new 
 
 facts, 
 But the fools have "cut their gums," 
 Spent their money in small sums, 
 Till there isn't left no "plums,"— Johnny Tacks. 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 231 
 
 If this Oxydonor thing, — Johnny Tacks, 
 Would stop "wimmen gossiping" — at their backs, 
 Bring old maids a single beau, 
 Make new teeth in people grow, 
 They would want them then, you know, — Johnny 
 Tacks. 
 
 There's a man called " Billy ' ' Bryan, — Johnny 
 
 Tacks, 
 To beat McKinley, he's a-dyin', — in his tracks. 
 If an l ' Oxy ' ' would help him, 
 Even shut off " Jumping Jim," 
 It might keep him in the i * swim, ' ' — Johnny Tacks. 
 
 Now to keep John Bull from hooking, — Johnny 
 
 Tacks, 
 Old Man Kruger keeps a looking, — in his sacks ; 
 But the money isn't there, 
 Nor can he get it anywhere ; 
 Would an "Oxy" be to spare, — Johnny Tacks? 
 
 Now, there's Dewey, he's a dandy, — Johnny 
 
 Tacks, 
 And he proved himself quite handy, — giving 
 
 cracks, 
 When he gave the whales a " Jonar," 
 Found Manila a new owner, 
 Did he use an Oxydonor, — Johnny Tacks ? 
 
 The Filipinos, they still fight, — Johnny Tacks, 
 And it's hard to say who's right, — whites or 
 blacks, 
 
232 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Would one help them in their dickers, 
 
 Stop the " Yanks" from selling liquors, 
 
 Even stop the horde of kickers,— Johnny Tacks I 
 
 Now, if Sheldon in his capers, — Johnny Tacks, 
 Could just keep the other papers, — from attacks, 
 Perhaps an "Oxy," it would do; 
 Better tell him 'fore he's through — 
 " That's what Jesus, he would do," — Johnny 
 Tacks. 
 
 Now, Carnegie, he's the fashion, — Johnny Tacks, 
 
 Giving buildings is his fashion, — kindly acts, 
 
 Forty millions every year, 
 
 Lets the people see things clear, 
 
 Is he using "Oxys," dear, — Johnny Tacks? 
 
 Now what force is in this wonder, — Johnny Tacks ! 
 Is it that which burns from thunder, our hay 
 
 stacks? 
 Makes it daylight out of night, 
 Runs the street cars like a fright, 
 Did "Ben" bring it with his kite, — Johnny Tacks? 
 
 Can you tell us without joking, — Johnny Tacks, 
 Is it that which comes when stroking Pussy's 
 
 back? 
 Do the telegraphers use it, 
 And the lightning-rods abuse it? 
 To bring fame, did Edison choose it, — Johnny 
 
 Tacks? 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 233 
 
 Now I'll tell you what it is, — Johnny Tacks, 
 
 The thing that does the "biz," — these are facts, — 
 
 If the truth they want to seize, 
 
 In their brains — just tell them, please — 
 
 Lies the force that cures disease, — Johnny Tacks. 
 
 To decide who's been outwitted, — Johnny Tacks, 
 These rhymes should be submitted by two 
 
 "Jacks," 
 Call the "Tacks," both small and great, 
 Let them study this debate, 
 While Judge Fing-Wing sits in state, — Johnny 
 
 Tacks. 
 
 , M. D. 
 
 Friend Doc: — 
 I have to acknowledge the aptness and worth 
 Of the poem you sent me today, 
 It has all the metre, the rhyme and the mirth 
 Of a poet who writes without pay — 
 (for the Nonpareil.) 
 
 Its metre is that of the song, "Baby Mine," 
 But it lacks all its beautiful swing. 
 The muse had a tussle to make itself rhyme, 
 So it had to take "any old thing" — 
 (that came along). 
 
234 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 As soon as I read the first verse I was struck 
 With its rollicking humor and glee, 
 And I said to myself, in the language of Puck, 
 "What fools these mortals must be" — 
 (in western Iowa). 
 
 I got out the first one you wrote and I read, 
 
 And then I compared it with this, 
 
 And I said to myself "There's more than one 
 
 head 
 Mixed up in this last, or I miss — 
 (my guess badly"). 
 
 The first one has rhyme, but its metre is wrong, 
 And sometimes by several feet; 
 Sometimes it is short, and other times long, 
 But nowhere at all does it meet — 
 
 (the requirements of good poetry). 
 
 The last one has metre which matches its rhymes 
 So well that they neatly betray 
 The work of two minds in getting the lines 
 To metre and rhyme in the way — 
 (that they do). 
 
 I have no objection, so far as that goes, 
 To having you call in a friend 
 To help you unburden yourself of your woes, 
 If only it helps you to mend — 
 (your poetical diction). 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 235 
 
 But if ever you hope to become a good "Tack," 
 And stand on your head in a chair, 
 You'll have to reform " Pottawattamie Jack," 
 In order to make it a "pair — 
 (of Jacks"). 
 
 I wish you would name the son-of-a-gun 
 Who measured your verse into feet, 
 And fixed up the metre, I'll bet it was one — 
 Of those measly, unholy, dead-beat — 
 
 (reporters on the Bee or Herald). 
 
 And now let us turn for a moment or two, 
 To the great Oxydonor again; 
 For I want you to know that I'll never get through 
 This "fussing," until you refrain — 
 (from abusing it). 
 
 YouVe called it a "fraud," a "humbug," a 
 
 "slam," 
 A "fake," a "snide" and a "shame," 
 A "delusion," a "snare," a "joke" and a 
 
 "sham"; 
 In fact, most any old name — 
 
 (you could find that was mean). 
 
 Now, what does a devil-fish do when a whale 
 Comes browsing along very near? 
 It kicks up a muss with the end of its tail, 
 And muddies the water, for fear — 
 
 (the whale might swallow it). 
 
236 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Now, you are the devil-fish, "OxyV the whale. 
 You see "Oxy" coming your way; 
 You kick up a muss and you sputter and rail, 
 In order to scare it away — 
 
 (from Council Bluffs). 
 
 The trick is too old, and the people are on — 
 To these " Doctors and Devils and Drugs/ ' 
 They'll soon come around and boost you along 
 To the place where they keep all the thugs — 
 (down at Fort Madison). 
 
 I notice that you and old Dowie agree 
 On the locus m quo of disease; 
 But it looks to a man who is able to see, 
 Of the two, most assuredly he's — 
 
 (the more consistent practitioner). 
 
 You both say disease is all in the mind. 
 He works on the mind for a cure. 
 You fill up the stomach with every vile kind 
 Of poisonous, rotten, impure — 
 
 (drugs and so-called medicines). 
 
 Suppose it 's a corn on the top of your toe, 
 
 Is that on your mind, or your foot? 
 
 Then what if the tootfe-ache should add to your 
 
 woe, 
 Is that in your mind, or the root — 
 (of some decaying molar?) 
 
TK AND THE OXYDONOR 237 
 
 If all our diseases, our ailments and ills 
 Are merely a mental conceit, 
 Then why not administer doughnuts for chills, 
 And chocolate creams when your feet 
 (pain you?) 
 
 If there is no sickness except in the mind, 
 And there is no mind in a hog, 
 Then why does the cholera kill off our swine? 
 And why does an old yellow dog — 
 (have the Asthma?) 
 
 If what you have said on the subject were true, 
 Then why go to medical schools? 
 I wish you would tell me the reason why you 
 And all other medical fools — 
 
 (don't practice Christian Science?) 
 
 Your logic demonstrates beyond any doubt, 
 That a wheel has come loose in your head. 
 You'll have to be careful, or it will come out, 
 My gosh ! that would kill you so dead — 
 
 (that even the Oxydonor couldn't resur- 
 rect you). 
 
 To end this, we'll lump all those poems of ours 
 Together and call in the " Tacks," 
 And let them apply their mystical powers 
 In an effort to tell us who lacks — 
 
 (the most of being a poet). 
 
238 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 If they should decide that you are the man 
 To choose as their own " laureate,' ' 
 I promise you now I will do all I can 
 To help them to inaugurate — 
 
 (you on the point of a tack) 
 (in due and ancient form.) 
 
 —John E. Eichardson, (TK) 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 The Sublime and Ill-lluminated Order of Tacks 
 
 This Order of Tacks was the real Sanctuary or inner 
 and most obscure earthly retreat of the Great School 
 in America. It was a most profound Secret Order, 
 consisting of only a few inner students, and deeply 
 hidden away, back of or beyond or within all other 
 activities of the Great School, in such manner as to 
 be entirely unsuspected and unapproachable from 
 without. Of the 500 or so active students, it is prob- 
 able that not more than 200 ever even heard of the 
 existence of this inner body of Advanced Students. 
 Of a possible 200 Ethical Students, probably not more 
 than 35 were ever elected to this " Order.' ' 
 
 No candidate was ever admitted except on invita- 
 tion from within the Order itself. There was but one 
 pathway of approach : that was thru a course of pro- 
 foundly secret instruction, a definite, rigid work of 
 preparation requiring in some instances years of 
 intense personal application. And only after this 
 preparatory work was actually completed and the stu- 
 dent tested in every particular, was his or her name 
 ever proposed for advancement and membership in 
 the " Order of Tacks.' » 
 
 It was within this Order and in the presence of its 
 assembled members that a great miracle was regularly 
 performed: the only miracle connected in any way 
 with the Great School. The writer never witnessed 
 
 239 
 
240 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 this miracle, but it is said that all who were permitted 
 to look upon that sublime process of transmutation 
 never afterward ever doubted TK's authority, power 
 or mastership. 
 
 The esoteric, or spiritual name for the " Order of 
 Tacks" was "TK's Tack Factory." There was a cere- 
 mony of initiation by which "suitable raw material* ' 
 — finished! ethical students were taken in off the 
 "dump" and made into living "tacks." Initiations 
 took place in Mrs. Huntley's "Paradise Flat" Out 
 of a total membership of from 12 to 15, from seven 
 to twelve members were usually present. The candi- 
 dates were usually favored pilgrims from other cities. 
 
 During initiation each new member was given a 
 "new name," which in some way embodied the name 
 of the sacred symbol of the Order: — a Tack. Thus: 
 Tacktful, Carpet Tack, Taxi, Tack Hammer, Miss 
 Attack, Locomotor Ataxia, etc. TK's official title was 
 the "Chief Tack," but being accustomed to numerous 
 names, he was also known as the "Tack Hammer," 
 Mrs. Huntley's idea of the "Tack Hammer's" official 
 business is here illustrated by another of her interest- 
 ing pen sketches taken from the minutes of the Order. 
 
 We shall now take a few quotations from the secret 
 Ritual of the "Order of Tacks." 
 
 TK — "Friends and Fellow Laborers: — 
 
 Obedient to the Command of the ONE HI, before whom all 'good and 
 lawful' Tacks delight to humble themselves, I am about to open this 
 Factory for work. Let every hand be at his post, ready to Tespond. 
 Lady Tactful, what is your working station?" 
 
 A. — "At the left of the Hammer." 
 
 Q.— "Whst are your duties there?" 
 
THE SUBLIME ORDER OF TACKS 
 
 241 
 
 A. — ''To count the tacks, keep the tactics of the tacks! and record 
 tack orders." 
 TK—"Thotful Cephalologist, what are your duties?" 
 
 A. — "To see that every tack that goes out from this Factory is 
 equipped with a large, well-formed and properly rounded head." 
 
 TK — "Shocking Magnetograph, what are your duties!" 
 
 A. — To absorb magnetism whereby to magnetize all newly made tacks 
 until they shall never fail to stick to the Hammer." 
 
 Q. — "What is the station of the Hammer?" 
 
 A. — "Toward the rising Sun." 
 
 Q. — "And what are his duties?" 
 
 A. — "To drive tacks into place; to pull those that do not fit; to 
 straighten the crooked; weld the broken, strengthen the weak, repair the 
 imperfect: and do all this with blows so delicately measured as not to 
 injure — his own thumb." 
 
 TK — "Recording Angel, where is the Great Inspector and Judge 
 whom we designate as the ONE HI?" 
 A.— "Out of sight." 
 
242 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Q. — ''And -what are his duties?" 
 
 A. — "He has none. He is the inscrutable head of this establish- 
 ment, in whom are exemplified all the virtues of a perfect Tk." 
 
 # » # # » 
 
 TK — ' ■ Having now 'been regularly refined, measured, moulded, headed, 
 pointed, polished, magnetized, weighed, boxed, wrapped and labeled, I 
 presume you realize that you are now a good and lawful living Tk. 
 Is it not so?" 
 
 A.— "It is." 
 
 TK — "Nevertheless, my friend, however naturally you may have 
 arrived at this conclusion it is erroneous, and it is my solemn duty to 
 inform you that you are not yet a living Tk. You must first satisfy 
 all present that you acknowledge with them voluntary allegiance to 
 the One Hi. But before making this official salaam, it is but meet and 
 proper that you should first know as much as we can tell you of the 
 wisdom, the power and glory of him to whom this acknowledgement 
 must be made. In order that you may the better observe the sublime 
 symmetry and beauty of his noble character, we will proceed alpha- 
 betically, beginning with: 
 
 A. He is Amiable in all his Aims, Arts, Acts, Achievements, Ambi- 
 tions and Animadversions. 
 
 Eesponse by all: "He is Another." 
 
 B. He is Benovolent in all his bounteous benefactions, and Beauti- 
 ful as a blushing bride after the benediction. 
 
 "He is a Beaut!" 
 
 C. He is Chaste as the lily, Charitable to all his children, Courageous 
 under crucial conditions and circumstances, and Courteous to all his 
 critics. 
 
 "He is a Oharmer. " 
 
 D. He is Devoted to his Duty, Direct and Discrete in his discus- 
 sions: Discriminating in his dogmas and doctrines, and Diligent in all 
 his doings. 
 
 "He is a Dandy!" 
 
 E. He is Exemplary as an exponent of equity, equality and excel- 
 lence, and an emblem to emulate. 
 
 "He is un-Earthly." 
 
 F. He is Faithful to friends and Friendly to foes. He is frugal, 
 fearless and faultless. 
 
 "Finer than frog's fur." 
 
 G. He is Good as a Guru, and Gracious as a God. 
 "Holy Gee!" 
 
THE SUBLIME ORDER OF TACKS 243 
 
 H. He is an Honest Humanitarian, with a heart full of Hope and a 
 halo of Happiness about his head. 
 
 "He is a Hummer." 
 
 I. He is an Independent Intelligence, and an Ideal I-opener of the 
 Illuminati. 
 
 "He is IT." 
 
 J. He is Just in all his judgments and Judicious in all his jollities. 
 
 "Junk the Jinx." 
 
 K. He is Kingly in his knowledge and Knightly in his kindness. 
 
 "Kick Him Kindly." 
 
 L. He is a Loyal and Loving Lord and a Luminious Llama of the 
 Law. 
 
 "He is the Limit!" 
 
 .M. He is Modest and Meek, Magnanimous and Mighty, a Midget 
 Monitor of Morality, and Magnificent as a Munificent Moderator and 
 Merry-Maker. 
 
 "His name is Mud." 
 
 N. He is a Noble Necromancer, and a Natural Nailer of Nocturnal 
 Novitiates and Nebulous Neophites. 
 
 * ' Never again ! " 
 
 0. He is an Occult Oddity, an Opulent Optimist, an Orderly and 
 Official Organizer, an Ossified Officer, and an Obvious Oversight of all 
 Oriental Occultism since the Oracular Oracles of 0-M". 
 
 "The only Oyster in the Order." 
 
 P. He is Patient and Peaceful as a Potentate, and a Powerful 
 Preacher of Purity, Perseverance and Piety. 
 
 "Pat Him on the back." 
 
 Q. He is Quiet and Quaint as a Quaker, quick in his quips, and the 
 Quintessence of Quality. 
 
 "To the Queen's taste." 
 
 R. He is Richer than Eockefeller, Reliable as a Royal Revolator, 
 Ready to Recognize the Rights of his Rivals, and a Race Ruler over 
 Raw Recruits. 
 
 "Rah! Rail! Rah! Richardson! Raw! Raw!" 
 
 S. He is Safe and Sure, Silent and Serene, a Saintly 'Savant, a 
 sane and Soulful Seer of all Secrets, and a Strictly Scientific Symbol 
 of Self-satisfaction. 
 
 "Some Saint." 
 
 T. He is a Titled Tutelary, Truthful under every Test, and as a 
 Tack he is a Trump Triumphant. 
 
 "Tin is His tune." 
 
244 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 U. He is Unselfish, Unobtrusive, Unvarying, Utterly Upright, a 
 Universal Utilitarian, and United to Uneeda. 
 
 "Pass the crackers." 
 
 V. He is Virtuous and Versatile, a Veritable Vishnu, and a Valor- 
 ous Victum of Vulcan. 
 
 * * Vam iMoose ! ' ' 
 
 W. A Wild and Woolly Wizard of the West, Worthy, Winsome 
 Worker of the West, Wakeful, Watchful, Wise-one, Whiskerless. 
 
 "He is a Worrier." 
 
 X. Xenophen, Xavier, Xerxes. 
 Philosopher, priest, king. 
 United virtues all lurk these 
 In him whose praises we sing. 
 
 "Xmas Xcitement. " 
 
 Y. A Yearning, Yankee Yoga, 
 In Youthful, yellow Toga, 
 
 Yodling sweetly all the livelong year, 
 Yielding to the yoke of karma, 
 Yet, so meek he would not harm a 
 Skeeter sitting singing on his year. 
 
 "The Yellow Kid." 
 
 Z. A Zinky Zymnologist of Zion, a Zonular Zealota Zany, a Zig- 
 Zag Za of the Zodiac. 
 
 "Our Zooky Zukums." 
 
 TK — "These, my friend, are the virtues of the ONE HI, in whose 
 presence we delight to humble ourselves, and to whom in token of our 
 allegiance we bend the knee." 
 
 (The Tacks here made the official salaam.) 
 
 In the Ancient School of Natural Science, the process of initiation 
 was for the purpose of developing the spiritual powers and unfolding 
 the spiritual senses until the initiate is able voluntarily to look beyond 
 the veil of physical material and into the realms of spirituality. This 
 is one of the many rewards of his honest labors and comes as the direct 
 and specific result of his own Self -Mastery. 
 
 And so, my friend, if your work and ours to this point has been 
 well done, there remains to you but this final act to open the eyes of 
 the soul and bring you consciously faee to face with the tangible and 
 visible presence of the ONE HI. In order that nothing may be omitted 
 to insure the full realization of this splendid consummation, you will 
 proceed slowly and carefully with each step as I shall direct you. 
 
THE SUBLIME ORDER OF TACKS 
 
 245 
 
 The page below ie photographed direct from the "record 
 lng Angel' 8 T minutes. It ie a sample of dozens of simi 
 lar pages. All members of this "Order of Tacke," had to 
 be advanced students in Tk's buncombe "GREAT School".'.' 
 
 b 4aXU 
 
 ^ 
 
 TKi,^?oxCUi Gtfci/.lw - 
 
 XXXIt 
 
 tka. CC «J S**utf 
 
 U*di. tk«- iMAU (Svu<fiitv vOLu^L JU^vW ftrK ui iy 
 
 7X */ 
 
 tfl 1 
 
 Kt9\»touv.j 
 
 ^ 
 
 GuMuaaa 
 
 K.Yf. 
 
246 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 TK here instructed the candidate : 
 
 1. Face the East. 2. Stand erect. 3. Step back. 4. Bend knee. 5. 
 Face down. 6. Hands over. 7. Wave and stand. 
 
 Upon rising, the candidate stood looking upon a 
 large and much battered Japanese doll, said to be 
 over a hundred years old. 
 
 In impressive tones, TK continued: 
 
 "Behold! the Supreme Grand Master of this sublime and inscrutable 
 Order, to whom alone you have acknowledged, with us, your voluntary 
 and unqualified allegiance. This is he whose virtues outnumber the 
 sands of the sea-shore, or even the honest members of our Chicago City 
 Council. 
 
 "His assumed name is * FTNG-Wing, ' but we have christened him 
 the 'ONE HI,' and have given him the highest place of honor — nay, 
 I should say the only place of honor in this Order. 
 
 "See the soft, sweet smile of silent serenity upon his sweet and 
 soulful frontispiece. This is the smile of one who looks into the face 
 of his Maker, as it were, and says, — 'I have fit the good fight, — I have 
 finished the job thou sattest me to do, and now, Lord, it is up to Thee. 
 Verily, it is Thy next move. Give to me my other self. Give to me 
 my soul's primordial concomitant and co-efficient companion. Give me 
 my Uneda\ " 
 
 (A little Chinese Lady Doll was now placed beside the One Hi.) 
 
 ? ' And Lo, his Uneda is at his side. This is the fulfilling of the Law, 
 that they shall live in perfect happiness thru all eternity." 
 
 The candidate's attention was here drawn to a flock 
 of little china sheep on a green cloth to the right of 
 the ONE HI and some china goats and an empty tin 
 can to the left. 
 
 Following this impressive lesson, the TK addressed 
 the candidates as follows : 
 
 THE MIRACLE 
 My Friends: — 
 
 You have heard how it was said of old, — "And there shall be no 
 ©ign given but the sign of the Prophet Jonas." 
 
 This was the reply made to the curious and skeptical who came seek- 
 ing a sign of Magical Powers — the sign of the Master. 
 
THE SUBLIME ORDER OF TACKS 
 
 247 
 
 While this same admonition still holds good for all who seek but the 
 visible and tangible sign of a Spiritual Universe, yet there is a wide 
 difference between him who asks as skeptic or critic, condemning and 
 believing not; and him who comes asking naught, but with faith in the 
 power of his Master to give him the sign. 
 
 You who are here present as initiates, have already given proof of 
 your faith in the Virtues of the ONE HI, as well as in your fitness to 
 enter his service. 
 
 In the presence of such as you it delights his Sublime Inscrutableness 
 to perform the wonders and the miracles that are never manifested in 
 the presence of the curious, the wonder seekers, the infidel or the heathen. 
 
 dump %y* 
 
 % 
 
 Jgassffi 
 
 TK's "TACK FACTORY." Reproduced from a 
 drawing by the RA. Note the two gentle- 
 men looking around the corners— and the 
 one on the roof: these represent three 
 of TK f 6 profoundly wise spirit guides and 
 associates. The two good-looking fellows 
 at the sides are the "Great Master* and 
 the "Beloved Master," while the super-man 
 on the roof is "Elamo." According to TK, 
 thie fellow "Elamo" founded the Great 
 Scheme many thousands of years ago, long 
 before "Unole John" took hold of the 
 business and moved it to Chicago, 
 
248 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "And no sign shall be given but the sign of the Prophet Jonas" — 
 which we hold, by interpretation, to mean that no sign shall be given 
 to any seeker, but the sign of a Personal Experience. 
 
 When Daniel was turned loose in the lion's den, he had a Personal 
 Experience in proof of the miraculous, which lasted him a lifetime. 
 
 When the Hebrew Children passed through the Fiery Furnace with- 
 out even so much as scorching a feather or singeing a gaberdine, they 
 also received the sign, through the medium of a warm experience not 
 likely to be forgotten. 
 
 When Jonah was swallowed by a whale and cast up again after three 
 days, in fine condition, he, too, recognized the Sign through a peculiar 
 Personal Experience. 
 
 You will also recall the most marvelous of all the miracles — that of 
 multiplying the loaves and fishes into a feast for 5,000, with 12 baskets 
 of scraps left over. 
 
 You who are here at this time, seeking place as workmen in this 
 Factory, have doubtless many times longed for the supreme satisfaction 
 of this unmistakable Sign, the indisputable evidence of a personal 
 experience. 
 
 And just because you have refrained from the asking, and because 
 by faith alone you first accepted the Veiled Master of this Sublime 
 Order, and also because, having once looked upon him in all his incom- 
 petency, you still have the courage to acknowledge yourself as his 
 servant, you have thereby earned the right to witness some of the mar- 
 vels he is able to perform. 
 
 You have earned the right, not only to witness, but to participate in 
 a miracle of far more exceeding mystery than that of the loaves and 
 fishes. That ancient miracle has come to be known as the miracle of 
 Multiplication; but this you are about to witness shall become renowned 
 of men as the great miracle of Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, 
 Division, Mastication and Deglutition. 
 
 To you, it will be remembered, no doubt, as TEE SACRIFICE OF 
 TEE CANDIDATES. 
 
 For, within this hour, by order of the ONE HI, the workmen of this 
 Factory will surround all the candidates present, and at a given signal 
 from the ONE HI, each and every one of them shall disappear from 
 mortal eyes. Not one shall be left to tell the tale. They shall be caught 
 up — in our very midst — and one by one they shall be caused to dis- 
 appear before the eyes of those who are left, until the last remaining 
 one shall be no more. 
 
THE SUBLIME ORDER OF TACKS 249 
 
 More marvelous yet, not one shall be taken from the floor of this 
 Factory; but each and all, one by one, shall be devoured, as it were, 
 by the elements — shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, trans- 
 formed, transmuted, translated, yea, verily, VANISHED. 
 
 And marvel of marvels — though every candidate shall thus be 
 annihilated, and shall disappear from mortal ken — nevertheless, so potent 
 is the Mighty Magic of the ineffable ONE HI, that within this same 
 hour each and every one of you shall find yourself in your place, 
 exactly as you were before this marvelous miracle occurred. 
 
 Everything now being in readiness for the final and crowning demon- 
 stration of the magic power of the mystic word of Him who must be 
 obeyed, — the TAOKLET will bring forth the Sacred Bowl, and prepare 
 the Altar for the sacrifice. 
 
 The candidates will rise. 
 
 The Good and Awful will assemble about the altar. 
 
 Let there be silence. 
 
 The candidates will fix their eyes upon the luminous countenance of 
 the Yellow Kid, the symbol of a translated Tack. 
 
 The Workmen will fix theirs upon the Candy-Dates. 
 
 The TACKLET will now uncover the sacrifice. 
 
 The Workmen will prepare to do their duty. 
 
 Ready. 
 
 All together. 
 
 PROCEED. (All eat.) 
 
 The fullness of His power is not yet manifest. The Tacklet will pass 
 the sacrifice to the candidates who, having partaken, will themselves 
 become witnesses of the Miracle that (has been performed, and demon- 
 strators of its truth, through the Sign of a Personal Experience. 
 
 Eat, to the Glory of the ONE EI. 
 
 In his name, Eat of those CANDY-DATES. 
 
 Receive ye the Sign. 
 
 Absorb its mystical meaning. 
 
 Proclaim yourselves witnesses. 
 
 Lift up your voice in praise of the ONE HI. 
 
 Revere Miracles. 
 
 Multiply your Faith. 
 
 Seek no more Sign. 
 
 Rejoice that you are now restored. 
 
 And do the will of the ONE HI, to whom be the Kingdom, the Power 
 and the Glory for some time! 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 The Illusory $25.00 
 
 AND 
 
 Other Sidelights on TK's Financial Problems 
 
 1 ' Whatever of the things of this material plane of earth we 
 gather about us beyond those which answer the needs of the 
 physical body for life, comfort and protection, represent 
 wasted energy, loss of time and misdirected effort on our 
 part. 
 
 4 ' It is true, we may leave them to relatives and friends who 
 may, or may not, appreciate them or rightly use them. But 
 from the viewpoint of our own individual best good and our 
 own most rapid spiritual and psychical development and 
 progress, they represent less than nothing. They stand for 
 a definite and specific loss. ' ' 
 
 TK, in "The Great Work," p. 356. 
 
 The above was published in December, 1906, and 
 that very year TK relieved one student alone of more 
 than $7,000.00. 
 
 Two years later, this same "Elder Brother" had re- 
 lieved the same student of $82,000.00,— for the good of 
 his GREAT CAUSE, i. e., himself. 
 
 250 
 
SIDELIGHTS ON TK'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS 351 
 
 Writing to one who had already donated many thou- 
 sands of dollars to his Great Scheme, and who ex- 
 pected to give many additional thousands, TK said 
 (8-15-1915) : 
 
 "And now, may I ask a special favor of YOU? It is this: 
 Knowing that you do not wish your name known as the donor 
 of the sums you have in mind contributing to the Work, and 
 because it will enable me to gratify a personal wish that I 
 might do more for the Cause than is possible, will you just 
 send your contributions to ME, and designate how you wish 
 them distributed, and then let them APPEAR as if coming 
 from MYSELF?" 
 
 TK Keeps His " Means" in the Form of Cash. 
 
 The following is taken from a letter written by TK 
 to one of his brothers, on January 22, 1914 : 
 
 "Concerning the matter of a deposit of $10,000.00 or so 
 with your bank, there is but one thing I see in the way, and 
 that is the possibility of my wanting to use it at any time on 
 short notice — or, in fact, without any notice at all. 
 
 "The Work I am doing — or trying to do — is such that I 
 may want to have every dollar of my resources available at 
 once — for immediate use. With the exception of such as I 
 have invested in gilt-edge Real Estate, / have kept all my 
 means in the form of CASH, — and in such condition as to 
 be available at any instant and without notice." 
 
252 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 We here present some samples of the hundreds of 
 letters for which TK claims to have received "not 
 even so much as a postage stamp for reply." The fol- 
 lowing is one of the modest $25.00 variety : 
 
 Edgemoor, Oconomowoc, Wis. 
 January 4, 1916. 
 
 N. M., , . 
 
 Dear Friend: Your valued favor of the 27th ult. is just 
 at hand, having been forwarded to me here, where I am spend- 
 ing most of my time at present. I want to thank you for all 
 that your letter contains, and especially for the spirit of un- 
 selfish service therein manifest. 
 
 But, my yonnger Brother, I hesitate to accept your gen- 
 erous contribution to the Great Work we are trying to do 
 for humanity — not that it is not needed, but solely because 
 you have not yet been formally accepted as a student. 
 
 If you were only a regularly admitted student, I should 
 not hesitate to accept all that you felt yourself able to give. 
 If, however, you can say to me in all sincerity that you wish 
 to contribute to this Work and Movement quite regardless 
 of your future possible studentship, and that you wish me 
 to accept this contribution, and such others as you may wish 
 to make in future, in trust for the general good of the Work, 
 then I give you my pledge of good faith for its use where it 
 will accomplish the greatest measure of good possible to the 
 Cause. 
 
 Again thanking you, and with greetings of fraternal re- 
 gard, believe me, 
 
 Your Friend and Elder Brother, 
 
 J. E. Richardson, 
 
 (The TK.) 
 
SIDELIGHTS ON TK'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS 
 
 253 
 
 A Sample Ten-Dollar " League" Letter. 
 
 12/15/1914. 
 "Dear Friend and Helper: — 
 
 "I thank you, in the name of the suffering poor who 
 need, for your splendid contribution. I will also undertake 
 to administer the trust you have reposed in me in such man- 
 ner as to obtain the best possible results. 
 
 "My heart aches, these days, over those who are both hun- 
 gry and cold, and without means to buy either food or shel- 
 ter; and every dollar that comes charged with the mission of 
 relief to these sufferers brings to me a great wave of JOY. 
 Again thanking you with all my heart, I am 
 
 "Your Friend and Elder Brother." 
 
254 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Investigation of TK's financial affairs, following his 
 departure in April, brot out the fact that among the 
 bankers and business men of Oak Park he was thot 
 to be a retired millionaire. His publishing business 
 was supposed to be a work of charity — a hobby with 
 him. 
 
 During the theatre season he entertained weekly, a 
 party of fourteen guests (probably $50.00 per month). 
 For flowers delivered regularly each week to actresses, 
 his bill from one florist alone, averaged $30.00 per 
 month. He purchased from $50.00 to $60.00 worth of 
 perfume at a time. His limousine expenses were about 
 $50.00 a month. 
 
 And all this while he was secretly and regularly 
 passing his hat among his followers, and taking all 
 their spare cash. With these "collections" he was 
 playing the millionaire, and actually feeding his two 
 cats a quality of porterhouse and cream that many of 
 his "students" and "friends" would not even dream 
 of purchasing for themselves or their families. 
 
 Traveling de luxe, his cats were, in July, 1916, ship- 
 ped to him in Pasadena, The cage was 27 inches 
 deep, 3 feet wide and 7 feet high, affording daily 
 promenades "on the upper deck," and was supplied 
 with choice salmon and all the delicacies of ethically 
 cultured cats. Which was nice for the kitties, but quite 
 unimaginable to the students, many of whom denied 
 themselves even the necessities of life to contribute to 
 the "master's" cause. 
 
SIDELIGHTS ON TK'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS 
 
 255 
 
256 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 The following is quoted from an article, "Physical 
 and Personal Refinement/' by TK's daughter and 
 published in Life and Action February, 1916. It is 
 only just to explain that this portion of the article 
 was written in Chicago by TK himself and sent to his 
 daughter in California on September 6, 1915, with the 
 suggestion that she insert it in her essay. It is also 
 just to state that TK's checks to his daughter be- 
 tween January 5, 1909, and October 9, 1915, amounted 
 to $42,945.58. 
 
 The accompanying photographic reproductions of 
 checks, constitute $32,400.00 worth of the evidence in 
 this case. The Quotation 
 
 "For instance, social conventions are all right within cer- 
 tain limitations, but they must always be adapted to the con- 
 ditions of life, the wealth, health, and the understanding of 
 the individual. As an instance, I know of a family who are 
 said to dress regularly six times a day. This sort of conven- 
 tional custom is nothing short of slavery to an ideal. It has 
 neither merit nor logic. Those who are able to do so, who 
 hwve the wealth with which to buy the clothes and the health 
 to sustain such a convention, might very well dress twice a 
 day without, perhaps, overstepping the bounds of reason, of 
 logic, of the principles of the Great School, or the demands of 
 utility. But even so comparatively moderate a convention 
 must not be held by any of the students of the School as 
 binding upon anybody but themselves, and not upon them- 
 selves unless reason and conscience approve. 
 
 "Since I have been away from home, both because of my 
 limitations of health and wealth, I have been made to feel a 
 subtle criticism and disappointment in the minds of some of 
 our blessed students whom I love with all my heart. I do 
 not mention the fact as a criticism, but merely as an illus- 
 tration of what I mean." 
 
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SIDELIGHTS ON TK'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS 
 
 257 
 
 A Bather Deadly Parallel 
 
 September 1912 
 
 In ''Life and Action," Bv. 3, 
 p. 339, TK says: 
 
 "Only in a purely commercial 
 sense can we be termed ' poor. ' 
 In every other way, I do not 
 know of an individual on earth 
 with whom either of us would ex- 
 change places. But financially we 
 are poor." 
 
 1 • Our very poverty is a badge of 
 assurance that our motives are 
 pure and unselfish.' ' 
 
 September 1912 
 
 Monthly Eeport of TK's Indo- 
 American Book "Co." 
 
 "Oct. 2, 1912. 
 
 "TK. 
 
 "Dear Brother:— I desire to 
 draw your attention to the en- 
 closed monthly report. 
 
 "You will kindly note that the 
 net gain for the month of Sep- 
 tember was $120.38, and this is 
 after $1,000.00 was withdrawn by 
 yourself. This gives us a total 
 profit of $1,220.38 for the month 
 of September. 
 
 "Everything in the Book Co. is 
 moving beautifully and the 
 'Spirit of the Work/ is every- 
 where evident. 
 
 "Yours for the GREAT 
 CAUSE." 
 
 TK Loans One of His Ethical Students $25.00. 
 
 The following financial performance took place in 
 1912, at a time when TK must have had several hun- 
 dred thousand dollars, which, as he explains, he al- 
 ways kept in * ' CASH, ' ' and ' ' available at any instant 
 without notice." 
 
 His reference to needing this paltry $25.00 to meet 
 Florence Huntley's funeral expenses shows that, in 
 money matters, the " master' ' is capable of resorting 
 to any effective pretext even tho it involves events 
 which most people hold sacred. 
 
 As a matter of fact, when Florence Huntley died it 
 was a season of rich financial harvest for TK, because 
 
258 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 both students and friends everywhere "knew" him to 
 be very poor, and " probably in need" of all the cash 
 they could spare. TK probably received enuf dona- 
 tions during that time to meet the funeral expenses of 
 all his Chicago students for several incarnations to 
 come. 
 
 TK and His Illusory $25.00. 
 
 (EXHIBIT A) 
 
 Oak Park, 111., January 4, 1912. 
 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 Of course, under the circumstances, I could not refuse so 
 urgent a request, even though it were the last $25.00 at my 
 command. And let me say that while the amount is not large, 
 it is of as much importance perhaps to me to receive it back 
 within the next thirty days as it is to you to have it at the 
 present time. I have no doubt after you are once with Mr. 
 
 B you can obtain a loan from him sufficient to repay the 
 
 amount, and I will be glad to have you handle the matter in 
 that way. 
 
 Wishing you success in the new position, and a happy and 
 successful new year, I remain 
 
 Hastily and fraternally, 
 
 TK. 
 
 (EXHIBIT B) 
 
 Oak Park, 111., 2/8/1912. 
 Dear Brother : 
 
 I deeply regret that I cannot accept the note, which I am 
 returning. If you will refer to my letter of January 4, in 
 which I enclosed the check for the $25.00, you will note that 
 I was even then anticipating the probability that I would 
 need it by the end of the thirty days. But I did not then 
 know how badly I should be pressed at the end of that time. 
 
 This new and great change in my life, which I shall not try 
 
THE ILLUSORY $25.00 259 
 
 to speak of in this connection, has involved me in over $200.00 
 of debt, which must be cared for at mice. 
 
 I am therefore going to ask you to return the money to me 
 just as soon as the mails can possibly bring it. Borrow it from 
 any available source possible, and please do not disappoint 
 me. Within one week I shall have to meet one bill of about 
 $150.00, and I am depending upon you to help me out to the 
 extent of the $25.00. I want no interest. 
 
 Hastily and fraternally, 
 
 TK. 
 
 (EXHIBIT C) 
 
 Oak Park, 111., 2/12/1912. 
 Dear Brother : 
 
 Your letter is just at hand. Please do not stop until you 
 have sent me the money; for I must have it. I am today in 
 receipt of a bill for $195.00 from the undertaker, and I can- 
 not afford to have it go by default. You must know what a 
 position I would occupy in such an event. 
 
 I did not try to cash your note for the reason that never 
 yet, in all my business life, have I ever banked a note that 
 I did not have it to pay when the time of payment came. 
 You know that in order to obtain the cash on your note, I 
 would have to endorse it myself, and that means that if you 
 should fail to pay it at the time due, I should have to pay it 
 myself. I have done that same thing not less than fifty times, 
 and always have had to pay the note myself ; and the way I 
 am now situated, I cannot do it. 
 
 I let you have this money with the express understanding 
 that you would borrow the money from other parties as soon 
 
 as you got to R ; and I told you what it would mean to 
 
 me if you failed me. PLEASE do not do it. For if you do, 
 it will be a real calamity to me. 
 
 Hastily and fraternally, 
 
 John. 
 
260 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 (EXHIBIT D) 
 
 At Home, 3/8/1912. 
 
 My Dear : 
 
 Please examine the inclosed check, and observe on the lower 
 left-hand corner on the face of the check the pencil memo, 
 "N. S. F." which means "Not Sufficient Funds." 
 
 Very much to my annoyance, surprise and inconvenience, 
 the local bank through which I cashed it, returns to me the 
 check, and demands that I refund to it the full amount, which 
 is proper from its point of view. 
 
 You know, from my previous explanation, what this means 
 to me. I would not have had this occur for ten times the 
 amount of the check. 
 
 I am returning the check to you, and must now insist upon 
 your making it good at once, and paying the balance. 
 
 I do not like this sort of thing, and it is not consistent with 
 the Spirit of the Work. 
 
 I explained to you fully and carefully just how I was sit- 
 uated when I let you have the money, and you know how it 
 would trouble me in case you failed to return it as agreed. 
 
 And yet, according to your own letter, you let other debts 
 take precedence over the one to me. That was neither honest 
 nor right. 
 
 If you have any respect whatever for your business word 
 of honor, or for my friendship and confidence, you will lose 
 no time in making this matter good. 
 
 If I were able to lose the amount, I would never say a 
 word; but I have to live and pay my bills, and have never 
 in all my life defaulted upon any promise I ever made. I 
 do not want to begin at this late date. 
 
 Trusting you will return the full $25.00 without further 
 delay, I remain, 
 
 Hastily and fraternally, 
 
 John. 
 
THE ILLUSORY $25.00 261 
 
 (EXHIBIT E) 
 
 At Home, 3/11/1912. 
 Dear , 
 
 Perhaps it is not your fault, but I confess that I have been 
 deeply and wrongfully embarrassed by the return of the 
 check for $12.00 you sent me, with a notice from the local 
 bank that cashed it for me, that it had been returned to them 
 with the notation, "N. S. F.," which means "Not Sufficient 
 Funds." 
 
 The local bank notifies me that I must now return to it 
 the $12.00 which it advanced me on the check. You know 
 what this means to me. 
 
 The $13.00 you have just sent me will enable me to refund 
 to the bank the $12.00 and leave me $1.00. 
 
 I am returning the check to you and must ask you to take 
 up the matter with the giver of the check and see that he 
 makes it good at once. 
 
 This sort of thing is not pleasant to one in my position, and 
 I would not have had the check come back to my local bank 
 for several times its face value. 
 
 Please take the check to the giver of it and have him make 
 good the amount and send it to me at once. 
 
 Very hastily, 
 John. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 The Cat Came Back 
 
 TK's home was decorated with an almost endless 
 number and variety of cat pictures. In size these 
 ranged all the way from postcard to large reproduc- 
 tions of well-known paintings of cats, lions and tigers. 
 But his chief interest in the feline family centered in 
 two thorobred mongrels which, under his Ethical 
 Formulary, developed some rather remarkable spirit- 
 ual tales. One of these appears to be an entirely new 
 conception, and you will perhaps be interested in its 
 recital. 
 
 In June, 1915, to a few of his most advanced stu- 
 dents, TK confided a very original story to the effect 
 that one day, while on his back lawn searching for 
 four-leaf clovers, he observed, some few yards dis- 
 tant, one of his pet cats standing with its front paws 
 far apart, its tail straight up in the air and its nose 
 buried in the grass. On going to the cat, he discovered 
 that it had located a four-leaf clover. Upon TK's tak- 
 ing the leaf, his cat immediately bounded away in 
 search of another, and in a few moments its tail again 
 
 262 
 
THE CAT CAME BACK 
 
 263 
 
 Here's one, 
 Master !! 
 
 Wo 
 
 went up in the air and its nose into the turf. It had 
 found a second four-leaf clover. This remarkable per- 
 formance continued until some ten four-leaf clovers 
 were discovered. By this time, TK became so excited 
 that he lost the count, and the cat becoming confused 
 thereby, lost its combination, and could never again 
 be induced to point the little clovers. 
 
264 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 While living at ''Paradise Flat," Mrs. Huntley 
 owned a large ethical house cat which had been named 
 "Biffer." Now Biff er had had the TK's "Ethical 
 CATachism" up to No. 4, but at this point he stuck 
 and stuck hard. In fact, his further evolutionary 
 refinement along the lines of the Great School worried 
 him so that in time he took on feline scabies, and for 
 about three years he was a sorry-looking cat. Upon 
 the advice of the TK's "Great Masters" he was 
 rubbed and oiled, massaged and doped, washed and 
 anointed according to many ancient secret formularies, 
 but it was no use. Finally, five "Oxydonors" were at- 
 tached to the cat: one to each leg and one to his tail. 
 This made him too lively for his endurance, and the 
 Great Master advised his transition. 
 
 In the following letter to Florence Huntley, October 
 9, 1909, TK tells the rest of the tale : 
 
 Chicago, 9/9/9 
 Beloved : — 
 
 Last evening I wired you that poor little Biffer was released 
 from his prison house of suffering, and that he was cared for 
 by the Great Friends. 
 
 I got the materials and sent A out to fix the windows 
 
 and told him I would be out between 4 :00 and 5 :00 to do 
 what was necessary to help the poor little fellow through the 
 crisis in the best way possible. 
 
 Before I got there he had come in, and A , knowing 
 
 how my heart ached over the little pet, took pity on both of 
 us, and when I got there the only thing that remained was 
 a little grave back under the bushes in the back yard. But 
 A said there was not the least struggle, nor evidences of 
 
THE CAT CAME BACK 2G5 
 
 Vltf . 
 
 suffering or fright. He just went to sleep without a struggle. 
 
 This morning I went over to get a letter that I saw on your 
 
 center table in the hall, thinking it might be one from W , 
 
 but found it was from C . As I approached the house, I 
 
 beheld the most beautiful picture I ever saw. There on the 
 
 front porch were N , L , M , N and the Great 
 
 and Beloved Master, and in his arms L held Biffer. As 
 
 I approached, the dear little pet leaped from his arms to my 
 shoulder, and remained there during all my stay in the house. 
 I took him into the library, sat in the big chair, and held him 
 for some time, and he was just as happy as he could be ; and 
 the most beautiful thing you ever saw. When I left I gave 
 him back to L for keeping. 
 
 And so you may know that he is cared for, and that he 
 appreciates the fact that his suffering is over and that he 
 still can come back. I tell you this because I know how your 
 own heart has ached over him, and to comfort you. 
 
 I hope that you received the telegram I sent, and that your 
 heart will be as much relieved as mine to realize that our dear 
 little "boy" is free. / expect to see him again tonight. 
 
 Hastily, 
 John. 
 
^r\^/, 
 
 •^,^•.•!;C;'*y." ; '■ - 
 
 ******** 
 
 
 fi vu 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 TK Goes to India 
 
 To excuse the absence of any ' ' signs ' ' or evidence of 
 the spiritual powers which he was supposed to possess, 
 TK substituted a few " occult' ' stories, the choice of 
 which centered about his imaginary " Great Master.' ' 
 
 The Levitation Tale 
 
 In this he told how he had seen his "master" float 
 out of the hotel window on dark nights far above the 
 street level. TK himself did not actually see this 
 "master" floating in mid-air, but he did see him go 
 out of the window, disappear into the darkness, re- 
 main long enuf to make an impression on the mind, 
 and again come back thru the window into the lighted 
 room. 
 
 At first TK concluded that the G M had simply 
 stepped out upon a fire escape or perhaps onto the 
 window ledge, but upon careful investigation he was 
 convinced that his G M had actually "levitated" in 
 the dark air ! Once he ventured to look out, but it was 
 no use. The darkness was too dark and the G M too 
 invisible for him to see anything. 
 
 267 
 
268 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 The Plate of Eice Story 
 
 As TK tells the tale, the G M exhibited a plain, ordi- 
 nary, unprepared, empty china plate, and asked him 
 to examine it closely. This TK did, and it appeared to 
 be an ordinary, mongrel-porcelain dinner plate, so far 
 as he could judge. Then with sleeves rolled well back 
 to the elbow, and without making any suspicious 
 moves that TK could detect, the G M took the empty 
 plate on the palm of his upturned left hand, and held 
 it high in the air. In a few minutes he carefully low- 
 ered it again, and to TK's great astonishment, it con- 
 tained about seven cents' worth of perfectly nice look- 
 ing rice. 
 
 The Swift Post Card 
 
 When TK completed his training with his G M on 
 Aug. 20, 1884, the " master' ' immediately packed his 
 trunk, tipped the bell boys, wished the new American 
 Representative "Good Luck," and started for New 
 York, on his way to India. 
 
 Three days after he left Stockton, imagine TK's 
 surprise when on going to the post office for his mail, 
 he received a card from his "master" bearing the 
 postmark "Rome, Italy," and dated the same day the 
 GMhad left Stockton! 
 
 TK, at the time, planned to keep the post card as 
 "tangible evidence," but later it was lost. And it was 
 just as well, for the story got by anyway. 
 
TK GOES TO INDIA 
 
 269 
 
270 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Coming down now to TK's own mental activities in 
 Chicago, we find him with a dozen followers holding 
 weekly meetings in "Paradise Flat." It was here, 
 according to TK, that unnumbered thousands of spirit- 
 ual Great Masters used to gather, in a vast funnel- 
 shaped amphitheatre, and watch the initiation of can- 
 didates into the " Sublime Order of Tacks.' ' TK was 
 the only one who actually "saw" anything but it list- 
 ened well and made everybody happy. 
 
 Among others who frequently dropped in during the 
 more quiet evenings was a spirit guide whom TK 
 described as always having with him a pet tiger, some 
 400 years old. And sometimes, by way of variation, 
 a former pet cat of one of the students was described 
 as riding on the tiger's back. 
 
 Of all TK's occult tales, his annual "Convocation 
 Reports", were perhaps the best on his program. 
 Every year, beginning on June 15th, his Great School 
 was supposed to have all their masters come together 
 and talk things over. These "masters" live in vari- 
 ous countries, but to attend the "Convocation," they 
 merely go to bed, slip out of their physical bodies, 
 execute an idea, and "as quick as thot" they are in 
 India. This was a fine arrangement for TK, espe- 
 cially so because all the meetings were day sessions. 
 By leaving Chicago a few seconds before ten p. m., he 
 was in India by ten a. m. sharp, and after a hasty 
 breakfast of astral bacon and eggs was ready for the 
 spiritual business. 
 
 In the early years his convocation tales were quite 
 interesting: he led the singing, he was the center of 
 interest, his reports were the most important of all, 
 
TK GOES TO INDIA 271 
 
 etc. In 1915 the Chicago students expected to hear 
 something about the European War, so TK had to 
 spring something modern. He therefore told how a 
 party of Spirits, headed, of course, by himself, went 
 to Europe and stood above the firing lines over the 
 battlefields. His "party" saw cities and shooting and 
 camps of soldiers; trenches and trains and things; 
 all of which was quite marvelous because it is so un- 
 usual to see anything of this nature during war times. 
 
 But he told the simple tale and got away with it 
 nicely. Everybody seemed duly impressed and well 
 satisfied, and felt that the "master" had given them 
 their money's worth. 
 
 Early in his Convocation pretensions, TK explained 
 to a few of his closest students how carefully his phys- 
 ical body had to be guarded while he was out of it on 
 his astral tours. This was supposed to properly "im- 
 press" them with the dangers of being a "master," 
 that some of the risks are very real, and were it not 
 for his great self-control and presence of mind, TK 
 would, no doubt, many times never have lived to tell 
 the story. 
 
 He once had just such a narrow escape. It was not 
 only a lesson to him, but it proved to be one of the 
 most trying experiences in the lives of two of his stu- 
 dents. 
 
 It was convocation week and TK was a very "busy" 
 man. On this particular night of which we write, the 
 two students were occupying a room next to the "mas- 
 ter's." TK had retired as usual, a little before ten 
 o'clock. He had been "gone to India" perhaps a 
 
272 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 couple of hours, when a terrific rain storm came up 
 in Oak Park. 
 
 The heavens were furious with lightning and thun- 
 der, the rain was falling in torrents and the wind was 
 swaying the great trees as so many bushes. 
 
 In his hurry to be off to the Convocation, TK had 
 "slipped out of his body," and left his bedroom win- 
 dow wide open. The window shade was flapping and 
 the wind was whipping a flood of rain into the room. 
 His rugs and furniture would be ruined! 
 
 Here was a trying situation. 
 
 Both students in the adjoining room were awake and 
 realized that the window ought to be closed. The door 
 to TK's room was unlocked; they could easily slip into 
 his room and close the window. But — TK had told 
 them how dangerous it was for him for any one to 
 come into his room while he was "put" of his body. 
 41 It might prove fatal." 
 
 What should they do? Why had the "master" been 
 so thotless, as to leave his window open? 
 
 Finally they decided it would never do to risk going 
 into the room; it would be better to let the rain rain. 
 
 About this time they heard an unexpected sound in 
 TK's room. Some one was in there! They distinctly 
 heard some one closing the window. What a mystery! 
 
 Had a miracle been performed? What could it mean? 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 The next morning they questioned TK about the 
 matter, and with great presence of mind and magnifi- 
 cent self-control, he said, "Yes. When the storm came 
 up, I was in India in the midst of a very important 
 session. But as the rain began beating in thru the 
 
TK GOES TO INDIA 
 
 273 
 
 window, one of the ' Great Friends ' who always stands 
 guard over my body, touched my body on the shoulder, 
 and this recalled me at once from India. In a few 
 seconds I came back right thru the lightning and thun- 
 der, and into my body. I then got up immediately 
 and closed the window myself. After that, I went back 
 to bed, slipped out of my body again, and in a few 
 seconds was back in my seat in the Convocation Hall 
 in India. " 
 
 TK on atrip to India. 
 
 •ids 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 The " Attempts' ' on TK's Life 
 
 TK carefully cultivated the spirit of secrecy, sus- 
 picion and apprehension, until as the years passed, it 
 became a fixed state of mind with many of his " inner' ' 
 students. This impression of fear grew on everybody 
 until he had only to look sad, say that his new ice man 
 looked suspicious; that his " Great Master* ' had again 
 warned him or that a strange rag man or something 
 had been seen in his alley — and the information was 
 promptly passed along, until in due time students near 
 and far felt mentally miserable under these destruc- 
 tive suggestions. The faithful pined and prayed, and 
 very properly felt sad and subdued for days. By and 
 by, the sun began to shine and the birds to sing, and 
 all grew quite happy again until TK decided that it 
 was time to start another reign-of -terror tale. 
 
 At one time his mail was being tampered with; at 
 another time ' i enemies ' ' were trying to steal his secret 
 formularies for living a moral life. Then came spying 
 clergy trying to find out who TK was, his real name, 
 where he lived, what business he was in, why he 
 worked in " secret/ ' why he kept such big cats, etc. 
 Every broom peddler, book agent and piano tuner that 
 ventured accidentally into the building was set down 
 
 274 
 
THE "ATTEMPTS'' ON TK'S LIFE 275 
 
 as an " hereditary enemy" trying to carry off the 
 Technical Work. The words persecution, antagonism, 
 opposition, unscrupulous critics, spies, etc., were used 
 to boost business and add ginger to the situation. 
 Libraries were in league to bar his books, and even 
 Protestant Churches were trying to preach morality 
 without giving TK due credit! 
 
 During the six years TK had his "office" in "Para- 
 dise Flat" if any one was seen looking intently at the 
 building, it was straightway interpreted to be a pos- 
 sible forerunner of a raid, an attack, a bomb plot or 
 something on somebody sometime. Nothing ever hap- 
 pened but TK encouraged all these fears and suspi- 
 cions, meanwhile, ironically drawing attention to the 
 fact that as students in his * * Great School, ' ' they ought 
 to cultivate the spirit of cheerfulness! 
 
 TK walked daily the two or three blocks between his 
 home and "Paradise Flat," and it was along this 
 course that the early attempts were reported to have 
 been made on his life. The number of these mounted 
 upward until, to some students, TK confided that no 
 less than twenty attacks of various kinds had been 
 made on him. 
 
 One morning, by way of variation, he came into the 
 office of the Book Co. carrying an enormous cobble 
 stone. It was about all he could do to hold it in his 
 hands. It had been thrown at him the night before by 
 
TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 One of the Seven Attempts onTKsr life 
 
THE "ATTEMPTS" ON TK'S LIFE 277 
 
 some "enemy" bent on destroying the "Great Work!" 
 There were no initials on the stone but judging from 
 its size, the owner must have been a not too friendly 
 
 giant. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Upon another occasion, after he moved to Oak Park, 
 he told how one evening, as he walked alone, a large 
 man wearing roller skates and dressed in policeman's 
 uniform, skated up behind him and attempted to 
 assassinate him with a "billy." However, with quick 
 presence of mind, TK promptly knocked the big fellow 
 into a vacant lot, and had the great satisfaction of 
 seeing him get up and scurry away, evidently glad to 
 be permitted to escape with his life. 
 
 Note: — So far as can "be determined no attempts were ever made on 
 TK's life. Not one of the fifteen or so people who knew, or thot they 
 knew TK intimately, ever had any evidence of any interference what- 
 ever with his "business," or any designs upon his personal safety. 
 Neither has any one ever had any evidence that he possessed the knowl- 
 edge or power to withdraw from his physical body or to communicate 
 voluntarily with the spiritual world. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 Another "Individual Preference" 
 
 About the latter part of June, 1915, the writer was 
 employed by TK as manager of his publishing busi- 
 ness, and until in September, had occasion to consult 
 with him in his home on an average of about once a 
 week. 
 
 TK had been having sick spells for several years 
 past, and in Sept. 1915, he became quite seriously ill. 
 For a month previous to this sickness, his appearance 
 to the few who saw him was of one mentally dull 
 and drowsy; listless, indifferent and uninterested. 
 Finally the collapse came, and a day later, as his con- 
 dition became critical, a local physician, Dr. F. F. 
 
 E was called. Later, his regular physician, Dr. 
 
 E. M. W arrived, and there were then present 
 
 the two physicians, Dr. H. H., two nurses and four 
 other young women. It was in the presence of these 
 nine witnesses, eight of whom were students, that TK 
 made the remarkable confession that for many years 
 he had been using a drug called Heroin, a morphine 
 preparation. 
 
 He explained that he had taken it for the relief of 
 pain and that he did not know it was a morphine 
 derivative until after the Harrison Law went into 
 
 278 
 
ANOTHER "INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE" 279 
 
 effect. Then in a fit of madness, born of hunger for 
 the drug, he plead and demanded that it be given to 
 him at once. 
 
 Here was a man who for about twenty years had 
 been posing as a "master," with the following remark- 
 able evidences against his "mastership": 
 
 1. That he should have become a drug addict at all. 
 
 2. That he did not know the drug was morphme. 
 
 3. That he did not know what it was. 
 
 4. That he was taking it to relieve physical pain. 
 
 5. When he could no longer get it, he was just as 
 frantic for it as any one of thousands of drug victims. 
 
 6. He even went so far as to threaten suicide if it 
 were not given him. 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 A third student, also a physician, was called into 
 consultation. For many years these men had believed 
 in TK. They were sincere, earnest, honest men, and 
 out of their desire to protect what they thot to be a 
 "Great Work," and their wish to assist the TK to 
 overcome the habit, it was unanimously agreed not to 
 report the matter. It was decided also that TK should 
 be taken to the Edgemoor Sanitarium, and kept there 
 until he should be completely cured of the habit. Thus 
 the "master," a self-confessed and helpless victim, 
 without will or power of self control, instead of direct- 
 ing the proposed wonderful cures at Edgemoor, 
 became himself the first patient, subject to the 
 restraint of moral suasion and medical treatment of 
 his physician students. 
 
280 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 The opinion has been passed that TK probably did 
 not use any considerable amount of this drug. For 
 this reason only, do we suggest that the entries in 
 TK's check stubs show the following purchases: 
 
 Sept. 1, 1913 $14.00 
 
 Nov. 24, 1913 14.00 
 
 March 9, 1914 21.00 
 
 Dec. 14, 1914 50.00 
 
 May 1, 1915. 50.00 
 
 # # # 
 
 It was decided that TK should go to California for 
 the winter for his health. Therefore, during the first 
 week in November, 1915, accompanied by his physician 
 and his private secretary, he went to Pasadena. 
 
 Once there, his health improved rapidly, but he 
 grew restless, as his mind wandered back to Edge- 
 moor. For days at a time he read that scientific text 
 book, "Harmonics of Evolution." Especially did he 
 ponder and struggle over the following passages: 
 
 "Love is not a habit." 
 
 "Experience by experiment, and wisdom by experi- 
 ence, constitute the only path to individual self-com- 
 pletion and rational happiness." 
 
 "The important consideration is whether the lover, 
 after all, is not the wisest of all experimenters." 
 
 "The individual love relations of life are many. 
 They are limited in number and value by nothing ex- 
 cept the opportunities and capacities for loving." 
 
 Like a fish he drank and swam in this wonderful 
 wisdom. He recalled the scriptures which sayeth, 
 that in the latter days "their old men shall see 
 
ANOTHER "INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE" 281 
 
 visions/ ' He was in his "latter days," and he was 
 having visions of another and newer affinity. He felt 
 again the untamed call of his "individual preference" ; 
 the need of another "individual adjustment." He 
 wanted more "experience by experiment." He longed 
 again to travel the one and only primrose path to 
 "individual self -completion and rational happiness." 
 His " Great School' ' had declared that a perfect mar- 
 riage IS possible — that a man can be happy tho mar- 
 ried, — and why should not the sole American Repre- 
 sentative make this great demonstration — again? 
 
 Perhaps he could set his "Great School" another 
 record that would beat his meat-eating stunt and his 
 new solution to Ethical Problem No. 5. 
 
 Thus meditating, he slipped in and out of his phys- 
 ical body many times a day — walking first in the spir- 
 itual world, then in Pasadena. He looked at the mat- 
 ter with both his spiritual and physical eyes. One 
 of the GM's suggested that possibly some of the stu- 
 dents would not understand his courting so many 
 affinities, but the Elder Brother very promptly quoted 
 that gem of Natural Science: "The individual love 
 relations of life are many. They are limited in num- 
 ber and value by nothing except the opportunities 
 and capacities for loving." 
 
 They tried further to dissuade him, by saying how 
 many were waiting for his new book, "What Science 
 Knows," etc., but the resourceful "Uncle" had seen 
 again that remarkable "finger of destiny" of his, and 
 this time it reached right over the mountain tops and 
 straight across the prairie of Nebraska and Iowa and 
 
282 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 on to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, — and the Edgemoor 
 Sanitarium. 
 
 One afternoon the first week in December, about 
 four weeks after his trip to California, who should 
 walk into the office of the Indo-American Book Co., 
 but the TK, himself. 
 
 "Why, I thot you were going to remain in Califor- 
 nia for the winter, and do some writing f " 
 
 1 ' I did intend to, ' ' said TK, ' ' but I have now decided 
 to spend the winter at Oconomowoc. ' • 
 
 Then giving his order for a set of books to be sent 
 prepaid as his gift to a certain nurse at Edgemoor, 
 he returned to his big limousine, and was driven to 
 his home in Oak Park. 
 
 The next day he returned to " Edgemoor/ ' 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 "Well, Gentlemen, What Are You Going to Do 
 About It?" 
 
 Upon his return to Edgemoor, TK lost no time in 
 exhibiting a more than patriarchal interest in the 
 spiritual development of one of the young lady nurses, 
 and very shortly his "individual preference" was 
 working overtime. 
 
 But there was another young woman whom the 
 "master" had deceived and misled in about the same 
 manner some six years previous to the time of our 
 present story. She realized that he was playing 
 her false, that in her daily presence he was shifting 
 his interest and attention to another woman. Her 
 faith in him, as a "master," however, prevented any 
 outburst, and so in silence she bore the sting of his 
 neglect, and alone carried the burden of her secret 
 sorrow and disappointment. 
 
 Thus for weeks and months she struggled against 
 the inevitable, remaining in seclusion in her room 
 much of the time, thus hiding her pain as best she 
 could. But it was a losing struggle against an unprin- 
 cipled intelligence like TK's, and week by week she 
 sank into a state of almost helpless despair. 
 
 The bitterness of her mental suffering began to show 
 forth in her frail form, and day by day her physical 
 and mental resistance became less able to endure the 
 strain and uncertainty. At times she even feared the 
 loss of her reason, and at last, unable to bear the ter- 
 
 283 
 
284 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 rible condition alone, she took one of her girl friends 
 into her confidence. 
 
 All this time she was under the constant care of a 
 physician, but wise with that wisdom which comes 
 only from long experience and love of his art, he 
 knew that her condition was not due to any physical 
 causes, and so advised. 
 
 Thus far her sufferings had been due to suspicion, 
 but on March 3, 1916, her suspicions were confirmed, 
 and she became convinced that the man and "master" 
 whom she had trusted, was misleading another young 
 woman. 
 
 Following this, she wrote out two statements em- 
 bodying her charges against the TK, and giving in 
 detail an account of his deception and mistreatment 
 for a period of nearly six years. She prepared also 
 a statement covering what she knew of TK's large 
 deposits of money in Chicago banks, and these state- 
 ments she immediately placed in the hands of her 
 physician. 
 
 Upon hearing the young woman's story, it was at 
 once decided to set a secret watch over TK's room, 
 which was done for several weeks. 
 
 During this time TK suspected nothing unusual, 
 and even went so far as to prepare certain documents 
 which he expected would place the entire Sanitarium 
 property and its finances in his personal charge. In 
 this happy frame of mind the Unprepared One had 
 something coming to him that he was not looking 
 for; a surprise that not even his mighty masters or 
 
THE EDGEMOOR DISCLOSURES 285 
 
 his own "independent spiritual vision" had seemed 
 
 able to penetrate. 
 
 # * * * # 
 
 Saturday, April 1, was the day set for the regular 
 quarterly business meeting of the Board of Trustees. 
 This Board consisted of five members, but two other 
 students who had been taken into confidence were also 
 there. Including TK there were eight men present. 
 
 When all had assembled, the President explained 
 that before proceeding to the regular business, he 
 would ask the Secretary to read a certain paper, which 
 
 he then handed to Mr. Mc . This paper was one 
 
 of the statements already referred to, and constituted 
 serious and criminal charges against Mr. Richardson. 
 
 From the opening sentence of this wholly unex- 
 pected recital, TK sat leaning forward in his chair, as 
 motionless as a figure of stone ; his eyes intently fixed 
 upon the reader, his face, flushed scarlet, was hard and 
 expressionless. The whole scene from beginning to 
 end was one of dramatic and almost breathless sus- 
 pense. 
 
 At last when the reader ceased, there was a long 
 period of strained, tense silence lasting nearly three 
 minutes. This was finally broken by TK himself, who, 
 in a hard, metallic tone, said: "Well, gentlemen, 
 what are you going to do about it 1 ' ' 
 
 When the President ventured to suggest that the 
 charges were serious, Mr. Richardson turned to Dr. 
 E. M. W. and said, "Doctor, do you believe the charges 
 are true?" 
 
 Dr. W. replied: "I am sorry that I do." 
 
 "Then," said TK, "we can no longer work in har- 
 
286 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 mony, and there is nothing for me to do but with- 
 draw from the work." 
 
 He then launched into one of his customary philo- 
 sophic discourses on "The Spirit of the Work/ 9 with 
 never a word either to excuse, justify or deny the 
 charges brot against him. 
 
 When he finally ceased talking, his attention was 
 called to the fact that he had failed even to refer to 
 the charges, and he was urged many times to make 
 some statement relative to them. 
 
 His only answer was that he could make no reply 
 without involving others. 
 
 Finally, when all efforts to get a statement from him 
 had failed, there was nothing left to be done, but pre- 
 pare and execute the necessary documents transferring 
 the assets of the " Great School" and whatever 
 "authority" TK possessed, to the new Board of seven 
 Trustees. 
 
 This work was finally completed on the afternoon 
 of April 3, 1916, and so closely were the proceedings 
 guarded that no one, even at Edgemoor, outside the 
 eight men, was supposed to have any knowledge what- 
 ever of what was transpiring. Everybody felt that 
 some very solemn something was going on, but 
 whether the heavens were being opened or closed in 
 these secret sessions, no one had the least idea. 
 
 This "close communion" was alright for TK, but 
 it cost the Trustees about $6,000. For TK, at the 
 close of the first day's session, and upon a spiritual 
 tip from his "Great Master," took a hurry-up ride in 
 the family Ford towards the Oconomowoc Bank, and 
 withdrew all the Trust Funds deposited therein. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 TK Misses $500.00 by 15 Minutes 
 
 At the Union Station, on Monday, April 3, 1916, at 
 about ten o'clock, p. m., the writer met five members 
 of the Board of Trustees. They had just come from 
 Oconomowoc, after the three days' session with TK. 
 At that meeting, I was shown the legal documents 
 which stated that TK had severed all connections with 
 the " Great School' ' and had turned over to the Trus- 
 tees the assets and everything pertaining to the 
 " Great Work." But not the least hint was given me 
 
 as to why TK had taken this action. 
 
 # # # * * 
 
 TK was still at Edgemoor, but on Tuesday, April 4, 
 while waiting for the car to be cranked, he took a 
 sudden notion to be off, and with guitar and hand bag, 
 and without Good Byes to anyone, was seen to dis- 
 appear thru the woods in the direction of Oconomowoc. 
 The machine (a 1910 model) followed quickly, but 
 
 did not catch up. 
 
 # # * # # 
 
 About 3 p. m., April 4, two of the Trustees came 
 to the office of the Book Co., and took charge of all 
 money then on deposit, about $800.00. 
 
 They had been gone about fifteen minutes when TK 
 came in, and after passing the time of day said: "By 
 the way, have you got any money on hand?" 
 
 "Why, yes, we have about $800.00 in the bank." 
 
 "That's good. Can you let me have $500.00? I'm 
 going to California. I shall need every cent I can 
 get. Can you spare $500.00 from the business?" 
 
 287 
 
288 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Why, yes, easily/ ' 
 
 "Well, you can just let me have a check for 
 $500.00."' 
 
 I replied: "I am sorry, but Dr. H. and Mr. H. were 
 just here and I turned over to Mr. H. all the money 
 we have on deposit. But I shall see Mr. H. and explain 
 that you need the money, and it will be all right. ' f 
 
 "No. Never mind. Don't say anything about it. 
 I think I can manage somehow without it. ' ' 
 
 With this, he left the office and was driven toward 
 his home in Oak Park. 
 
 The next day, Wednesday, was the regular meeting 
 night of the four student groups in Chicago. As it 
 became known that TK had withdrawn from the 
 "Great School," many of the students, and especially 
 the women, manifested considerable concern. The 
 whole matter was so unexpected and unexplained. No 
 one knew or seemed able or willing to even venture a 
 guess as to what was happening. 
 
 That evening a Committee representing the Board 
 of Trustees visited each of the four groups and read 
 the TK's statement of withdrawal and the transfer 
 of authority and responsibility to the Trustees. Not a 
 word of explanation, however, was given, but it was 
 suggested that they hoped to be able to make a state- 
 ment — possibly at the next meeting. 
 
 It was then made plain that all speculations would 
 be entirely out of place, and all members were arbi- 
 trarily pledged not to discuss the matter with anyone 
 under any circumstances. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 TK's Hasty Marriage 
 
 Thursday about noon, April 6th, Dr. H. H. happened 
 to be in Dr. E. M. W. 's Chicago office when a long dis- 
 tance telephone call was announced. It was from the 
 business manager of the Sanitarium at Oconomowoc, 
 
 to the effect that Z had had a telephone message 
 
 from TK asking her to come to Chicago at once. With 
 a bundle under her arm she had left on the 8 :20 train 
 that morning and would probably arrive in the city 
 about noon. She had explained to the manager that 
 " Uncle John" had asked her to come, but she ex- 
 pected to be back in the evening. 
 
 Dr. H. and Dr. W. hurried immediately to the Union 
 Depot. Here they recognized TK's "official" limou- 
 sine, and saw "J. E. R." anxiously pacing up and 
 down the station platform. He, however, did not see 
 them, and the train being late, the two crossed the 
 street to a restaurant and ordered lunch. Later Dr. 
 W. returned to the depot and down to the sheds, for 
 it was about time for the arrival of the train. 
 
 Finally the train pulled in, and just as the young 
 lady stepped from the car, Dr. W. greeted her with 
 the question, "Z , what does this mean?" 
 
 Taken thus by surprise, she quickly looked about 
 her, evidently expecting to see TK. Not seeing him 
 for the moment, she explained that "Uncle John" 
 had telephoned her to come. 
 
 "But how did you leave the patients? When are 
 you going back?" said Dr. W. 
 
 289 
 
290 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 At that point TK stepped up and said, ' i She cannot 
 answer that question, for I am going to ash her to 
 marry me." 
 
 At this surprising announcement, the young lady ex- 
 hibited such unmistakable signs of genuine astonish- 
 ment that there could be no question that this was the 
 first inkling she had of our " Uncle John's' * matri- 
 monial intentions. 
 
 Together, the three now left the train platform and 
 went out upon the sidewalk near the limousine, TK 
 the while trying to persuade the young woman to go 
 with him. Once as he took hold of her arm and 
 attempted to draw her away toward the car, she 
 stepped back and leaned toward Dr. W. as if for pro- 
 tection. However, as TK continued to talk, he finally 
 persuaded her to accompany him, and entering the 
 limousine, they were driven away. 
 
 Dr. H., coming up at this point, Dr. W. said: "Well, 
 she's gone. She stands no chance in the hands of a 
 man like him." 
 
 Things were happening rapidly in the course of the 
 Great School. "Harmonics of Evolution" was ten 
 laps ahead of both the other "text" books. The 
 affinity philosophy of the Great School was having the 
 time of its life. TK wore a red tie and seemed alto- 
 gether pleased with himself. Several times before in 
 his life he had "completed" himself according to his 
 ancient ethical formulary, but this time he said: "I 
 shall set a pace for my beloved students that they 
 will find hard to beat Selah! : 
 
 j > 
 
TK'S HASTY MARRIAGE 291 
 
 How he wooed and won, we have already described. 
 We have now only to record that upon entering the 
 limousine, the two were driven rapidly across the 
 beautiful Chicago River and straight to the City Hall. 
 Here facing the marriage license clerk, the " Elder 
 Brother' ' — 63 years old and weighing 200 physical 
 pounds, without batting an eye, gave his age as 30 
 years; that of his bride as 24; his residence as Oak 
 Park, 111., and his occupation as a retired attorney. 
 !!!!!!! 
 
 Things were still happening. Happening rapidly. 
 Everything inside the " Great School" was moving 
 along with a snap and a bang ! ! ! At about 2 p. m. TK 
 stepped into Dr. W. 's office and said, * ' Gentlemen, you 
 are invited to attend a wedding at 2:30 at the Court 
 House.' ' When asked if the two other Trustees living 
 in Chicago could be invited, the " Master' ' said: "By 
 all means; also Dr. J. L., here." 
 
 Thus five representative ethical students, including 
 the two who had "taken" the famous Technical Work 
 were present and witnessed the marriage ceremony. 
 Some of these had witnessed TK's former "individual 
 completion" on Jan. 30, 1910 at the time he married 
 Florence Huntley, but his "individual completion" 
 on April 6, 1916 surpassed everything one could imag- 
 ine in the "completion" line. 
 
 If the presiding judge had any suspicion he was 
 marrying a man who was hourly in conscious com- 
 munication with 13 spiritual planes, he did not permit 
 himself to become confused thereby. 
 
 Thus the spiritual ceremony of the "Great School" 
 was nicely blended with the modern Chicago rulings 
 
292 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 in such emergencies, and TK was initiated into the 
 3rd degree of marriage. 
 
 The 3rd degree in the " Technical Work," you will 
 recall, is where the student can withdraw entirely from 
 his physical body and travel at will in spiritual 
 realms. This has its analogy in the 3rd degree of 
 marriage where the "master" is able to withdraw 
 from the body of his students and travel at will seek- 
 ing new sources of revenue. 
 
 # * # * # 
 
 The wedding is over. 
 
 TK has given the Judge his two dollars. 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 There being no further reasons for prolonging the 
 excitement, the Bride and Groom withdrew, leaving 
 the students to apply their knowledge of Official Eth- 
 ical Problem No. 5. 
 
 TK had put one over on them. Three days before, 
 he had had to sit in trial answering and dodging as 
 best he could, their pertinent, personal questions about 
 his kind of morality and its relation to the ancient 
 
TK'S HASTY MARRIAGE 293 
 
 Ethical Formulary; but now, for the time being at 
 least, they were spiritually speechless. Had they at 
 this crisis thot to do so, they might have been able to 
 persuade him to remain in Chicago long enuf to help 
 untangle a lot of puzzling financial problems. But 
 just as he lost no time — and no money getting away 
 from Edgemoor, so he promptly rode away on the 
 next train to Pasadena. 
 
 * * * # * 
 
 In November, 1915 — just five months previous to 
 April 6, 1916 — this same TK had taken another trip 
 to California. 
 
 That time also it was in a private drawing room, 
 but it was a different young lady, and there was no 
 marriage certificate in his grip. 
 
 He knew at that time that there was such a thing 
 as the Mann Act, but that law would hardly apply to 
 the "sole American Representative" of the "Great 
 School," and so, as he explained, he "did not think 
 anything about it." 
 
 If TK's thots reverted to his former trip, he prob- 
 ably said nothing about it to his new bride. 
 
 Nor is it probable that he wasted any sympathy on 
 the little woman of that former journey, even tho at 
 that very time she lay in her home, stricken and pros- 
 trate as the direct result of his deception. 
 
\ 
 
 3 " V- \lr 
 
 Vl I 
 
 \. /' 
 
 ™ H'ltA 
 
 laltf 
 
 v «* 
 
 =**. 
 
 v 
 
 Tke Great 
 Fiction 
 
 ^e Great TB1K 
 
 Mferaflta (, *0H |IM Wvraiiia«ii nw"t 
 
 On April 12, 1916, following TK's departure, the 
 Chicago groups met as usual. Most of the students 
 had heard of the " master V marriage, but no one 
 in Chicago except four trustees knew anything of the 
 Edgemoor facts. Three of these four again visited 
 the groups and " explained' ' that no explanation could 
 yet be made. One lady student suggested she would 
 never cease to pray for TK; another volunteered to 
 pray for the ''women in the case," and after repledg- 
 ing everybody to silence, the " Great School" was dis- 
 missed. 
 
 294 
 
WHA THAD BECOME OF THE "GREA T SCHOOL ?" 295 
 
 During this time the Board of Trustees was trying 
 to untangle a lot of financial problems, also wonder- 
 ing if there were such a thing as a " Great School' ' — 
 if TK's tales about " Great Masters" and " Great 
 Friends" were fiction or fact, etc. Neither of the 
 "Technical" students could see or otherwise "get" 
 anything from the spiritual side of life any more than 
 if they had never heard of a technical work, and alto- 
 gether, it was a lovely and tangible ethical confusion. 
 
 Finally it was decided a committee of four members 
 of the Board should go to California and have a con- 
 ference with the "master." Thus about May 1, Mr. 
 L. H., Mr. F. T. L., Dr. H. H. and Dr. E. M. W. slipped 
 away from Chicago and went direct to Pasadena 
 
 where they arrived about 2 p. m., Thursday, May 4. 
 
 # * # # * 
 
 At 4 p. m., without in any way giving TK's "inde- 
 pendent spiritual vision" any inkling of their pres- 
 ence, these men walked up to where that gentleman 
 was sitting with his family and friends upon his front 
 porch. Upon seeing his "four wise men from the 
 East," the "master" grew quite visibly excited and 
 without further stimulation said: "Gentlemen, you 
 have among you a monumental liar. ' ' 
 
 At this re" mark of the master," all felt duly im- 
 pressed, but not in any way frightened. TK, however, 
 realized that these men had, in the language of his 
 great H-N-K, traveled over plains and mountains "to 
 see him and him alone." 
 
 He did not know just what they wanted to see him 
 about, but he knew they were in earnest and that they 
 meant business. 
 
296 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Seeing this he invited them into his house, and the 
 five soon agreed upon the conditions to govern the 
 several days* sessions before them. One condition 
 that TK insisted upon was accurate stenographic 
 reports of every word uttered, and thus two stenog- 
 raphers and a third student were invited to be pres- 
 ent. 
 
 Sessions were held on Thursday, Friday and Sun- 
 day, and from the stenographic reports published 
 herewith, you will readily understand the nature of 
 some of the problems that these four Trustees were 
 trying to solve. They were still under the impression 
 that TK had probably been a " master,' ' but that he 
 had somehow fallen and forfeited his mastership. But 
 whether he had ever been a master or riot, they wanted 
 to obtain some accounting of the several hundred 
 thousand dollars they knew he had been handling. 
 They wanted to know if his affinity philosophy had any 
 scientific basis; if he had ever cured any insane; if 
 there were anything real in any of his teachings. 
 They wanted to get at the facts — not for themselves 
 alone, but especially for the students and readers of 
 his literature. 
 
 At the beginning of the Sunday sessions, TK 
 requested that no more notes be taken and no wit- 
 nesses be admitted. This request was finally granted, 
 and it was at this point that TK very dramatically 
 announced that he had talked with his wife and daugh- 
 ter, and that the three of them had concluded that if 
 his suicide was necessary to clear up everything, he 
 
WHA THAD BECOME OF THE "GREA T SCHOOL f" 297 
 
 should take his own life. Then, speaking very theat- 
 rically, he asked the opinion of the Committee on the 
 matter. 
 
 "Well, now, Uncle John," said one of them, "Be- 
 fore you do anything like that, won't you tell us some- 
 thing more about these money matters 1" 
 
 This took TK wholly by surprise and ended the 
 performance. Later he confessed to still having con- 
 siderable money in his possession, but to the question 
 of how he could still be a "master" in the face of his 
 record for indiscretions, his only explanation was that, 
 
 "It is just as much of a mystery to me as it is to 
 you." 
 
 •Jr tP *jf tP tv 
 
 The Committee of Four next visited Stockton where 
 TK lived from 1881 to 1886, and where he claimed to 
 have became a "master," to have cured 349 cases of 
 insanity, to have made $30,000.00 a year practicing 
 Law, etc., all of which they found to be untrue and im- 
 possible. 
 
 From here they went to San Francisco, thence to 
 Oregon and Washington, and from there to Minne- 
 apolis, arriving in Chicago about June 1st. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 TK's Explanations 
 
 QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE COMMITTEE AT PASADENA 
 IN MAY, 1916 
 
 F. T. L.— "May I ask a question? If that statement 
 were true, would these facts have caused a forfeiture 
 of your Mastership ?" 
 
 TK— "Yes." 
 
 F. T. L. — "And if similar acts had occurred about 
 the same time, would that have caused the forfeiture 
 of your Mastership V f 
 
 TK— "Yes." 
 
 TK ON SECEECY 
 
 TK. — "It certainly does, if you have the good of the 
 Work at heart, then you certainly do not desire to 
 pass on information which of its very nature must 
 be a detriment to the Cause and Work." 
 
 ^ "JT TT TT TT 
 
 TK. — "That is exactly what I had in mind. When 
 
 our conference was held, Mr. L , as you know, 
 
 there was a mutual agreement between us before our 
 meeting was adjourned, that not a word should pass 
 from the lips of any of us that concerned matters 
 whatsoever in that meeting." 
 
 F. T. L. — "No, what was said was said by myself. 
 You said something about advertising it, and I said, 
 'My God, we do not want to advertise the matter.' 
 
 298 
 
TK'S EXPLANATIONS 299 
 
 We had a talk between ourselves about keeping this 
 matter quiet, as far as it was possible for us to do so — 
 and we did as far as it was possible, and I remember 
 the fact that no pledges had been given on either side." 
 
 TK. — "In my presence, before the meeting was 
 closed, either you, or some one of the other Friends, 
 suggested and asked that the matter be held as a strict 
 personal confidence. I said, I think that is right. ' ' 
 
 F. T. L. — "I made the suggestion, and as far as I 
 am concerned, not one person knows. 
 
 "Now I can say this for Dr. H , — he can say it 
 
 for himself, for that matter, that facts have come to 
 us unsought, facts which have come to us unsuspected 
 by us; we have learned of things, and have learned 
 the fact that what was read in the paper which was 
 read at the conference, had been made known to 
 others ; so there is no question that other people know 
 
 TK. — "Just that phase of the subject is what I had 
 reference to. It is true that some one of your num- 
 ber has not kept faith — that I am satisfied of beyond 
 all question, and that is the reason why I asked Dr. 
 H whether he really had the Work at heart.' ' 
 
 L. H.— "The conference which lasted three days was 
 the most important incident of my life, barring one. 
 I wished at that time, and hoped at that time, that 
 there might possibly be some way whereby it could be 
 found to be a mistake, and I was hoping that you 
 would deny it.' ' 
 
300 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 TK USES FOE HIS OWN PRIVATE USE, FUNDS CONTRIBUTED 
 FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. 
 
 L. H. — "I sent you a sum of money which was of 
 considerable size, I thought, $2,500. You stated to me 
 that you had less than $200 at that time. T do not 
 know how many, but at least three people have been 
 to me in the last three weeks, and have asked me how 
 about the money matters, and did he make an account- 
 ing of the Sanitarium funds, and was he as poor as 
 he told me? Then I commenced to look over my cor- 
 respondence. Information came outside of the Trus- 
 tees, to the effect that you have a fairly good fortune, 
 not a Rockefeller, nor were you poor ; but that it is not 
 less than $75,000 to $100,000. But I do not know that 
 that is true." 
 
 TK. — "I should say you don't." 
 
 L. H. — "Just a moment; — there should be given you 
 every opportunity of showing that you didn't have 
 money in the banks which was reported to us as having 
 been there, and which was turned over to you for the 
 Work. Now, the money I sent you was intended for 
 the Work. You have probably received in the neigh- 
 borhood of $15,000 to $20,000 from me. 
 
 1 ' If it is true that you have had given to you in the 
 last few years a considerable amount of money, and 
 have taken that for your own private use irrespective 
 of whether or not such an agreement was understood 
 between the giver and the taker, then I should say that 
 my responsibility would not be fulfilled to the School 
 and to the coming Students, until I had learned 
 whether or not you did possess, or had possessed, a 
 
TK'S EXPLANATIONS 301 
 
 rather large sum of money at the time when you were 
 1 penniless/ and whether or not you had accepted small 
 amounts of money from people who could ill afford the 
 donation. 
 
 "Unless I might seem to be too general in my state- 
 ments, I know of two cases, one a woman and another 
 of a young man, who, I understand, had donated to 
 you an amount of money of which you, as their friend 
 over a term of years, should have known was in ex- 
 cess of their ability and, therefore makes me feel that 
 there is a double responsibility resting upon my shoul- 
 ders." 
 
 TK USES TRUST FUNDS FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL 
 BUSINESS INVESTMENTS. 
 
 TK. — "I loaned out of that fund, to Mr. , who 
 
 was then representing the interests of the W-S M. Co., 
 about $21,000 of Dr. H 's money.' ' 
 
 L. H.— "That was out of the $50,000 Trust Fund. 
 Did you have security on the $21,000!" 
 
 TK. — "Nothing but the note of the company." 
 
 L. H. — "Then, I will ask just one question. In the 
 light of developments, does it seem to you that your 
 act in loaning a large sum of money, — $21,000 to one 
 individual, or Company, resulting in a loss to the 
 Cause through your lack of understanding of condi- 
 tions of the business, might hold you morally account- 
 able in a personal sense for the loss of the $21,000?" 
 
 TK.— "No, Mr. H , it does not. It is true that 
 
 the conditions which followed the loaning of that 
 
302 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 money were beyond my power or my ability to know in 
 advance; but the money was my own in a purely per- 
 sonal sense and the investment was my own." 
 
 F. T. L. — "In your own name?" 
 
 TK. — "Yes, because I did the best I could under the 
 circumstances and the fault was not mine." 
 
 TK A CLEVER REAL ESTATE DEALER 
 
 F. T. L.— "But as to using it for yourself and 
 family?" 
 
 TK. — "Whatever to me seemed necessary and 
 proper. There was never any restriction, and I think 
 it was understood that I had to live somehow. Out of 
 
 the moneys received from Dr. H I returned to him 
 
 $10,000 in payment for the property at So. Kenilworth 
 Ave., and that property stands in my name." ( !) 
 
 F. T. L. — "But the thing I wanted to say is this, 
 that unless I misunderstood the TK's statement, the 
 contribution of $50,000 was not made to him for per- 
 sonal matters but for the purpose of the work, that 
 was your understanding, was it not?" 
 
 F. T. L. — "I want some information about the or- 
 ganization of the Trust Fund. Was this Trust Fund 
 organized with money that had been given by Dr. 
 H ?" 
 
 TK.-— "It was." 
 
TK'S EXPLANATIONS 303 
 
 F. T. L. — "Part of the money had been invested in 
 the Book Company ?" 
 
 TK. — "Yes, the expenses that were charged against 
 that, and were being paid out from the Book Co. over- 
 ran the income from it, all the way from $2,000 to 
 $4,000 to $5,000." 
 
 F. T. L. — "That was practically your only revenue 
 at that time?" 
 
 TK.— "Yes," 
 
 F. T. L. — "Were there any other funds that ever 
 went into that Trust Fund?" 
 TK— "No." 
 
 L. H. — "My recollection was, TK, that you wrote 
 me a letter relative to this Trust Fund and in connec- 
 tion with one of my contributions. Just what do you 
 presume could have been your reference to that Fund, 
 if it was not to give me some impression that dona- 
 tions of this kind would be received into that Fund, 
 or a portion of them at least?" 
 
 F. T. L.— "On Sept. 9, 1913, you wrote:— 
 'I have established a Trust Fund and all money 
 contributed to me by the Students is for this, and into 
 it I placed every cent I had at the time and into it has 
 gone every cent I received since that time, etc.' " 
 
 TK. — ' * I do not recall that letter at the present time. 
 Just what is the point you want to make?" ( !) 
 
304 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 TK TRANSFERS A ' * TRUST FUND ' ' TO HIS OWN PERSONAL 
 SAVINGS ACCOUNT 
 
 F. T. L.— "The Fund was closed out after Nov. 1914 
 was it not? You said to J. C. : 'I thank you for your 
 suggestions concerning the best method of dissolving 
 the Trust and turning the matter into my personal 
 account. I have about concluded to withdraw the bal- 
 ance to my credit and thus dissolve the Trust without 
 saying anything to anybody but you. 7 " 
 
 L. H. — "Z understand that Dr. H. 's $50,000 
 
 was the only money that had been put into that par- 
 ticular Fund, and then I asked you about the letter 
 which you wrote me, and in which you referred to a 
 Trust Fund, and led me to believe, as the giver of 
 funds, that it would be going into a Trust Fund." 
 
 L. H.— "Were there two Trust Funds I" 
 
 TK— "No, not specially.' ' 
 
 L. H. — "How do you reconcile the statement that 
 
 only Dr. H 's Funds had been put into the Fund, 
 
 to the statement you made to me that ALL the Funds 
 went into that Fund and all the moneys received from 
 Students went into that Fund?" 
 
 TK. — "My intention was to convey that all moneys 
 received were in trust for the purposes of the Work." 
 
 L. H. — "I do not want to press this question. One 
 was the statement that you had placed only the 
 
 amount which Dr. H gave you into this Trust 
 
 Fund; and I have a letter from you stating that you 
 
TK'S EXPLANATIONS 305 
 
 have a Trust Fund, and now you say that you referred 
 
 to Dr. H 's Fund, and that you had another Fund 
 
 in which you placed all Funds received from Stu- 
 dents." 
 
 TK AND THE EDGEMOOR TRUST FUND GRAFT. 
 
 H. H. — "I would like to refer to the TK's promise 
 at Edgemoor, during those three days of April 1st, 
 2d and 3d, of this year, that he would render an ac- 
 count of the funds sent to him in trust for Edgemoor 
 Sanitarium. Did you not make such a statement, TK, 
 at Edgemoor f " 
 
 TK. — "Whatever statement I made had reference 
 to what Mr. H placed in my hands. ' ' 
 
 H. H. — * ' I am quite certain that you made that state- 
 ment in answer to a question." 
 
 TK. — "There were other funds turned over by the 
 various branches of the League, and every dollar of 
 them was turned over to the Sanitarium and all con- 
 tributions including the last contribution from Mr. 
 
 H , were turned over to W N , — except the 
 
 fund I mentioned." 
 
 H. H. — "But outside of the League contributions 
 there were other contributions made to you according 
 to your request made in "Life and Action." 
 
 TK— "No." 
 
 H. H, — "Did you not receive such contributions !' ' 
 
 TK. — "I do not recall such contributions. Mr. 
 
 C. C sent me two small checks ; Mr. C. P once 
 
 included a remittance which he and others had ar- 
 
306 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ranged to contribute at regular intervals to the Sani- 
 tarium. \ ' 
 
 H. H. — "But there were a good many others, — $100 
 here, $25.00 there, $1,000.00 here, etc., a good many 
 were sent to you in response to your request in "Life 
 and Action," and you said, I believe, in "Life and 
 Action/ ' that you would account for those moneys 
 received. ' ' 
 
 TK. — "I stated, if you will recall, that it was with 
 reference to the League Funds that I would render a 
 statement. ,, 
 
 H. H. — "I took it to mean all funds.' ' 
 
 TK. — "I made no such statement.' ' 
 
 F. T. L. — "We have to be business-like, as Trustees 
 of Edgemoor, and that matter ought to be a matter 
 which is kept accurate, do you not think f" 
 
 TK. — "Yes, as far as it can be done, I am sure." 
 F. T. L. — "We are thinking of publishing a list of 
 all the contributions to the Sanitarium and we be- 
 lieve that so far as money matters are concerned, it 
 will be our duty to be as open as possible. That is, 
 we have nothing to conceal. We think it is the proper 
 attitude to take, and while it is not necessary to give 
 contributors small details, at the same time we feel 
 that we should give a record of all contributions re- 
 ceived and show where they have been paid; so you 
 see it is a rather vital matter to get those matters into 
 shape." 
 
 TK.— "Yes," (!) 
 
TK'S EXPLA NATIONS 307 
 
 TK SAYS FRANKLY, "i DO NOT KNOW!" 
 
 H. H. — "I am only thinking of the responsibility 
 of the fact that one or more, or some of those who have 
 contributed, when they learn that you are no longer 
 connected with the Work, will come to the Trustees 
 and ask what has become of it, and we are not able 
 to tell them, as we have no record." 
 
 E. M. W. — "TK, in giving the money to W was 
 
 there any record of the donor !" 
 
 TK. — "No, it came through me, simply as a check 
 from me. ' ' 
 
 E. M. W. — * ' Is there any way of getting a record of 
 the individuals who sent the money f" 
 
 TK— "I do not know." (!) 
 
 * # # # * 
 
 L. H. — "I do not care so much about my money, but 
 if you have in your possession, or in the possession of 
 those near to you, and which belongs to the Cause, any 
 considerable sum, then I think you would agree with 
 me that the Cause is still entitled to it, — or at least that 
 which was dedicated to the Cause. I am not thinking 
 so much of my own, as I am the fact that others have 
 contributed liberally, and it has gotten to me from two 
 sources at least, that you had, a very short time ago, in 
 the neighborhood of $96,000.00.' ' 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 TK TALKS OF HIS TRIP TO CALIFORNIA IN NOVEMBER, 1915. 
 
 H. H. — "How did you travel when you and X 
 
 traveled together ?" 
 TK. — "We traveled in a drawing room." 
 
308 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 F. T. L.— "Was Dr. E. W in that car?" 
 
 TK. — "No. Because I particularly inquired at 
 that time, and could not have gotten any other reser- 
 vation. We all occupied the room together during the 
 day time." 
 
 F. T. L. — "The reason Dr. W went out was to 
 
 take care of you in case of any sudden changer 
 
 TK. — "Yes, it was first thot there would be no rea- 
 son why I might require any services, and Doctor 
 knew at that time that no such thing was necessary. 
 
 He later found that Mr. H made it possible in a 
 
 financial way for him to come. I expressed my great 
 satisfaction and pleasure that he could come." 
 
 H. H. — "Then why was it necessary for X also 
 
 to come?" 
 
 TK. — "X came partly on my account, and 
 
 partly to see her people whom she had not seen for 
 many years." 
 
 H. H. — "Did she know that a young lady risks her 
 reputation by traveling in a drawing room alone with a 
 man?" 
 
 TK. — "I do not know. I do know this, that on the 
 boats it is not an unusual thing at all. Take the Lake 
 trips; I know of that fact thru an experience I had 
 
 with . We wanted to take a trip to , 
 
 and when I went to get reservations, — and I had gotten 
 reservations, thinking that I had gotten them in sepa- 
 rate state rooms — and when we arrived on the boat, 
 found that I had gotten reservations in the same state 
 room. I went to the purser and explained the situa- 
 tion, that we were not married and wished he would 
 make an arrangement to give us different rooms. He 
 
TK'S EXPLANATIONS 309 
 
 said that that is something perfectly common. It is the 
 same on a railroad train. One person may occupy a 
 lower berth, and the other an upper. I realized, how- 
 ever, that there might be a question of the propriety 
 
 of X and I occupying the same drawing room 
 
 alone. On the return trip the three of us occupied 
 the drawing room together." 
 
 H. H. — "Is such an occurrence not sufficient to ruin 
 the reputation of a young woman ? ' ■ 
 
 TK. — "Perhaps you are right. It is not considered 
 usual." 
 
 H. H. — "If that had become generally known, that 
 the 'master' of the Great School traveled with a young 
 girl-student of his, in a drawing room from Chicago 
 to California — the two occupying one room — that could 
 have but one effect, and have only destructive results." 
 
 TK. — 'You are possibly right." 
 
 TK EXPLAINS THE SCIENTIFIC VALUE OF HIS GREAT SCHOOL 's 
 FIRST "TEXT BOOK" 
 
 E. M. W. — "Is it possible, Uncle John, that you 
 could be mistaken in that, instead of all these people f ' ' 
 
 TK. — "It is hard to say, Doctor, what is in the 
 range of possibilities." 
 
 E. M. W. — "Looking from my door, from which I 
 had a clear view of your door, for successive nights, 
 
 almost without exception, Z went into your room, 
 
 anywhere from 8:30 to 11:30 p. m. — usually about 9 
 o'clock — and she did not come out until usually about 
 
310 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 5 :00 to 5 :30 a. m. I can safely say I was wide-awake. 
 It was checked up, not only by me, but by others. Is 
 it not just as possible that you should be mistaken as 
 all of us?" 
 
 TK—" Possibly." 
 
 H. H. — "Have you told any one person or persons 
 that you and Z are Soul Mates?" 
 
 TK. — "I never have stated to any living mortal that 
 I knew definitely who was mine." 
 
 L. H. — "Did you ever state to any one that the 
 RA was your Soul Mate?" 
 
 TK— "I DID NOT. It is a subject that has come 
 up, I think as many as one hundred times, from var- 
 ious sources, and I have been asked various questions 
 concerning affinities as well as reincarnation. I have 
 said in every instance that those are matters that no 
 one cam prove definitely and especially prove to any 
 body else, and for that very reason I have discouraged 
 all discussions of those subjects, as far as I could. 
 
 "I have never made the statement to any living 
 mortal that Florence Huntley and I were Soul Mates. 
 That was a matter that I knew, however, or felt sure, 
 that it was inferred by some of the Friends, by reason 
 of the fact that she was the author of the statement 
 of the Principle, with myself as her instructor. ' ' 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 Concerning the Charges 
 
 The following is a reprint of a stenographic report 
 of some of the statements made by Mr. F. T. L., the 
 Attorney for the Board of Trustees, to Mr. John E. 
 Richardson, (TK) in Pasadena, Calif., on May 5, 1916: 
 
 Now you asked us yesterday, and got assurances 
 from us — I think from all whom you asked, that satis- 
 fied you that our purpose was and is to preserve this 
 Work if it is possible to do so. I think that is your con- 
 viction and it does not need any further assurances 
 from us to that effect, but I will say again that our 
 purpose is, if possible, to preserve this Work. 
 
 I am going to ask you to put yourself in our posi- 
 tion and if it is possible, thi/nh how to help us to solve 
 perhaps as perplexing problems as ever faced us, or 
 anybody connected with the responsibility of carrying 
 on the Work. 
 
 But, in the first place, we are all Students of the 
 Work and have all come into intimate personal con- 
 tact with you, and we are here now because of that 
 fact, and today we are in sole and exclusive charge, 
 responsibility and authority for the administration of 
 this Work in this country, and it came to us unsought, 
 
 — at least to me, at least to Mr. H , — entirely 
 
 unexpectedly. 
 
 I think that Dr. W and Dr. H , as two of 
 
 311 
 
312 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 the older Students, had a right to expect that some 
 time the responsibility of this Work would be devolved 
 
 upon their shoulders. McC , H and I tried 
 
 our best to avoid it, but we had learned certain les- 
 sons on Personal Responsibility and when it was put 
 up to us, we accepted it. We came into this work only 
 partly to conduct a business enterprise; the business 
 end was but a small part of it compared with the 
 Spiritual work. The business end of it would not have 
 tempted any of us, because other men could be found 
 to handle the business end just as well as we could. 
 But we had your assurance that the selection was 
 made with the approval of the Great Friends and 
 the Great Master, and of course that responsibility 
 could not be shirked. 
 
 We came into charge of the obligation of the main- 
 taining and extension of a philosophy that, if it stood 
 for anything, stood for high Moral Principles. It 
 was addressed to the ''progressive intelligence of the 
 age ; ' ' this meant that only the intelligent people who 
 could appreciate the delicate shadings of the Morality 
 it taught could be accepted. We were taught the 
 ability to distinguish between right and wrong, the 
 ability to detect falsehood, hypocrisy and anything 
 that did not ring true. We came into charge of a 
 Philosophy that taught of Mastership and held out 
 as its chief object and aim, to all of the Students, 
 the attainment of Mastership, or considerable definite 
 progress along that road, after the Student first gained 
 the knowledge of the scientific, exact Moral Principles 
 and persevered in applying those things to his own 
 life. 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 313 
 
 That Philosophy is now in our charge. It is con- 
 tained in three text-books. The first was written by a 
 lady who, afterwards became your wife, and is now 
 dead; and it is absolutely certain you directed and 
 no doubt dictated some of it. The Principles laid 
 down in the first volume are simply preliminary to 
 the second and third volumes. The second and third 
 volumes were written by yourself. 
 
 The second was not the real Philosophy. It is a 
 sign-board warning people against the wrong way. 
 
 So the real Philosophy is contained in the third book 
 which is your book, which is a scientific expression 
 of the working out of the Constructive Principle in 
 Nature. Now the entire book is devoted to and revolves 
 around Ethical Principles. The lesson it teaches is 
 that we cannot dodge our responsibility. That honor 
 and truth and justice and all those things are part 
 of the scheme of exact Morality which everyone who 
 becomes a Master, or attempts at mastership, must 
 follow out. 
 
 The third volume is followed by a number of volumes 
 of "Life and Action/ ' to work out and explain the 
 parts in the text-books which seem to need explana- 
 tion, and in all those books, without a single exception, 
 you have said that Personal Eesponsibility cannot 
 be avoided, — that it must be met, that the Life must 
 be lived in order to be a Master. And it has come 
 to the knowledge of this Board in further detail, where 
 Student after Student has been suspended from the 
 School or Group because they did not live their lives 
 in alignment with the Principles of the Great School. 
 One was expelled because she was thought to aspire to 
 
314 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 a place to which she was not entitled, that she was 
 envious and not Living the Life, etc. Once, I ashed 
 you what was the chief cause of the falling from 
 grace of the Students who did fall from grace, and 
 you said promptly, that it was loose relations with 
 the opposite sex. 
 
 Now we naturally, with all that knowledge which 
 we had obtained from the text-books, and which we 
 had obtained from association with you, had very 
 exalted ideas and have yet. We also had an exalted 
 idea of you, and you were our Master, and every 
 time we sent a book out we virtually said — "The 
 founder, the central figure of this Work is a man, not 
 a Principle; the TK has mastered his passions, has 
 mastered his temper and is Living the Life as laid 
 out in the Ethical Section. 99 And in the years to come 
 this literature will hold that pictuke of the writer 
 of these books, and that view of this Philosophy is 
 up to us. 
 
 I asked you yesterday if you were still a Master. 
 You said, "Yes, possessing all of the powers and Liv- 
 ing the Life that a Master should live ; that no portion 
 of your powers had been forfeited. " I asked you 
 whether the seduction of a woman, an unmarried girl, 
 would lose you your Mastership, — I understood you 
 to say "it would depend.' ' 
 
 I asked you if such relations would cause him to 
 lose his mastership, and you said, that "would 
 depend.' ' 
 
 Now, you see, things have come to us since we have 
 assumed the responsibility of this Work. First among 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 315 
 
 them, the Living or the not Living of a Life. Second, 
 along the money matters. Now, one of the first things 
 which attracted me to this Philosophy was the absence 
 of grafting. Naturally each man who comes, looks 
 for the graft; and Vol. Ill was especially clear about 
 the Eoman Catholic graft, and we understood graft 
 to be the taking, or receiving of money for his own 
 personal interest rather than the interests of the under- 
 taking with which he is connected. 
 
 I told you, yesterday, that I had a number of con- 
 sultations with Mr. . I have read your let- 
 ters to him, and his letters to you. I have seen Mr. 
 
 H 's correspondence with you, etc. I have read 
 
 certain letters that passed between you and H S. 
 
 W about the Sanitarium. I had read certain let- 
 ters from you to J L . I know that Mrs. E 
 
 M contributed to you the sum of $100, which was 
 
 all that she had, and which she really needed; that 
 a young man gave you $25.00 which he really needed. 
 I have seen the letters in which you have said you 
 would not accept money that came with conditions. 
 I have seen the letters in which you have said that 
 you refused over $100,000 because it came with con- 
 ditions, and it seemed from the tone of those letters 
 that you ivould receive money without conditions, and 
 the persons who received those letters responded to 
 the spirit of your letter and sent money without con- 
 ditions. But they said that this money is put into your 
 hands to do as you wish with it. In some letters you 
 say there is a Trust Fund to which every dollar of the 
 money will be placed. 
 
 Yesterday, you said there was no money placed in 
 
316 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 the Trust Fund except the initial deposit. I said 
 there were two matters, one financial and the other, 
 the Living of the Life. The financial matter came up 
 on April 1st at Oconomowoc, and at the time, you 
 freely said you would render to the Board of Trustees 
 an accounting of the Trust Fund. The impression 
 conveyed, if not in so many words, was that you would 
 go straight upstairs at Oconomowoc and prepare that 
 statement — that statement has not been prepared up 
 to the present time. 
 
 You told us yesterday that you could not furnish it. 
 We found that the data for it was either here or at 
 Oconomowoc. Now we are Trustees of the financial 
 interests of this Movement and of the Sanitarium and 
 we therefore, as the Eoman Church says, have charge 
 of the temporalities as well as the spiritualities, and 
 we can find out how much money was contributed and 
 we can find out how much money was put in. But 
 we would not have been preserving the interests of the 
 Work had we tried first, before coming here, to see if 
 you could give us an account of it. 
 
 Now we find that $21,000 of the $50,000 went into 
 an investment. That might have been an excuse from 
 suspicion of wilful misuse of those funds, but it will 
 not excuse it from those to whom we have to account. 
 That, and $10,000 spent for your own home, which 
 
 was afterwards returned, and paid for So. Ken- 
 
 ilworth Ave., which was used for the needs of the 
 Work, is all the account that we have thus far. I sup- 
 pose that most of the payments of these Funds were 
 made by check, and unless these were destroyed, you 
 could have given us the data on April 1st. 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 317 
 
 Dr. H H has a letter in which you tell him 
 
 you must sell So. Kenilworth Ave., and giving 
 
 him the first opportunity to buy it. It has never been 
 claimed that it was purchased for anything else than 
 the Work, from the Trust Fund. 
 
 We are business men, we are not Masters; we can- 
 not stand to the Student-body or to the outside world 
 in a spiritual relation; we must appeal to them, and 
 do appeal to them as business conservators of their 
 financial interests, and anything we pass on to them in 
 a spiritual way we are understood to be passing on 
 
 not from personal experience. Dr. E. M. W has 
 
 made some demonstrations, Dr. H H also, but 
 
 none of the rest. When I tell anybody I must say, "I 
 do not know; TK told me so and so; — we have not 
 demonstrated this, but TK has been in the spiritual 
 world. He claims to have been there, and many times 
 a day to confer with the Great Master, and several 
 years ago he told me about that. ' ' 
 
 But, when it comes to business, I am a lawyer and 
 accustomed to tricks, and in every statement I must 
 give to the Groups I would say that so much money 
 came into the hands of the TK (and it comes closer to 
 $300,000 than I like to think about); we must say that 
 this came into the hands of the TK, and we went to 
 Pasadena to get an account of it, and all we could get 
 was that he could not give an accounting of it. He did 
 not say he would not, but that he could not. People 
 
 would say: "You are a fool. ,, And to Mr. : 
 
 "You are a fool." And I want to say that a good 
 many things have come out that would make it very 
 difficult to convince an unbiased person; — need I men- 
 
318 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 tion $75.00 a month for perfume, $50.00 for taxi cabs, 
 large sums of money m checks. At the time you were 
 
 writing to Mr. H that you only had $200 in the 
 
 bank, you had just sent two checks of $500 and $400 to 
 Verna. Put yourself in our place. I want to say to 
 you, my friend, and my Uncle John, that I want to 
 protect you and I want to protect this Work, if it is 
 a possible thing. But Personal Eesponsibility cannot 
 
 be evaded; and we said to Mr. H : "You are a 
 
 coward if you run away from the responsibility." 
 
 So we cannot "duck," but we have got to work out 
 this situation and this is only the beginning and only 
 relates to the money ; and big as it is, it is only a small 
 part of what is on our souls to work out, and we can- 
 not do it by correspondence; you know it must be 
 something important to bring Mr. H and me here. 
 
 But I said that the money-matters are a small thing. 
 
 If you were myself you would say: "If L is 
 
 really a Master he would not dodge and take refuge 
 in the fact that there was no understanding and agree- 
 ment, no conditions." Why, we have a letter written 
 
 to Mr. H only recently where you say there is 
 
 nothing that binds you to anything. 
 
 (Mr. L reads letter.) 
 
 You know what you have written, you know what 
 you have said ; but suppose that you were in my place 
 and I in yours, and I should say, two months after I 
 had agreed to make a statement in such terms as I 
 had led you to believe a statement would be forth- 
 coming, before you left Edgemoor, I made most of 
 the payments by check in the Oak Park Bank, and 
 knowing of those facts, I should talk to you in that 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 319 
 
 way — would you not ask yourself the question and 
 
 would you not say to Mr. L that, "It does not 
 
 seem to me from what I have learned about Masters 
 that a Master (who has all along in the Work taught 
 the Students to take nothing for granted and to be 
 particularly careful about money matters) would treat 
 things as you are treating these matters.' ' And I 
 would say: "You are right, and I will not let a 
 moment pass without making an effort to explain and 
 get a satisfactory statement down to the very penny 
 of the money I have received, whether it is so or not, 
 and which you claim was in Trust, and which I have 
 held in Trust, and out of which I have only the right to 
 use (as you say in one of your letters) "but for the 
 rigid economy of living." 
 
 I understood that your calling Dr. E W a 
 
 monumental liar was because of the talk with Z , 
 
 and it might be a good thing for us to see what Z 
 
 told you as a report of that conversation. 
 
 * # # # # 
 
 Dr. E W did not say, "I know" at any 
 
 time, he did say we have the evidence to show and / 
 know that he has the evidence, and that he had it 
 at that time. 
 
 Now the most that Dr. E W had to say about 
 
 you and her was: "Do not let Uncle John fool you 
 or deceive you, you are not the only person to whom 
 he has said that he is your Soul Mate, that you and 
 he are really affinities." And it is in that connection 
 that he said that he had the evidence to prove it, and 
 
 I may say that I know of formal statements, V for 
 
 instance, from , from , and one other in which 
 
320 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Z said, that she had at last found her affinity; 
 
 that he lived at Oconomowoc, or Edgemoor; that he 
 was about 40 years older than she was; that he was 
 tall and thin and wise; and, mark you, those state-- 
 ments have come to us unsought; but I know of those 
 
 statements, so you see that Dr. E W did have 
 
 some evidence when he told Z that she was not 
 
 the only person to whom you made this statement. 
 
 Now, he also had this evidence, and that evidence 
 was read in your presence on April 1st, at Oconomo- 
 woc, and it was immediately after the reading of that 
 
 statement you asked Dr. E W . You said: 
 
 "Dr. W , do you believe these statements to be 
 
 true?" 
 
 And he said: "I am sorry to say, I do." 
 
 You said: "What is the use of my making a state- 
 ment, Dr. W says he believes it," and you said, 
 
 "What good will it do to affirm or deny it?" 
 
 Dr. H H was insistent in getting the state- 
 ment, and finally I broke in on him and said, "What is 
 the use of asking for a statement from Uncle John, 
 he is a lawyer and knows the full effect of his RE- 
 FUSAL to make a statement, if a charge such as that 
 is made." 
 
 And we went on (after I had called your attention 
 to the fact that a refusal to make a statement — that 
 a refusal is a confession and admission of guilt, and 
 so regarded by the average man), and we proceeded to 
 accomplish all that followed — we proceeded on the as- 
 sumption that you were guilty. You said the wise 
 thing for you to do was to withdraw from the Work, 
 and the first question that was asked after that, was 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 321 
 
 asked by myself. You were my Uncle John all during 
 the three days, and you spoke to me about it after- 
 wards. I said, " Uncle John, can you leave Edgemoor, 
 
 can Dr. E W run Edgemoor without you?" 
 
 And you went on to say that he had knowledge to treat 
 psychic cases and the medical skill, and you spoke of 
 the technical work he had taken. 
 
 And I said to X , and suggested to certain others 
 
 of the Trustees, "Now let us he very certain that Dr. 
 
 E W has not put up a scheme to put Uncle 
 
 John out." We had the desire to protect our Master, 
 the founder of our faith, our Uncle John, against any 
 wrong attempt for personal place, revenge or spite 
 on the part of anybody, — even though he might be one 
 of our number, and in whom we had implicit confi- 
 dence, as you had had. 
 
 And I said to X : "I want you to look me in 
 
 the face. How did you come to make this statement, 
 was it from any suggestion or inducement from any- 
 body, or did it come from you?" 
 
 She said: "Mr. L , it came from me; I wrote 
 
 the statement out before I mentioned it to anybody, 
 
 except Y ." And I said, this may go as far as a 
 
 Court because what you say, if true, intimates that 
 Uncle John has committed a crime of White Slavery, 
 under the Mann Act. Do you realize what this 
 
 means ?" She said, "I do." She said, "Mr. L , I 
 
 do not want to go into Court, but if my duty calls me, 
 I will go into Court or anywhere," She said, "I 
 
 would like to face Uncle John and want Z to be 
 
 present." 
 
 And this is the statement that was read under those 
 
322 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 conditions and it went on to tell about how you ar- 
 ranged that she should live at "234' ' and "215," and 
 that V was there too. 
 
 w *Jr tt * ^ 
 
 The whole pitiful story is in the statement, and that 
 statement gives details, and I think, as a lawyer, that 
 if she ever went before a jury, with her evidence, her 
 statement of those facts (as they were contained in 
 that statement), you would not succeed in convincing 
 the jury that her statements were untrue. I think 
 that as a lawyer you would agree with me that if she 
 went before a jury with the story, not one juror would 
 do anything else than believe her story. 
 
 Now it was that story of those facts that you de- 
 clined to make any reply to, because, as you said, if you 
 made any kind of reply it would involve others that 
 you did not feel you had any right to involve. 
 
 We were all anxious to find a way out of it for you, 
 
 and we asked you if it might be possible that X 
 
 was insane, and you said, "No." 
 
 Or hypnotic influence; you said, "No." 
 
 X had made another statement, and that state- 
 ment is bached up by other people, and I will now read 
 this statement: 
 
 (Mr. L now reads statement and three affidavits 
 
 of Y , R. S and J. B .) 
 
 I have been informed that this information of the 
 
 various people was the evidence which he (Dr. E 
 
 W ) had that would tend to corroborate the state- 
 ment that you had been deceiving Z . 
 
 Z , at your request, came down to Chicago, and 
 
 met you. You had not discussed marriage up to that 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 323 
 
 time. She did not know, according to what you told 
 us, that you had any intention of marrying her. 
 
 Dr. E W meeting her, asked her some ques- 
 tions about the Hospital; whom she left in charge of 
 the Sanitarium; etc., and you said she could not an- 
 swer the question as to when she would return until 
 you had had a talk with her; until you asked her 
 whether she would become your wife. And that is 
 
 the way in which Z came to be your wife, and it 
 
 happened after these things occurred which I have just 
 read. 
 
 The big thing back of all the money in the world, 
 back of all the houses, back of all the lots, is whether 
 a man can do the things which you are alleged to have 
 done and of which we have this PEOOF; (and which, 
 as a lawyer, — and say one hundred Jurors, would say 
 to be true), whether those things are consistent with 
 the Living of a Life and continuing to be a Master. 
 
 That is one of the things that has brought us out 
 here to see you, one of the things we want to know. 
 
 This story is going to grow, the story is going to con- 
 tinue as we cannot stop it if our feet are not planted 
 upon a firm foundation and we absolutely know 
 whether the Principles of this Philosophy are true or 
 false. 
 
 We may have to announce to the world, as well as 
 to the Student-body, that we, the Trustees of the Great 
 Work in America, have found that it is a sham and a 
 lie for graft and lust, and because of that we have con- 
 cluded to give this statement to the world and cease 
 the activities in America. 
 
324 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 We are here for advice and we are here with the 
 sincere purpose to conserve the Work. 
 
 Here is a sworn affidavit. I may say that Z , 
 
 after the conference with Dr. E W , threw her 
 
 arms around his neck and sobbed and shook his hand 
 
 convulsively, and Dr. S 's also. They let her sob, 
 
 they patted her hand and comforted her. And it was 
 after that, Uncle John, she wrote you whatever letter 
 she wrote you which you say you destroyed, and which 
 
 is the basis, you say, of your calling Dr. E W 
 
 a monumental liar, because he had at that time the 
 
 evidence for saying that Z was not the only girl 
 
 whom you had said, or claimed, to be your Soul Mate. 
 
 (Mr. L read another affidavit.) 
 
 Now, Uncle John, this stuff and more has come to 
 us. You have no doubt that we do not relish its com- 
 ing to us. We did not ask it, we did not look for it. 
 One after another these people have come. They have 
 come with every impression and indication of sincerity, 
 and, now, as the Trustees of this Work, we have the 
 responsibility upon us and it is absolutely necessary 
 for us to know the truth and what is the best thing 
 to be done. 
 
 Now, this Philosophy has become a part of the vital 
 fibre of the life of every one of the men who are here 
 before you. I think you have no doubt that it is the 
 fundamental motive back of the personal life of every 
 one of us. We would like to know for our personal 
 gratification because the foundation seems to be 
 crumbling beneath our feet, — we want to know both 
 for our own faith and our responsibility to the other 
 Students. 
 
CONCERNING THE CHARGES 325 
 
 We want to know whether there is any system here, 
 as you have claimed, or whether we have got to find 
 some other system. But we are here as Trustees and 
 conservers of the spiritual welfare of something like 
 4,000 people, and we are in a position that we must 
 know what kind of food we can give to others. This 
 responsibility rests on us, and is it not natural we 
 should know ; and we have put these statements in the 
 form of sworn statements, so that you can see how im- 
 portant we think they are — there are a number of other 
 sworn statements. 
 
 There are two or three ways for us to dispose of 
 this matter as we see it. We can find out by publish- 
 ing the facts in "Life and Action' ' and asking every 
 person who ever contributed to you to let us know the 
 amount as well as the circumstances, and in this way 
 find out if legally as well as morally you are account- 
 able. 
 
 We can find out how much of that money has passed 
 through your hands. We know the Banks in which 
 your funds have been deposited. I believe a Master 
 would say: "Here is my bank account, here are my 
 checks ; this is the most serious crisis of my life, and 
 I am ready to work with you to a satisfactory con- 
 clusion of this matter, and there is in my heart no 
 feeling of hostility,— I honor you for your honesty 
 of purpose/ ' 
 
 I am honest in all I have said, I believe that Mr. 
 
 H is honest in all that he has said, I believe that 
 
 Dr. H is honest in all he has said. But we have 
 
 got to know. We cannot tell other people who have 
 
326 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 a right to know, that things are all right, when they 
 are all wrong. 
 
 If, after every opportunity that has been given, 
 and after our urging as we have urged, and as we 
 now urge you to clear up this situation, you do not do 
 it, we will be forced to say: "Things are all wrong, 
 Uncle John is all wrong, he has had the opportunity 
 and he has declined to take it." 
 
 I SAY TO YOU NOW THAT I REALIZE THAT 
 EXPOSURE WILL BE THE DEATH OF THIS 
 WORK, THE END OF YOUR REPUTATION AND 
 PERHAPS THE END OF YOUR LIBERTY, and I 
 
 think there is no other way than for you to tell us the 
 truth, and set our feet on bed-rock, spiritually and 
 financially. 
 
 Could I do anything else, — could we have come to 
 you in any other spirit than we have come, — could we 
 ask you to do any other thing than we have asked you 
 to do? If there is, we will be glad to know it. But as 
 business men, as men whose intelligence has been 
 trained, perhaps, in advance of their spiritual develop- 
 ment, we feel the only thing is for you to tell us the 
 facts back of this. This then is worse, or ought to be 
 worse, than a criminal prosecution, for it deals with 
 your soul. 
 
 A'.id to all these serious charges, the "master's" only reply 
 is that he intends to make no statement : that any defense 
 he might make would be unnecessary to his friends and use- 
 less to his "enemies." 
 
CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 The Facts Suppkessed 
 
 From the preceding chapters you will readily under- 
 stand that by June 1st, when the Committee of Four 
 returned from California, the Board of Trustees had 
 accumulated considerable first-hand knowledge. They 
 knew nothing about the existence of TK's " Great 
 School," or his "Masters" or "Great Friends," but 
 there were some 500 students who believed themselves 
 students in such a school, and the question arose as 
 it had arisen ever since April 1, as to what, if any, 
 information and facts should be given these students. 
 Should they be kept in ignorance of the true situation 
 or should they be told the truth? Silence or knowl- 
 edge — Bondage or Liberty — Darkness or Light? 
 
 The majority of the Board took the stand that no 
 statement whatever giving the true situation should 
 be made. Some insisted that none of the facts should 
 be given out — even to the Chicago students. 
 
 1. The "work" should go on. 
 
 2. The student body and the world should be left 
 to believe that TK was a real master. 
 
 3. That all his tales were true. 
 
 4. That he possessed genuine spiritual powers. 
 
 5. That his teachings and claims had been demon- 
 strated. 
 
 & That his record was clean. 
 
 327 
 
328 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 TK's students and readers already believed every- 
 thing he had written — believed him to be a "master." 
 Let them go on believing it! Why tell them the 
 Truth? Let the students reason this way: 
 
 "These Trustees are all Ethical Students; they are 
 our true Friends, they are all Masons ; as a matter of 
 Principle and Personal Besponsibility, they would tell 
 us immediately if everything were not all right. They 
 would not leave us to believe a thing that they know 
 to be untrue. If TK were not a real master, if his 
 claims were not all verified and proven, — if his * ' Great 
 School" were all a myth, these men would not rest a 
 single day until every student is told the simple 
 truth.' ' 
 
 # # * # # 
 
 Here the writer wishes to record that only one man 
 of the entire Board of Trustees, the President, stood 
 for giving a knowledge of all these facts to even the 
 Chicago students. 
 
 This gentleman took the stand and insisted from the 
 beginning that not only the Chicago students, but 
 every student and applicant, and every man and 
 woman who had ever been a student were just 
 as entitled to the truth as the Trustees. And 
 regardless of all arguments and efforts on the side of 
 suppressing and covering up the facts, and without the 
 consent and co-operation of the Board, he called a 
 meeting of all the Chicago students, immediately fol- 
 lowing the return of the Committee from California, 
 and gave to them a detailed and complete report of 
 the whole situation. 
 
THE FACTS SUPPRESSED 329 
 
 And not one student but felt profoundly grateful 
 for being permitted to know the facts, and so far as 
 Chicago students were concerned, the " Great School' ' 
 myth vanished then and there, and in its place 
 TRUTH came to open other and wider realms of 
 Knowledge, Service and Love. 
 
 But the Trustees were still left with a " Great 
 School" — outside of Chicago, — students who had no 
 knowledge of the situation, — who still believed; still 
 toiled over the 3,800 and "57 varieties'' of "Questions 
 on Natural Science," — still struggled over the "Test" 
 Course and the TK's little Ethical Puzzles. 
 
 Could the "Great Work" be carried on? 
 
 The Text Books talked of a "master," of "Great 
 Masters," "Great Friends," of "scientific demonstra- 
 tions," of "records" and "proofs" and "evidences" 
 — but all these had now vanished — or had they ever 
 existed? 
 
 What information, if amy, should be given to the 
 students outside of Chicago! To applicants, and Sub- 
 scribers 1 
 
 Upon all these questions the President of the Board 
 of Trustees persistently and faithfully maintained thai 
 enuf of the known facts should be given out to enable 
 all students, applicants and readers to judge the mat- 
 ter for themselves and thus readjust their lives to the 
 Truth. 
 
330 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Month after month he tried to secure the co-opera- 
 tion of the Trustees, but the majority held out against 
 what to him seemed to be the only right, just and 
 kindly thing to do under the circumstances. 
 
 At last, convinced that the Trustees meant to delib- 
 erately suppress the facts and that they had no inten- 
 tion of ever making any satisfactory statement regard- 
 ing the true situation, he resigned from the Presidency 
 of the Board, and at great personal expense of time 
 and money, prepared and mailed to all students whose 
 address he could obtain, the letter which follows ; 
 
CHAPTER XXX 
 
 "The Tbuth Shall Make You Free," 
 
 A Letter by the 
 President of the Board of Trustees 
 
 A copy of the following letter was sent to every 
 "Accepted Student" in "The School of Natural Sci- 
 ence" or "The Great School," so-called, as far as it 
 was possible to reach them. 
 
 Oak Park, 111. 
 November, 1916. 
 
 Dear Friend: — This letter contains information to 
 which you as an accepted Student are clearly entitled, 
 for the simple reason that this information is of as 
 far reaching importance to you as it is to me or any 
 other Student or "Friend of the Work." Because of 
 this tremendous importance you owe it to yourself to 
 read this letter at a time when you are free from in- 
 trusion for at least an hour. 
 
 I shall do my best to make the statements, which I 
 feel I owe you, in clear and simple language, without 
 exaggerations or embellishments ; and I shall give you 
 every opportunity possible to investigate for your- 
 self. 
 
 Only about ten per cent of the Students had first 
 hand information, but even that was only "from mouth 
 to ear" and long since must have been blurred and 
 dimmed. All the rest of the Students, and all the 
 "Applicants" and "Friends of the Work" have re- 
 ceived no official information whatsoever. Whatever 
 
 331 
 
332 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 information may have come to them, must have come 
 in the form of disquieting rumors, which leave the un- 
 happy recipients suspended in the midst of doubt, un- 
 certainty and apprehension without giving them the 
 means so necessary for the re-establishment of equi- 
 librium. 
 
 That body of men, who were given the legal l ' right, 
 power and authority/ - and who thereby and at the 
 same time assumed grave obligations to all those who 
 are as vitally interested in "The Work" as they are 
 themselves (or ought to be), utterly failed in their 
 duty because the majority of them, for reasons of 
 their own, denied the Students "the right to know." 
 It is because of their failure, as a body, to do justice 
 by the Students, that this duty falls heavily upon one 
 who, through personal contact and correspondence, has 
 been in closest touch with the largest number of Stu- 
 dents, namely, the writer of this letter. He is not 
 going to shirk his duty, however severely and unjustly 
 he may be criticised for discharging it. He shall face 
 the storm of criticism and abuse, or worse, which is 
 bound to break loose from certain quarters, with the 
 serenity of mind and tranquility of Soul, which are 
 the priceless and indestructible reward of an approv- 
 ing conscience. 
 
 To those who have had no warning, in the form of 
 rumors or otherwise, this letter will prove a severe 
 shock; for a while it may even seem to sweep away 
 the very foundation from under their feet. I sincerely 
 wish I could spare them this blow, or even soften it, 
 but I have been unable to find a better way or a better 
 method than the straight, unvarnished statement of 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 333 
 
 facts, which, I am satisfied will in the end prove the 
 least harmful and the most constructive. 
 
 It is more than 13 years since I first came in touch 
 with "The Harmonic Series' ' and more than eight of 
 those years just passed, I have devoted exclusively to 
 what I believed to be "The Great Work." During 
 those eight years and more, I gave, without reserve, 
 of my time and material possessions and neglected my 
 personal affairs and my chemical work, which I love, 
 for the sake of the work of Instruction and Corre- 
 spondence, for which I have no natural inclination and 
 which therefore placed tremendous difficulties and ob- 
 stacles in my path. But I was willing and eager to 
 give the best that was in me, to the Great Cause of 
 Humanity, which I believed was most ideally repre- 
 sented by "The Great School" and its "Sole Repre- 
 sentative," Mr. John E. Richardson, more familiarly 
 known to you as the "TK," or "Dr. E. J. St. John." 
 
 During my activities in this connection I came in 
 close personal contact with hundreds of the Students, 
 and through correspondence, as the head of "The De- 
 partments of Instruction and Correspondence," with 
 almost, if not quite, all of you. 
 
 While that work was exceedingly difficult, for me, 
 and at times almost overwhelming, I can truthfully say 
 that I thoroughly enjoyed my close touch with so many 
 earnest, eager and kindred souls. It is because of this 
 close relationship, and because of the confidence which 
 that relationship established, that I feel so keenly the 
 duty which I owe to you, my Friends and Fellow Vic- 
 tims, namely, to bring to your attention the facts to 
 
334 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 which I have been leading you and which are as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 1. During a severe attack of Pneumonia, from 
 which his physician did not expect him to recover, and 
 in the presence of eight or nine witnesses, one of whom 
 was the writer of this letter, the TK stated that he 
 had been taking "Heroin" over a period of nine years 
 or more. He was at the time evidently in intense 
 agony and demanded morphine injections, threatening 
 to Mil himself, unless he were given relief. (Heroin 
 is a Morphine derivative or a modified Morphine. 
 Chemically it is Diacetyl-Morphine.) He explained the 
 use of the narcotic by stating that it had been pre- 
 scribed by his old college professor for intense pain 
 at the base of the spine, and that he did not learn 
 the nature of the drug until after the Harrison Law 
 came into effect in 1915, when he immediately pro- 
 ceeded to reduce the dose. 
 
 2. On April 3rd, 1916, in the face of most serious 
 charges brought against him by a young girl, the TK 
 found it desirable to withdraw from all connection 
 with "The Work," and whatever "authority" he had 
 he then transferred to seven Trustees in due and legal 
 form, to-wit: 
 
 "KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That, hav- 
 ing found it necessary to withdraw from any further active 
 participation in the Work of the Great School, or the School of 
 Natural Science, so-called, in America, and wherever else 
 my connections with such Work may extend; and, reposing 
 full trust and confidence in the integrity and ability of 
 (here follow the names and addresses of the seven trustees, 
 which for obvious reasons I have omitted. — H. H.) I do freely 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 335 
 
 and voluntarily give, grant and turn over to said (the seven 
 names are again omitted.H. H.) and each of them, equally, 
 and to their, and each of their, successors, the unlimited 
 and exclusive right, power and authority to manage, guide, 
 control and direct each and all of the activities of said Great 
 School in America, and elsewhere, as above mentioned, to the 
 same extent, within the limits of their ability, as I have 
 heretofore done, they to hold and exercise said powers IN 
 TRUST AND AS TRUSTEES, in such manner as to them 
 shall seem best and most fitting, for the sole benefit and be- 
 hoof of such Great School and its Work, as aforesaid. 
 
 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand 
 and seal at the Village of Oconomowoc, in said County, the 
 Third day of April, 1916. 
 
 Witness : John E. Richardson, L. 5. 
 
 H. G. S. 
 
 Geo. E. Robinson, 
 
 State of Wisconsin, ss. 
 
 County of Waukesha. 
 
 On this Third day of April, 1916, before me, a Notary 
 Public within and for said County and State, personally ap- 
 peared John E. Richardson, to ma known to be the same per- 
 son named in, and who signed, the foregoing instrument, and 
 acknowledged the same to be his free act and deed. 
 
 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand 
 and seal the day and year last above written. 
 
 Geo. E. Robinson. 
 
 Notary Public, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. My Com- 
 mission expires July, 1, 1917.' ' 
 
 This document was to be published in "Life and Ac- 
 tion* ' together with an " explanation' ' written by the 
 TK himself: 
 
336 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 THE "EXPLANATION" 
 By TK. 
 
 "To Students and Friends of the Work: 
 
 As a brief explanation of the preceding document, let me 
 add, that for more than thirty years I have labored for the 
 establishment of the Great Work in America; and to-day I 
 am able to realize that my efforts and those of the willing and 
 earnest Students and Friends who have* been my helpers, 
 have not been in vain. 
 
 The Work is established. 
 
 In each of the several departments, including the Indo- 
 American Book Co., the- Correspondence Department, the 
 League of Visible Helpers, and Edgemoor Sanitarium, trained 
 and educated Students are in active charge and these are in 
 every way capable of discharging to the School and the 
 Work the responsibilities that shall rest upon them. 
 
 In view of these facts and conditions it is now possible 
 for me, as well as expedient, to withdraw from all further 
 active participation in the management of the* Work, and 
 give my remaining time and efforts to long neglected lines of 
 collateral and supplemental work, which otherwise never 
 could be accomplished. 
 
 In doing this, however, it is understood that insofar as 
 health and time will permit, I shall hold myself ready and 
 willing to render any help possible- to the Friends above 
 named who are relieving me of the. 'duties above referred to. 
 
 To simplify the work and relieve me of added burdens, 
 let me ask all who read this announcement, to address all 
 communications for the instruction and correspondence de- 
 partment to H H , Oak Park, 111. Those concerning 
 
 books and other literature, to Indo- American Book Co., 5705 
 South Boulevard, Chicago, 111. ; those for the League, to 
 League of Visible Helpers, care President, Oak Park, 111. 
 (except remittances which should go to the League of Vis- 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 337 
 
 ible Helpers, in care of Dr. J. L H , Treas., Chicago, 
 
 111.) ; and those for the Sanitarium, to Edgemoor Sanitarium, 
 Oconomowoc, Wis. 
 
 I earnestly hope this disposition of the Work of the 
 School will result in great good to the School and the Cause 
 everywhere, and that the impulse toward success will increase 
 as the years go by, and that every Student and Friend will 
 have a share in that success." 
 
 Witness: H. G. S. John E. Richardson. 
 
 This so-called explanation was found to be entirely 
 misleading and could not be published without further 
 explanations, which would have called forth a flood 
 of inquiry which the majority of the Trustees were 
 neither prepared nor willing to satisfy. 
 
 3. The TK is said to have had a considerable num- 
 ber of "Affinities.'' 
 
 I have seen the written statement of two girls de- 
 scribing in detail their intimate relations with him. I 
 have seen also the affidavits of two women and four 
 men, (all students) to the effect that a third girl 
 entered his room night after night between about 8 
 and 10 p. m. and did not leave it until about 5 in the 
 morning. 
 
 I have repeatedly heard two " Friends' ' make the 
 statement that this third girl told them that she, and 
 not "R. A." was "TK's" Soul mate. 
 
 I have it on reliable authority that a fourth woman 
 made the same statement. 
 
 I heard a fifth woman twice make the positive state- 
 ment that soon after the "RA's" death she was ap- 
 proached by the TK along the same (affinity) lines. 
 
 And there are still further unmistakable indications, 
 strongly pointing in definite directions, 
 
338 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 It is known that with one of his "Affinities" the 
 "TK" traveled across the continent, occupying the 
 same drawing room with her, the door of which was 
 locked during the nights. When confronted with this 
 charge, he tried to excuse himself by saying that such 
 a thing was quite customary, and he volunteered the 
 information that he and a woman whose name he 
 mentioned, when traveling together to Mackinac Island, 
 occupied the same state-room. 
 
 Lest the innocent suffer because of the folly of a 
 few, it would be but an exemplification of ordinary 
 charity for all of us to refrain from speculating as to 
 the identity of these unfortunate victims. 
 
 Great injustice and injury already has been done 
 to at least one of our young and attractive lady friends 
 by the open questioning of her relations with the TK 
 on the part of at least one "Friend" of her own sex. 
 There is every reason to believe that this young 
 Friend of ours was innocent of the implied charge, and 
 there is no indication whatever for suspicion. The 
 same is true in the cases of many others. 
 
 Therefore, agam, let us be charitable toward the 
 guilty and innocent alike, a/nd refram from useless and 
 harmful speculation. 
 
 4. On April 6, 1916, in the presence of the writer 
 and other witnesses, but without their approval, the 
 TK married a girl about 40 years his junior, in the 
 Court House of Chicago, 111. 
 
 5. His letters contain many untrue, contradictory 
 and misleading statements; of which these few sam- 
 ples are characteristic: 
 
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE' 
 
 339 
 
 Letter from TK to C. B. Oct. 
 19, 1914: 
 
 "The Book Co. is now my only 
 source of income and at present, 
 it is only just 'paying expenses of 
 the office force." 
 
 Letter TK to W. J. C. Jan. 3, 
 1915: 
 
 "The Book Co. is the only 
 source of income in all the world 
 at present and that is of a most 
 uncertain nature. It has a little 
 more than paid expenses the last 
 six months.' ' 
 
 In a letter dated 1/22/1915, TK 
 wrote: — "My income is a large 
 one, over $20,000 last year" . . 
 
 In Mr. Crane's financial report 
 to the TK of the I. A. B. Co. from 
 Jan. 1st 1914 to Jan. 1st 1915 we 
 find this: 
 ' ■ Increase value of 
 
 •books $3,801.90 
 
 Cash dividend 5,500.00 
 
 Total dividend .$9,301.90 
 
 Deduct difference in Bank 
 
 Balance of 353.39 
 
 Leaves a dividend for 
 
 year of 1914 of $8,948,51 
 
 Cash dividend paid to the 
 
 TK by the I. A. B. Co. 
 
 during the year 1913 
 
 was $6,000.00 
 
 During 1915 it was $7,500.00 
 
 Letter TK to C. L. July 20, 
 1912: 
 
 " 1 have so provided that 
 
 all the material help from Stu- 
 dents and those IN the Work is 
 placed in a TRUST FUND for 
 the benefit of the Great Work in 
 America. To guard every point, 
 
 Inhad Mr. , one of the ablest 
 
 lawyers in Chicago, draw the 
 Trust Agreement so that it is 
 self -perpetuating in the event of 
 my death.' ' 
 
 "Every dollar that has come to 
 me — including my own personal 
 means — has gone into this Trust 
 Fund — and it is from this that I 
 am carrying forward this entire 
 Movement. ' » 
 
 The Truth in the matter is 
 this: 
 
 The Trust Agreement is dated 
 Aug. 1st, 1908 and as a conse- 
 quence of that agreement John 
 E. Richardson deposited with the 
 Savings Dept. of the Illinois 
 Trust and Savings Bank, Chicago, 
 111., on Aug. 4, 1908 $50,316.97 
 and on Aug. 5, 1908 $10,018.49. 
 
 After Aug. 5th, 1908 not one 
 penny was added to that Fund 
 outside of the regular Savings Ac- 
 count interest of 3 per cent, which 
 usually was promptly withdrawn 
 by the TK and on July 17, 1914 
 the balance of $40,000 was trans- 
 ferred by the TK to his Personal 
 Savings Acct. with the same bank. 
 
340 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Letter TK to L. H. Sept. 29, 
 1913: 
 
 "I have established a trust 
 Fund, under the legal direction of 
 Mr. C, and ALL moneys contrib- 
 uted by students and Friends of 
 the Work, to me, for the Work, 
 are placed in that Fund, and are 
 expended only in accordance "with 
 the terms of the Trust." 
 
 "The establishment of this 
 Trust Fund, however, was a vol- 
 untary matter on my part; and 
 into it I placed every cent I had 
 at the time; and into it has gone 
 every cent I have received since 
 then, over and above actual ex- 
 penses of living and carrying on 
 the Work. I have a small balance 
 in the Fund at present." 
 
 6. While simulating poverty, he received, fivm 
 1906 to 1916, in the neighborhood of $300,000. (Three 
 Hundred Thousand Dollars) as far as it has been pos- 
 sible to trace the " contributions to the Work." 
 
 The "small balance" in that 
 fund at that time was $40,000. 
 (Forty Thousand Dollars.) 
 
 Early in May, 1916, in the 
 presence of four of the seven 
 Trustees and three other Students 
 the TK explained to us in detail 
 how he had spent every penny of 
 tihe "Trust Fund," and he stated 
 most emphatically that not a penny 
 of that Trust Fund was left in his 
 possession. 
 
 A few days later, in the pres- 
 ence of only the four Trustees, the 
 TK stated "In the nature of a 
 confession" that $40,000 of that 
 Trust Fund were still in his pos- 
 session. This statement was found 
 to be true. At that time the 
 $40,000 and accrued interest were 
 in the Illinois Trust and Savings 
 Bank, Chicago, 111., in his Per- 
 sonal Savings Acct., to which he 
 had transferred that sum from 
 the "Trust Fund" July 17th, 
 1914, and this sum was paid over, 
 to the TK by the bank in July, 
 1916. 
 
^>>7 
 
 TK 
 His "GREAT MASTER" and his "GURU MASTER' 
 
Avkxi i; JSiaui Kaxk 
 
 JO- I I .'J 
 
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 AvivXI tt STA'I'K l^AZS'K 
 
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 AVi«;xi r K Statj!) 15a .vk 
 
 JrC|*-*- 14-3 
 
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 THE CHlC»O0 CLEARING r KjUUt-£4SCi!st. Af.tAJ.jt^CT 
 
 ^ i - ! ~ ~ £ 
 
 V, i,r.,,iA,,i,.jfci 
 
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE' 
 
 341 
 
 In a letter to one of the Stu- 
 dents, who the TK had good rea- 
 son to believe had a considerable 
 "Surplus," he, the TK, in his 
 subtle and effective way appealed 
 to the generous impulse by stat- 
 ing that his daughter lhad been 
 found to be severely ill and only 
 the climate of California could 
 save her life. He gave the Stu- 
 dent to understand that he was 
 "heart broken" because he could 
 do nothing to save his beloved 
 daughter's life, because all he had 
 was $200.00 in the Bank. The 
 Friend so addressed immediately 
 responded with $2,500.00. 
 
 A number of similar letters 
 written by the TK are in existence 
 today and proved very profitable 
 for him. 
 
 The TK had at that time more 
 than $50,000 in 2 banks. 
 
 Among the TK's receipts and checks we find these 
 illuminating items : 
 
 The contributions to the 
 "work" received by the TK from 
 one Student alone, between 1905 
 and 1911, aside from smaller 
 items, show the following amounts : 
 
 Dec. 26, 1905 $2,000 
 
 Feb. 21, 1906 1,000 
 
 Apr. 27, 1906 1,000 
 
 June 20, 1906 1,000 
 
 July 26, 1906 1,000 
 
 Nov. 20, 1906 1,000 
 
 Mch. 12, 1907 9,500 
 
 Moh, 18, 1907 1,000 
 
 May 1, 1907 1,000 
 
 May 11, 1907 1,000 
 
 June 3, 1907 20,000 
 
 June 19, 1908 50,000 
 
 June 15, 1911 5,000 
 
 Totaling $94,500 
 
 The TK's checks to his daugh- 
 ter, Verna, between Jan. 5, 1909 
 and Oct. 9, 1915 aggregate 
 $42,945.58, among them is one of 
 $28,000, — dated Jan. 21, 1913, en- 
 dorsed by Verna and stamped 
 "Paid" by Avenue State Bank, 
 Jan. 22, 1913. 
 
342 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 In addition to the $94,500.00 according to the state- 
 ments of one Bank alone, namely, the Avenue State 
 Bank, Oak Park, 111., TK deposited there, between 
 May 5, 1909 and Oct. 11, 1915, $123,989.68. 
 
 7. Statements made by him at different occasions 
 to Students, and in his " Autobiographical sketch of 
 the Life and Work of John E. Richardson' ' are at 
 variance with official records. His " Autobiography' ' 
 was written in 1912 and, so far as I know, there are 
 only 8 copies in existence. 
 
 I shall place a few quotations from this "Autobi- 
 ography," and the real facts as we found them, side 
 by side, and then let you verify those facts and com- 
 pare them with his statements : 
 
 The records of the University of 
 Iowa show that John E. Rich- 
 ardson was a Sub freshman in 
 1873-74, 1875-76 and 1876-77. 
 "He was registered again within 
 the year 1877-78 as a Freshman 
 in the philosophical course of the 
 Collegiate Department and made 
 the following record: Freshman 
 mathematics (99), Virgil (94), 
 International Law, 2nd Latin 
 (90), Pros. Comp. P'd, Geometry 
 (100)." He left the University 
 in 1878. 
 
 The ' « Examiner ' » writes : ■ ' The 
 writer has been connected with 
 the Examiner ever since it was 
 changed from an evening to a 
 morning paper, Oct. 4, 1880, and 
 the party referred to in your let- 
 ter was never connected with the 
 Editorial Dept. of this paper." 
 
 "'My college work was along the 
 lines of an independent course 
 and was finished in 1878 without 
 degrees of any kind, but with a 
 certificate from the President giv- 
 ing me full credit for all work 
 done, 1 — which covered most of the 
 curriculum of Law, Medicine and 
 an M A." 
 
 "In September of that year I 
 bade her (his wife) a temporary 
 goodbye, and went to San Fran- 
 cisco, where in the political inter- 
 ests of Gen. Rosecrans, I directed 
 the editorial policy of the "Ex- 
 aminer ' ' — Democratic organ — for 
 one year 1880 and 1881 and until 
 Rosecrans withdrew from the race 
 for the nomination." 
 
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE* 
 
 343 
 
 " — I have said nothing of the 
 years of political activities and 
 ambitions, on the Pacific Coast, 
 where I became a conspicuous 
 figure, and where I undoubtedly 
 could and would have become 
 Governor of the great Common- 
 wealth of California, had I yielded 
 to the solicitation of my many 
 friends — " 
 
 The chief of Police of Stockton, 
 Oal. writes: "Mr. Bichardson ran 
 for Superintendent of Schools in 
 the early '80s and was beaten by 
 George Ladd by one vote." This 
 is corroborated by another gentle- 
 man in Stockton, a Mr. B., who 
 stated under oath that to the best 
 of his knowledge this was the ex- 
 tent of "Richie V political ac- 
 tivities in Stockton. 
 
 After describing at length how a 
 successful Attorney in Stockton, 
 Cal. in 1881 offered him, a total 
 stranger, "an equal partnership 
 with him in an established prac- 
 tice that netted him over $25,000 
 annually' ' which he reluctantly 
 
 accepted, he continues: " 
 
 and thus I became a practicing At- 
 torney, — something I had never 
 contemplated |for one moment, 
 until my first meeting with him, a 
 week before. " 
 
 "Our relations, both business 
 and personal, were of the most 
 cordial and pleasant nature and 
 without a jar of any kind. Two 
 years later, 1883, he withdrew from 
 the firm, retired from active busi- 
 ness life, and left me in full pos- 
 session and ownership of a profes- 
 sional practice which he had spent 
 many years in building up and 
 which netted me over $30,000 an- 
 nually. " 
 
 The Attorney's register at the 
 Court House of Stockton, Cal. 
 shows that John E. Bichardson 
 and a Mr. Nutter were admitted to 
 the practice of Law on Nov. 10, 
 1885. 
 
 Mr. Nutter, now a prominent 
 practicing attorney of Stockton, 
 Cal., and Mr. B. (a former county 
 clerk), both of whom knew John 
 E. Bichardson personally and 
 called him "Bichie," stated to 
 four Trustees, that until Nov. 10, 
 1885, John E. Bichardson was 
 deputy county clerk and not a prac- 
 ticing attorney. 
 
 IMr. Nutter stated that after 
 Nov. 10/1885 he and "Bichie" 
 went into partnership, which in 
 1886 was dissolved because 
 * ' Bichie ' ' went to Bismarck, N. D. 
 where, according to Mr. Nutter, he 
 thought there was a better opening 
 for a young Attorney. 
 
344 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ' ' For some weeks continuously 
 immediately prior to July 21st, 
 1883, I had been intensely en- 
 gaged in the trial of an important 
 will contest involving an estate 
 valued at about $1,000,000. (One 
 Million Dollars). 
 
 "Then it was, that the Great 
 Master, H-N-K, came to me and 
 identified himself, as a 'Master' 
 and Inner Member of the Great 
 School. He had come from the 
 Central Temple in the fastnesses 
 of the Himalayas, in far-off In- 
 dia." 
 
 "The Great 'Master remained 
 with me in Stockton from July 
 21, 1883 to Aug. 21st, 1884, dur- 
 ing which time I was with him in 
 his room No. 13 every day from 4 
 p. m. until late into the night — 
 usually between 1 and 2 the next 
 morning. ' ' 
 
 * \ As nearly as I can estimate, I 
 spent 9 hours out of every 24 — on 
 the average — with him — receiving 
 instruction and doing the work he 
 laid out for me." 
 
 This contains several misstate- 
 ments. The records of the Court 
 House of Stockton show that John 
 E. Richardson in 1883 was deputy 
 county clerk, and was not admitted 
 to the practice of Law until more 
 than two years later, namely, Nov. 
 10, 1885. 
 
 Furthermore, the only will con- 
 test on record there in 1883, 
 bears a different date and in- 
 volved only about $25,000. There 
 is no case on record ' ' involving an 
 estate valued at about $1,000,000. ' ' 
 
 I ihave personally seen and ex- 
 amined the records. 
 
 So far no one has been found 
 in Stockton who remembered ever 
 having seen or heard of an East 
 Indian in that town. In such a 
 small place as Stockton the pres- 
 ence of a Hindoo as a guest of 
 the Grand Pacific Hotel over a 
 period of 13 months could hardly 
 pass, unobserved and unremem- 
 bered. 
 
 In reply to the question whether 
 Mr. Richardson in 1883 and 1884 
 had devoted daily from 6 to 9 
 hours in addition to his regular 
 work, to studies of an occult na- 
 ture, Mr. Nutter replied that he 
 did not see how that could have 
 been possible for the reason that 
 he (Nutter) and "Richie" dur- 
 ing that period studied Law to- 
 gether in "Richie's" home ev- 
 ery day from 4 to 11 p. m. and 
 from 5 to 9 a. m. From 9 a. m. 
 to 4 p. m. they were engaged as 
 Deputy County Clerks at the Court 
 House. 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 345 
 
 8. In "The Great Psychological Crime," on page 
 383, last paragraph, we find the following statement: 
 
 "If such should be the case, then for your especial 
 benefit in this connection it is here stated, for what 
 it may be worth to you, that under and in accordance 
 with the exact methods of Natural Science six hundred 
 examinations have been made of an equal number of 
 so-called insane inmates of one of the leading insane 
 asylums of the country. Of the number thus examined 
 349 were found to be in a subjective, psychic condition, 
 under the hypnotic domination and control of outside 
 spiritual intelligences. These were treated according 
 to the diagnoses in conformity with the methods of 
 Natural Science. The results show 349 cures. In 
 other words, out of the entire number treated not a 
 single failure resulted." 
 
 Time and again the author of that book has stated 
 to Students that these cures were accomplished in the 
 State Hospital for the Insane at Stockton, California, 
 with the assistance or co-operation of Dr. Brown, now 
 deceased, who was then Medical Superintendent of 
 that Institution. 
 
 Four of the Trustees visited that Institution in 
 May, 1916, and were unable to discover any corrobo- 
 rative evidence whatever. Neither the present Medi- 
 cal Superintendent, Dr. Fred Clark, nor Mr. Taylor, 
 who was Secretary of that Institution under Dr. 
 Brown, ever heard of so large a percentage of cures, 
 and the official records or statistics of that institution, 
 which date back to 1851, fail to reveal a marked in- 
 crease in cures of insanity at any time. 
 
 At this point it may be well for all of us to ask our- 
 
346 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 selves this question: Assuming that the official rec- 
 ords of the State Commission in Lunacy of California 
 are correct and reliable, then the TK's statement on 
 pages 383 and 384 of the G. P. C. just quoted could 
 hardly be considered as based upon facts, and if one 
 "exact" and scientific statement of a very definite 
 nature is unreliable, to say the least ; then how much 
 credence are we justified to give to any statement in 
 the volumes of "The Harmonic Series"! 
 
 9. Edgemoor Sanitarium was officially closed July 
 1, 1916, and returned to the donor, for the reason 
 that the revelations of the preceding months had re- 
 moved the basis of its existence. 
 
 It is but fair to the Students to know that no benefit 
 worth mentioning resulted from that Institution to 
 anybody except the TK. To him the generous con- 
 tributions for that Institution meant a rich harvest 
 financially, and he took care to withdraw his balance 
 of more than $6,000.00 just before his re-marriage and 
 departure for California. 
 
 10. And now, just a few words to dispel a false 
 rumor to the effect that the TK had not received a 
 square deal at the hands of the Trustees. Let me say 
 with all emphasis possible that no man in a position 
 similar to the TK's, could have received more courte- 
 ous, considerate and generous treatment than was 
 accorded to the TK. The evidence was placed before 
 him in the Spirit of Kindness, Consideration and 
 brotherly Love and we pleaded with him to tell us his 
 side of the question, assuring him, that he was among 
 true and loyal Friends who would stand by him and 
 help him to get back upon the narrow path of Morality. 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE'' 347 
 
 But he remained deaf to all our pleadings and de- 
 nied every charge, characterizing some of them as 
 11 lies' ' and some as the result of subjective conditions. 
 He involved himself in many contradictory statements. 
 One day he told us that he was practically penniless 
 and explained in detail how he had spent every dol- 
 lar of the " Trust Fund." A few days later he ad- 
 mitted that he had about $18,000 in his possession: 
 "That is all I have, so help me God/' Still later he 
 admitted that in addition to the $18,000, he had in his 
 possession $40,000 of the Trust Fund, making a total 
 of more than $58,000. 
 
 And after all the deliberate mis-statements and con- 
 tradictions, at the close of our sessions with him at 
 949 Galena Ave., Pasadena, Cal., early in May, 1916, 
 he stated, in reply to a question, that he was still a 
 "Master" of the Great School and in full and inde- 
 pendent possession and control of all his spiritual 
 powers, which to the best of his knowledge, he HAD 
 NEVER LOST FOR ONE MOMENT since his initia- 
 tion into the Great School in Aug. 1884 
 
 Throughout the whole length and breadth of our 
 sessions with him at Edgemoor and at Pasadena, and 
 in his interviews and letters with other Students, his 
 sole concern appeared to be to shield himself without 
 showing the least consideration for, and at the ex- 
 pense of, other people, especially his victims. 
 
 He is assuming the role of a martyr, who has been 
 grievously wronged by designing and ambitious men 
 at the "Center," and has given Students to under- 
 stand that he is going to be back in full authority 
 before long. 
 
348 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 I understand that he has received "hundreds of let- 
 ters" from students all over the country, some of 
 which I have seen, full of expressions of gratitude, love 
 and loyalty. The writers of those letters having had 
 nothing but the most incredible rumors, acted with 
 perfect consistency, and are not in the least to blame. 
 The light of Truth and Knowledge alone can dispel 
 the darkness, which breeds error, and protect against 
 imposition. 
 
 In the foregoing I have given to you, without going 
 into unnecessary details, the essential data in such a 
 manner as to enable you to use your own Reason, 
 and I have studiously endeavored to avoid any expres- 
 sions which might possibly cloud the issue or preju- 
 dice the reader. 
 
 The revelations which I have made to you in this 
 letter did not come all at once. They were revealed 
 bit by bit in the course of several months and conse- 
 quently my present conclusions were not reached 
 hastily but on the contrary, are the result of a slow 
 evolutionary process. 
 
 At first I thought the TK once really had been a 
 " Master,' ' and at some point in the immediate past 
 had given way to the pressure of evil influences; but 
 slowly and reluctantly I was forced to the conviction 
 that he never was a " Master,' ' such as he describes in 
 "The Great Work." 
 
 At this point will naturally arise in your mind a few 
 questions such as these: If he never was a "Master," 
 how can you explain his writings, which surely are a 
 lucid presentation of the loftiest principles and ideals 
 of the human Soul? How is it possible for any man to 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE'' 349 
 
 write "The Great Psychological Crime," "The Great 
 Work," "The Spirit of the Work," the 12th chapter 
 of "The Gay Gnani of Gingalee," entitled "The 
 Wages of Sin Is Death," and at the same time secretly 
 live the very life which he so forcefully condemned, 
 and violate every Moral Principle which he so elo- 
 quently preached? 
 
 These very same questions have been turned over in 
 my own mind time and again, but I have as yet found 
 no conclusive answer. 
 
 I can see but four causes leading to such a life, 
 namely, paranoia, general moral depravity, subjec- 
 tivity or any combination of these. 
 
 As to the "Technical Work," I have been driven 
 to the conviction that it is a subjective, psychic pro- 
 cess and consequently not dependent upon Morality. 
 
 My conviction is based upon the following experi- 
 ences : 
 
 A. In 1909, under the direction of the then only 
 Student who had been doing Technical Work, I de- 
 voted six days to that work, and during those days had 
 the experiences described in chapter 23 of the "Great 
 Work," with these exceptions : As far as I now recall 
 I never saw red, orange, yellow or green, nor the in- 
 tense white light following the violet. The only colors 
 I ever saw were blue, indigo, violet and the ' i resolving 
 color" (a smoky, reddish-brown). 
 
 Later I continued the Technical Work alone, for sev- 
 eral months, devoting to it about one hour out of every 
 twenty-four, and although I had a few glimpses of 
 what appeared to be individuals, the effort was so 
 great and the results so meager in comparison (due 
 
350 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 to difficulties within myself, I was told), that I felt 
 I could not afford to take the time of "The Great 
 Friends' ' (a large number of whom the TK said al- 
 ways assist the Student in the T. W.) without first im- 
 proving myself. A few years later, in 1912, 1 earnestly 
 tried again for a few months, but with even less satis- 
 factory results than in 1909, in spite of the most de- 
 termined efforts on my part. 
 
 Since that time I have seen absolutely nothing worth 
 mentioning outside of the purely physical, notwith- 
 standing the most sincere unremitting efforts to "Live 
 the Life," improve myself and serve my Fellowmen. 
 At that time I ascribed my seeming lack of success in 
 the T. W. to unpreparedness on my part. Whether 
 the individuals I saw during the T. W. were real peo- 
 ple or mere pictures projected upon my mind, or any- 
 thing else, I am, of course, now unable to tell. While 
 they appeared to be real and tangible, almost physical, 
 / never saw them move. At that time I accepted the 
 TK's statements; now, of course I am seriously in 
 doubt as to the nature of my experiences. 
 
 B. A number of the Students, among them some 
 who had not had any of the Courses of Instruction and 
 just started on the First General Examination, saw 
 the colors of the "Magnetic Field," and had other un- 
 usual experiences; and I know that the attitude of 
 Soul, of some of them was not constructive, nor were 
 they "Living the Life," as was proven after "The 
 Great Expose," or "The Great Awakening." 
 
 You will ask, and with perfect justice: Why is it 
 that these astounding revelations have been kept secret 
 for more than eight months from me, an accepted 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE'' 351 
 
 Student, who is as vitally interested as yourself or 
 any other Student, and who has sacrificed time, posi- 
 tion, money and, perhaps, his happiness ; all of which 
 he might have employed to greater advantage else- 
 where? 
 
 This is my answer: As one of the seven Trustees, 
 and as the President of that Board, I urged from the 
 very beginning that the Board send to every accepted 
 Student a statement of facts sufficient to enable him 
 to verify their truth and to draw his own intelligent 
 conclusion. 
 
 At first the majority of the Board refused to give 
 any information whatsoever to anyone whomsoever 
 outside the mere verbal statement of the fact that the 
 TK had withdrawn from the work because of im- 
 morality. Later a few minor concessions were made, 
 and finally, under the pressure of my insistence, they 
 reluctantly agreed, that a number of facts should be 
 given, but only from mouth to ear. As a result, today, 
 more than eight months after the first revelations came 
 to our attention, only about 10 percent of the accepted 
 Students have officially received the facts and seen 
 some of the evidence. 
 
 Only when I had exhausted all of my resources and 
 became convinced that my usefulness as a Trustee was 
 at an end did I take the next logical step and resigned 
 as President and as a member of the Board, sending 
 to every member a duplicate letter, which reads as fol- 
 lows: 
 
352 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Oak Park, 111., November 1st, 1916. 
 
 To the Board of Trustees of "The Great School" (so-called) 
 
 and to each member thereof. 
 
 Gentlemen: — I hereby tender my resignation as member 
 and president of this Board, to take effect at once. 
 
 My reasons for taking this step are as follows : 
 
 1. In the light of my present knowledge I can no longer 
 maintain, defend and protect with earnestness, zeal and loy- 
 alty the constructive success and prosperity of the said { " Great 
 Work in America" for the reason that I found it to be based 
 upon fraud, 
 
 2. The attitude and action, as well as the inaction of a 
 majority of the trustees regarding the rights of the Instruc- 
 tors, Students, Applicants and "Friends of the Work" in 
 matters of such vital importance as the revelations of the last 
 seven months, has been from the beginning and is now in 
 direct opposition to the Principle of Equity, Justice and 
 Right, as that Principle appears to me. More than seven 
 months ago the supposed "Master" TK was exposed, and to- 
 day only about one-tenth of the number of Students have 
 received an authoritative statement of some of the facts. 
 About nine-tenths of the Students and ail of the Applicants, 
 "Friends of the Work," and readers of "the books," num- 
 bering many thousands, are officially still in ignorance and 
 are still sacrificing time, money, opportunity, health and hap- 
 piness in the pursuit of an ideal which the TRUSTEES 
 KNOW TO BE A FRAUD. 
 
 3. At the last meeting of the trustees, August 30, 1916, 
 the majority of the trustees stated that they cannot and will 
 not continue as trustees and it was decided to dissolve the 
 trust, close up "the Work," and with the co-operation of Mr. 
 J. E. Richardson, distribute the assets. To the present day, 
 November 1st, 1916, no further action has been taken. 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 353 
 
 I have been unable to get the trustees together for action. 
 
 My efforts to get action through correspondence have failed 
 because only one of the trustees responded. All the rest of 
 them have not even found it necessary to acknowledge receipt 
 of the legal documents sent them for approval or criticism. 
 
 4. There appears to be a conspiracy on the part of a ma- 
 jority of the trustees to hamper and defeat the efforts of the 
 President of the Board to obtain action in the interest of 
 Justice and fair play, and to force his resignation. At least, 
 I can place no other construction on the facts that: 
 
 a. Official and private communications by the President 
 are completely ignored. 
 
 b. His efforts to get the trustees together of late have 
 been fruitless. 
 
 c. When he succeeded in getting four of the remaining 
 five trustees together (two having resigned), two of them 
 claimed there was no " quorum" basing their claim upon a 
 large written array of legal "precedents," and consequently 
 nothing was accomplished. This matter of "no 'quorum,' " 
 however, did not prevent three of these four trustees a short 
 time later to take legal steps of a rather drastic and far-reach- 
 ing nature, which throws a peculiar light upon their sense of 
 proportion, justice and consistency. I have reference to the 
 following incident: * 
 
 d. In the early morning of Friday, October 6th, 1916 
 (before 7 o'clock, I was told), Mr. J. C. McC, one of the trus- 
 tees, in my absence and without my knowledge, took posses- 
 sion of the correspondence, papers, documents, furniture, etc., 
 of the department of Instruction and Correspondence at 
 "234," of which I had been in charge for more than 18 
 months, and placed them in storage. This strange act on the 
 part of a minority of the trustees, arbitrarily closed the 
 department of Correspondence and Instruction without giving 
 any explanations to the Instructors, Students, Applicants and 
 
354 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Friends of the Work" and relieved me of all responsibility 
 in connection therewith. 
 
 Had I followed my personal wishes, desires and inclinations 
 in the matter, I would have resigned long ago; it was only 
 my sense of duty and my obligation to the many Students 
 and "Friends of the Work" which kept me from doing so 
 at the continued sacrifice and neglect of my personal interests 
 and affairs. 
 
 Now, however, matters have reached a point where I can 
 no longer continue as a trustee and at the same time retain 
 my own Self -Respect. 
 
 Henceforth I shall pursue my own path, guided by my own 
 Reason and Conscience, and in line with my own sense of 
 Equity, Justice and Right. 
 
 If I have unintentionally harmed or wounded any member 
 of the Board, I sincerely ask his pardon. 
 
 If I have been too frank and too direct in words and acts 
 to be agreeable to some of the members, I hope they are big 
 enough and broad enough to ignore personal feelings in the 
 presence of matters of almost infinitely greater importance. 
 
 For any courtesies extended to me by tjhe members of the 
 Board I shall always remain profoundly grateful. 
 
 The discourtesies are forgiven and, I hope, will soon be 
 forgotten. 
 
 Sincerely, 
 
 H. H. 
 
 To prevent, as far as possible, any misunderstanding, and 
 resulting injury to members of the Board, I desire to express 
 my belief that every member of that Board did the best 
 according to his capacity and his knowledge of the internal 
 affairs of "the Work." We all are human and full of faults, 
 and it would be unfair and foolish to expect perfection of 
 imperfect beings. I am seriously in doubt whether any other 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 355 
 
 seven students would have done better, considering the gigan- 
 tic problems confronting them. 
 
 Immediately upon the receipt of my letter of resig- 
 nation by the Vice President, a meeting of the Board 
 was called by him for the following morning, Sunday, 
 Nov. 5th, but so far as I have heard, not being present 
 myself, nothing of consequence was accomplished. 
 
 On Nov. 17th another informal meeting of the Board 
 of Trustees was held in Cincinnati at which I was 
 present upon invitation, because there seemed to be a 
 reasonable prospect for the carrying out of the reso- 
 lutions adopted by the Board August 30th to the 
 effect : 
 
 1. That the TK be called into conference as soon 
 as possible. 
 
 2. That his written consent be obtained to closing 
 up the Work so far as his and our official connection 
 with it is concerned, having due regard to the wishes 
 of the Students with reference to such continuance in 
 the Work as they may wish to make. 
 
 3. That either (a) a committee be mutually ap- 
 pointed to adjust all claims upon the property now in 
 our hands, or (b) such adjustment be sought through 
 a friendly suit which should be kept as quiet as pos- 
 sible, or (c) such committee adjustment to be finally 
 confirmed by a court." 
 
 At the meeting of Nov. 17th, at which were present, 
 outside of myself, five members of the Board, a general 
 plan of procedure was agreed upon and a committee 
 
 composed of F T. L . L H and J. C. 
 
 McC was appointed for the purpose of disposing, 
 
356 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 m a just and equitable manner, of the assets under the 
 control of the Board. 
 
 The TK refused to come to Chicago or any other 
 place and finally consented to give his power of at- 
 torney to one of the oldest Students proposed by Mr. 
 
 L , whose identity I cannot now reveal for the 
 
 reason that he is one of the most prominent Masons 
 in the United States and, as far as I know, has not yet 
 accepted the power of attorney. 
 
 In the course of the past months I received a number 
 of requests from Students for the return of their 
 correspondence with "234." I complied with that re- 
 quest in a number of instances, after urging and ob- 
 taining the consent of the Board. But with several 
 of such requests received on and after Oct. 6th, 1916, 
 I have been unable to comply, because on that date the 
 records and correspondence of the School at "234" 
 
 were removed from there by J. C. McC with the 
 
 knowledge and consent of L H and Dr. E. 
 
 M. W , but without my knowledge, and placed in 
 
 storage with the Drechsler Storage Company, Oak 
 Park, 111., subject to the sole access and direction of 
 j.C.McC . 
 
 I understand that the committee of three just men- 
 tioned intend to communicate with every Student and 
 " Applicant' ' for the purpose of ascertaining the 
 amount of his contributions to "The Work" and his 
 choice as to whether his records with "The School" 
 be returned to him or destroyed by fire in the presence 
 of competent witnesses, and it is not quite impossible 
 that you may hear from them some time during the 
 coming year. 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 357 
 
 Any letters in connection with the former depart- 
 ments of Instruction and Correspondence or any sub- 
 jects not covered in this letter, also requests for the 
 destruction or return of correspondence, should be ad- 
 dressed to J C. McC , care Indo-American 
 
 Book Co., 5707 South Boulevard, Chicago, 111. 
 
 And now, my dear Friend and Fellow-Student, hav- 
 ing acquainted you with the true state of affairs, I 
 want you to assume that portion of responsibility 
 which, I think, is rightfully and justly yours as much 
 as mine. I shall embody the gist of that responsibility 
 in a few questions which I ask you to consider very 
 carefully. At the end of 15 days, or as soon there- 
 after as you may reach a conclusion which is entirely 
 satisfactory to yourself, but not exceeding 30 days, I 
 shall be glad to receive your answers to these ques- 
 tions, unless you decide differently. 
 
 These are the questions: 
 
 1. How much of the data, if any, given to you in 
 this letter have the Applicants for Studentship in 
 "The School" the right to know; and in what form 
 or manner should such data be conveyed to them? 
 
 In considering this question I wish you would bear 
 in mind the fact that all of the "Applicants" during 
 the last eight months have been making, and are now 
 making, more or less sacrifice of their .time, money, 
 position, opportunities and domestic relations, in their 
 earnest desire and effort to qualify for Studentship. 
 Many of them are giving a minimum of 3 hours every 
 day to answering the 3,857 "Questions on Natural 
 Science and the Harmonic Philosophy," the correct- 
 ness and "scientific" value of a large percentage of 
 
358 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 which now must be seriously questioned by you and 
 me. 
 
 75 it right, or fair, or just, or kind of us to keep 
 them in ignorance and let them continue, under mis- 
 apprehensions to make sacrifices which we now know 
 to be largely useless and fruitless? 
 
 It is my personal, unfaltering conviction, that as the 
 former head of the men's and women's departments of 
 Instruction and Correspondence at "234" it is my 
 duty to give to the " Applicants' ' sufficient informa- 
 tion, regarding the matters under consideration in 
 this letter, to enable them to make an intelligent re- 
 adjustment of their lives. Up to Oct. 6th, 1916 I was 
 prevented, by the Board of Trustees, from doing my 
 duty by you and the "Applicants," and when on that 
 date a minority of that Board deprived me of the rec- 
 ords and correspondence, they gave me at the same 
 time, and thereby, a plausible excuse for shirking my 
 responsibility to the Students and the "Applicants." 
 Such an excuse might be perfectly plausible and sat- 
 isfactory in the eyes of the law, but it does not consti- 
 tute an excuse before the tribunal of my own Con- 
 science. Hence this letter. 
 
 2. How much of the data given to you in this letter, 
 if any, have the 4,000 readers of Life and Action the 
 right to know; and in what manner or form should 
 such data be conveyed to them? 
 
 3. How much of the data given to you in this let- 
 ter, if any, have the readers of the "Harmonic Series" 
 the right to know ; and in what form or manner should 
 such data be conveyed to them? 
 
 To form an intelligent estimate as to the number of 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 359 
 
 readers of the " Harmonic Series" the following data 
 will be of value : 
 
 According to the records of the I. A. B. Co., more 
 than 24,000 copies of the Great Work, more than 
 19,000 copies of Harmonics of Evolution, and more 
 than 16,000 copies of the Great Psychological Crime, 
 have been sold. A number of these books have been 
 placed in Public Libraries, where many people have 
 access to, and are reading, them. 
 
 It would not seem unreasonable to assume that more 
 than 100,000 people have read one or more of the three 
 volumes of the "Harmonic Series" and that many 
 times that number are going to read those books in 
 the years to come. 
 
 While it may be true that a large percentage of 
 those readers will never be seriously affected by those 
 books, and that the good which they may derive from 
 the Truths in those books may outweigh the possible 
 harm done by any errors or deliberate misstatements, 
 nevertheless it is in all human probability but a ques- 
 tion of time before another "Sole Representative" 
 will appear upon the scene, assume full authority, 
 gather in the Faithful, instruct them in the meaning 
 of a "legitimate income" and relieve them of all 
 "Personal Responsibility" in connection with their 
 material "Surplus." 
 
 What is our responsibility along that line, and how 
 can we prevent such a calamity and protect the pres- 
 ent and future generations from imposition under the 
 guise of an appeal to the highest and noblest aspira- 
 tions of the human Soul? 
 
360 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 4. What in your judgment ought to be done with 
 Life and Action? 
 
 Should it be discontinued or should it be continued ? 
 If so, how and in what form? 
 
 5. What in your judgment ought be done with : 
 
 a. The books now on hand at the I. A. B. Co.? 
 
 b. The plates of the books written by Florence 
 Huntley and the TK? 
 
 c. The plates of any other books published by the 
 I. A. B. Co.? 
 
 d. The copyrights of the books written by Florence 
 Huntley and the TK, of Life and Action, of the 
 Courses of Instruction, etc.? 
 
 e. The copyrights of any other books published by 
 the! A. B. Co.? 
 
 6. Is it right to continue the sale and publication 
 of the "Harmonic Series' ' without explanations, or 
 ought an explanation to be embodied in each and every 
 volume? If so, what explanation or announcement 
 would you suggest? 
 
 7. Have you made any contributions to the TK for 
 the benefit of "The Work"? (This excludes any con- 
 tributions made for his personal use and benefit. It 
 excludes also contributions made to the L. V. H. and 
 Edgemoor Sanitarium.) 
 
 If so, mention amounts and dates, if you care to 
 entrust me with such information, which may possibly 
 serve to facilitate the not too easy task of the Com- 
 mittee of Three. I hardly need assure you that only 
 constructive use, as far as it lies in my power, will be 
 made of any such information given to me personally. 
 
 Lest my motives for bringing this letter to your at- 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE'' 361 
 
 tention be misunderstood, I desire, with all the earnest- 
 ness and emphasis at my command, to state that as far 
 as I am able to determine, my Soul is free from resent- 
 ment, animosity or ill will towards anyone, and that 
 my sole motive of this elaborate letter is to give, as 
 concisely and accurately as possible, a statement of 
 facts to which you, as an " Accepted Student,' ' are 
 justly entitled, and without which you are unable to 
 guide your future action and your future life hence- 
 forth by your own Reason and your oivn Conscience. 
 
 In the almost certain event that any of my state- 
 ments in this letter should be questioned or contra- 
 dicted, I wish you would, before passing definite judg- 
 ment, re-read this letter and in doing so bear in mind 
 the fact that I have made every statement to corre- 
 spond with my knowledge and understanding of the 
 respective data, events, etc., as nearly as the limita- 
 tions of words and my command of the English 
 language would permit. 
 
 When answering my questions, if you deem them 
 at all worthy of an answer, I wish you would do so in 
 the fewest words possible, and if you can avoid it, and 
 wish to do me a real favor, do not ask me any ques- 
 tions. The reason for this request, which upon the 
 surface may appear unfair to you, will become clear 
 and also satisfactory, I hope, when you begin to realize 
 the amount of time and effort involved in the writing 
 and reproduction of this letter in sufficient numbers 
 to reach all who are entitled to it. It would be a very 
 simple matter to have fifteen hundred or more copies 
 of a letter printed in any printing establishment, but 
 the contents of this letter are of such a nature as to pre- 
 
362 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 elude such outside help, and with that explanation you 
 are now able to appreciate some of the difficulties 
 which had to be overcome in order to get this letter 
 before you and all the other Students. In view of this 
 enormous expenditure of time and energy, I cannot 
 afford a similar effort, except in matters of extreme 
 importance. 
 
 Please remember that you are but one of many hun- 
 dreds, and in so remembering you will forgive me, I 
 am sure, if I ask you to kindly accept this letter as a 
 reply to any of your letters that may have remained 
 unanswered during the past few months. Even if I had 
 nothing else to do, it would be impossible for me ade- 
 quately to reply to all the letters I have received. 
 
 It is not my desire to enter into any controversy, 
 and if I should not reply to any challenge, you matf 
 take it for granted that I consider the contents of this 
 letter an adequate reply. 
 
 In the very nature of things, one who has occupied 
 a position of Responsibility and commensurate In- 
 fluence, such as I happened to occupy in this move- 
 ment, is bound to become the storm center toward 
 which the bulk of the attacks, abuse, and criticism are 
 naturally directed. And in fact, such attacks already 
 have been made, in the subtle and insinuating manner 
 which recently has become so sadly apparent to us. 
 
 But, as in the center of a storm, so here too, is calm, 
 serenity and peace, born of the clear Conscience of 
 duties fully performed, and no outside tempest can 
 permanently affect them. 
 
 To me, this Work was real, and I gave my best to 
 its support and extension, and to the many Students 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 363 
 
 and Friends. As a result, my labors were not in 
 vain and bore legitimate fruit in the form of intellec- 
 tual and spiritual growth. 
 
 Now, that the spiritual foundation has been swept 
 away from under "The Work," the superstructure 
 cannot stand and endure, no matter how many at- 
 tempts be made to "prop it up." 
 
 Can anyone who knows the facts, really and truly 
 believe, down in the innermost recesses of his Soul, 
 that back of such a man, as forms the main considera- 
 tion of this letter, can be a spiritual organization as 
 exalted and sublime as we thought he represented? 
 Would you or I, or any intelligent and sane man or 
 woman choose or tolerate such a representative of 
 their own affairs? 
 
 Such and similar questions every Student will sooner 
 or later have to answer to his own satisfaction. I 
 have so answered them for myself, and it is because of 
 these answers that I am unable to continue in any 
 capacity in connection with this movement, and it be- 
 comes imperative for me to sever any and all con- 
 nections with it as soon as 1 can do so without shirking 
 responsibilities already assumed. 
 
 This severing of all connections with this particular 
 "Work," I sincerely and earnestly hope, however, will 
 not result in the severing, or even loosening of any of 
 the many valuable ties of Friendship formed therein. 
 
 If I have at times, especially during the last eight 
 months, and possibly in this letter, given the appear- 
 
364 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 ance of a lack of consideration for the feelings of 
 others, I sincerely hope that those thus affected will 
 pardon such seeming disregard, on the ground that 
 the establishment of Truth and Justice in the interest 
 of thousands of Students and Friends, is proportion- 
 ately more important, to me, than the feelings of a few, 
 myself not excluded. 
 
 With this explanation I hope to maintain and 
 strengthen the ties of Friendship still existing, and to 
 repair those which may have been damaged. 
 
 It may not be out of place to give here a few words 
 of cheer and encouragement to those who may possibly 
 be so seriously affected by this disheartening revela- 
 tion, as to become utterly discouraged or lose the basis 
 of their Faith. 
 
 Whether there is such an institution as a truly Great 
 School of ancient and modern wisdom and learning, 
 and whether there are real " Masters,' ' I do not know, 
 however great my desire for such Knowledge may be. 
 But I do know that the Moral Principles elucidated by 
 the TK, are not his invention; on the contrary, they 
 may be found in all the sacred ivritings of the human 
 race, as far as we know. Those Moral Principles, 
 therefore, appear to be universal and eternal and could 
 not be affected by their disregard, abuse, or violation 
 on the part of one man or any number of individuals. 
 Those Principles are as true today as they ever were. 
 They are very simple and few in number, and among 
 them are: Unselfishness, Self -Control, Personal Re- 
 sponsibility, Equity, Justice and Right, Morality and 
 Service. 
 
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" 365 
 
 Even though they are but few in number, they may 
 be still further condensed and more simply expressed 
 in the words of the simple and all-sufficient Golden 
 Rule : i ' Do unto your fellow men as you would have 
 them do unto you." 
 
 // we live, think and act by that simple rule, we need 
 have no fear nor apprehension as to results. Every- 
 thing else will fall in line, and our Life will be rich and 
 serene in the consciousness of duties fully performed 
 and in "The Peace that passeth all understanding." 
 
 Life, to me, is like a term in School ; and all the ' ' dif- 
 ficulties/ ' " obstacles/ ' "misfortunes/ ' "trials," etc., 
 are but valuable and necessary lessons which Mother 
 Nature 'is trying to teach to her children. 
 
 If we, Nature's children, once clearly recognize this 
 seemingly undeniable Truth, then the sad experience 
 through which we are now passing, instead of injuring 
 or discouraging us, will only prove to be but another 
 valuable lesson which we sorely needed and from 
 which, if met in the right spirit, we will emerge 
 "RicmV'-er in Knowledge, Experience, Wisdom and 
 Power. (Excuse the gentle sarcasm; the temptation 
 was too great to resist.) 
 
 You, like myself, undoubtedly recognize the one 
 great lesson which this experience contains for us all, 
 but it can do no harm to mention it here and emphasize 
 its value: Never again let us TAKE ANYTHING 
 FOR GRANTED, and never again let us accept a self 
 appointed mediator, in whatever guise and under what- 
 ever name, between our Conscience and our Creator. 
 
 Henceforth let us stand solidly upon our own feet 
 instead of ' ' feet of clay, ' ' and let us carefully examine 
 
366 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 his credentials, and exhaustively search his records, 
 before we ever again accept, at his own valuation, a 
 self-styled " Master,' ' or a "Sole Representative" of 
 any ancient or modern School of Wisdom and Learn- 
 ing, however high sounding its name or exalted its aim. 
 
 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in 
 sheeps' clothing, but inwardly they are ravening 
 wolves." 
 
 ' * Ye shall know them by their fruits. ' ' 
 
 But let us remember, wherever there is an imitation, 
 a sham, or a counterfeit, there necessarily must be a 
 genuine, real and true opposite, and, Nature being just, 
 we are bound to find it, provided we do our part by 
 living that Life which we know will lead us ever on- 
 ward and upward to "The Land of Light and Liberty' \ 
 of our dreams. 
 
 SO MOTE IT BE! 
 
 With malice to none and good will toward all, I re- 
 main, 
 
 Cordially and fraternally, 
 
 H. H. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 Habmonics of Evolution 
 
 The impressive feature of this volume is a challeng- 
 ing kind of positiveness. One can easily understand 
 that the author feels perfectly sure of herself at every 
 step of the way. She writes as if she knew from actual 
 personal experience. She is positive with that kind of 
 positiveness which one justly feels when the whole 
 story has been told, when all the facts are known, when 
 Time has proven the truthfulness and security of the 
 assumed position. 
 
 The volume really discusses two subjects: 
 
 1. Spiritual Development and its results. 
 
 2. The Law of Affinity, its possibilities and effects 
 upon human life. 
 
 Introducing the subject of what constitutes spiritual 
 development and what it will enable the student to 
 prove, Mrs. Huntley declares : 
 
 " There is no death. 
 
 "Life after physical death is a fact scientifically 
 demonstrable. ' 
 
 "Life here and hereafter has a common develop- 
 ment and a common purpose.' ' 
 
 And then explaining the source of her " authority' ' 
 for making these statements, she very promptly, auto- 
 cratically and most unscientifically shuts off all further 
 and legitimate inquiry with the following: 
 
 367 
 
368 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Having made this statement, any further discus- 
 sion as to the relation of the writer to her authority 
 is obviously out of place.' ' 
 
 Then for seventy-odd pages she proceeds to write in 
 a way which leaves in the mind of the reader the 
 impression that she was testifying from a personal 
 knowledge based upon actual demonstrations, of what 
 she herself knew of the spirit world: and that this 
 knowledge was the result of a definite, technical spirit- 
 ual development. 
 
 This impression is misleading and exceedingly un- 
 fortunate, because Florence Huntley made no such 
 demonstrations. 
 
 1. TK possessed no "technical" work that would 
 make such demonstrations possible. 
 
 2. TK's only two " technical' ' students were men. 
 
 3. The foregoing being true, it follows that what she 
 had to say on spiritual development was purely hear- 
 say. 
 
 4. Had she been able to see or otherwise sense the 
 true situation, there is not the least doubt but she 
 would have made every possible effort to extricate her- 
 self from TK's domination. 
 
 5. Florence Huntley's own personal testimony to the 
 writer, and to all Chicago students, upon many occa- 
 sions, was always to the effect that she had never, at 
 any time, had any psychic or spiritual experiences de- 
 scribed by TK as the results of a conscious, voluntary 
 and independent exercise of the spiritual senses. 
 
 It will be seen then that what she has to say on the 
 subject of spiritual development is purely hearsay, and 
 therefore utterly devoid of scientific value. 
 
HARMONICS OF EVOLUTION 369 
 
 We now come to a consideration of the "Harmonics 
 of Evolution" as a sex book, and its possible destruc- 
 tive influences upon certain types of men and women 
 who find themselves susceptible to " scientific' ' excuses. 
 
 Thruout the volume the author sings a song of love 
 triumphant, of the victory of love over all earthly bar- 
 riers. She writes from a personal experience, as one 
 who has personally demonstrated the Law of Affinity 
 and found its operation true, sure, scientific and capa- 
 ble of being reduced to a basis of mathematical and 
 musical exactness. 
 
 Thus the book became a "scientific" book, the first 
 of the three "scientific" Texts Books of the TK's 
 imaginary "Great School." 
 
 But Time has proven that, with all the "exact" 
 knowledge of the ins and outs of the Law of Affinity 
 and the "scientific demonstration" which TK led her 
 to believe she had made, she was grossly deceived. 
 
 TK had simply twisted and tortured, misrepre- 
 sented and misapplied the holy Law of Love in a way 
 to make of it an attractive bait for his "Great School" 
 and a disintegrating factor in innumerable homes 
 wherever his ' ' teachings ' ' have gone. 
 
 Nearly all occult movements dominated by a self- 
 appointed "master" are saturated more or less with 
 the subject of sex. Hardly a year passes that the news- 
 papers do not unearth some elderly "master" with a 
 lot of women, usually young ladies, attached to his 
 occult household. And without exception these repro- 
 bates hide behind, and try to justify themselves by 
 
370 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 some private interpretation and violation of the Law 
 of Affinity. 
 
 As a consequence, affinity books, pamphlets, " les- 
 sons/ ' etc., both for public and private circulation, are 
 to be found in nearly all these occult traps. And such 
 is the nature, scope and effect of almost all discussions 
 of the subject of affinity by these soul trappers, that 
 it sows needless misunderstanding, discontent, discord, 
 divorce, moral disease and incalculable harm wherever 
 it goes. 
 
 In almost every instance, the subject is so presented 
 that some word, some paragraph or chapter gives the 
 reader a mental hold so that, if need be, and he chooses 
 to do so, he may torture the interpretation into a per- 
 sonal excuse for his or her weaknesses and mistakes, 
 use it to stimulate discontent and self-pity, and finally 
 make it a justification for open or secret misconduct. 
 For a certain type who do not always weigh carefully 
 the responsibilities of life and value correctly the 
 "Karonc" possibilities and opportunities of their en- 
 vironment, the subject of Affinity nearly always leads 
 into winding paths of spiritual confusion, moral weak- 
 ness, unhappiness, humiliation and remorse. 
 # # # # # 
 
 In this connection and considering the number of 
 books published and the years of its circulation, it is 
 my honest conviction that no sex book ever published 
 has caused the sorrow and irreparable injury to human 
 lives, accomplished by "Harmonics of Evolution." 
 This statement is based upon: 
 
 1. A personal knowledge of the correspondence of 
 the " Great School." 
 
HARMONICS OF EVOLUTION 371 
 
 2. A personal knowledge of the correspondence of 
 the Indo-American Book Co. 
 
 3. Personal interviews with both students and read- 
 ers who related their affinity affairs. 
 
 4. The newspaper records of divorces and affinity 
 scandals in which the "philosophy" of the "Great 
 School" in general, and of the "Harmonics of Evolu- 
 tion" in particular, was openly charged with being the 
 primary and direct cause. 
 
 As to the "scientific" value of the Affinity Philos- 
 ophy of the " Great School," we have TK's own per- 
 sonal testimony in the following statement made to 
 the Committee of Four Trustees at Pasadena, Cali- 
 fornia, on May 5, 1916. 
 
 Question: "Did you ever state to anyone that the R A 
 was your Soul Mate?" 
 
 Answer by tk: "I did not. It is a subject that has come 
 up, I think as many as one hundred times, from various 
 sources, and I have been asked various questions concerning 
 affinities. I have said in every instance that this is a matter 
 that no one can prove definitely, and especially prove to any- 
 body else, and for that very reason I have discouraged all 
 discussions of this subject, as far as I could. 
 
 I have never made the statement to any living mortal that 
 Florence Huntley and I were Soul Mates. 
 
 I knew, however, or felt sure, that it was inferred by some 
 of the Friends, by reason of the fact that she was the author 
 of 'Harmonics of Evolution' with myself as her instructor." 
 
 In contrast with this beautiful tribute to the * ' scien- 
 tific value ' ' of his affinity philosophy, there is in exist- 
 ence a great stack of letters written by TK to Florence 
 Huntley between 1888 and 1894, and the entire burden 
 of this evidence is a crafty effort on the part of TK 
 to convince Mrs. Huntley that she was his "soul- 
 mate," his "affinity." 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 "The Gkeat Psychological Crime" 
 
 "The Great Psychological Crime stands for a definite 
 knowledge and a definite personal experiment, experience and 
 demonstration, or it stands for nothing, and is of less value 
 than its material make-up." — Florence Huntley, Editor the 
 G. P. C, p. 402. 
 
 In producing the ' ' Great Psychological Crime, ' ' TK 
 simply takes a single idea and by repeating the same 
 thot over and over again, times without number, works 
 it up into a sort of engulfing tidal wave in the form 
 of an imaginary wholesale hypnotic and mediumistic 
 destruction of the whole human family. All of which 
 is quite in line with his other theatrical tales, so far 
 as reliable and scientific data are concerned. 
 
 The following criticism of the ' l Great Psychological 
 Crime ' ' is taken from the editorial department of that 
 wonderfully helpful, breezy, spiritually ozonated mag- 
 azine, "The Nautilus." This comment brings up a 
 subject which, in connection with the GPC, is vital 
 and to the point. 
 
 "I have read 'The Great Psychological Crime,' and I don't 
 agree with it in all its conclusions. 
 
 "The I in every human being is the citadel which cannot 
 be stormed by all the suggestions of hypnotists and mediums, 
 or by the devil and all his imps. (The devil himself is merely 
 a personification of all the tearing-down forces in creation.) 
 
 "Getting hypnotized is certainly no worse than getting 
 drunk and befuddled on booze or cocaine, or any other drug, 
 
 372 
 
"THE GREAT PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME" 373 
 
 and it isn't half as bad as the psychological crime of getting 
 drunk on the old-fashioned hell-fire and damnation kind of 
 religion. 
 
 "THE GREATEST PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME IN 
 THIS WORLD IS TO DOPE ONESELF OR ANOTHER 
 WITH FEAR. 
 
 "What I don't like about 'The Great Psychological Crime' 
 is that it fills you up with fear: fear of spirit control, fear 
 of spiritualists, fear of mediums, fear of suggestions, fear of 
 auto-suggestion, — in fact the book fills you up with 
 psychological fear." 
 
 There is nothing more destructive to human intelli- 
 gence and its possibilities than the fear created by 
 false impressions, hypnotic suggestions and mislead- 
 ing conclusions. And it is just this kind of fear that 
 is planted and stimulated and whipped into a sort of 
 insanity by TK's " Great Psychological Crime." It 
 is purely imaginary, growing out of TK's suggestions. 
 
 Hundreds of people with indigestion, cold feet, neg- 
 lected dispositions and over-responsive imaginations 
 have, upon reading the GPC, straightway begun to 
 imagine that either they themselves or others were 
 being pursued by obsessing spirits. Some such people 
 have lived in this nightmare of fear for months at a 
 time, when all in the world that was the matter with 
 them was the fact that they had stuffed themselves 
 with TK's fear-producing, spirit-paralyzing sugges- 
 tions. 
 
 I have had "ethical students' ' confide in me that 
 they frequently had to fight off obsessing spirits." It 
 was summer time, and when I questioned them closely, 
 I found that their secret apprehension and imaginary 
 " battles' ' with " spirits' ' had no other foundation than 
 
374 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 a tendency to fall asleep while riding on street cars, 
 or while reading, or listening to some lecture ! What 
 pitiful mental bondage to an absolutely groundless 
 apprehension. And these were students of TK's so- 
 called "science." 
 
 * # # # # 
 
 TK's "Great Psychological Crime" is built entirely 
 upon the theory that over 50% of all insanity is due 
 directly to obsession or spirit control, and the strong- 
 est statement to be found in the book — the one calcu- 
 lated to command and absolutely force acceptance of 
 his theory is found on page 383. But as an introduc- 
 tion to that statement we will first quote the opening 
 paragraph of "Mediumship and Insanity," Chapter 
 XV, p. 278, as follows : 
 
 "In one of the largest western institutions for the insane 
 in the United States, six hundred diagnoses have been made 
 showing with absolute certainty that in fifty-eight per cent 
 of the cases thus examined the sole immediate cause of in- 
 sanity was me'diumistic subjection. That is to say, these 
 diagnoses showed fifty-eight per cent of those examined were 
 at the time under domination and control of outside, spiritual 
 intelligences. ' ' 
 
 Again on page 383, in his statement "To the Physi- 
 cian," TK says: 
 
 "Altho it is conceded that the view here presented may 
 not be, to you, professionally orthodox, nevertheless it is 
 earnestly hoped that the facts recorded will be deemed suffi- 
 cient to warrant at least a non-professional inquiry on your 
 part along the lines indicated. 
 
 "If such should be the case, then for your especial benefit 
 in this connection it is here stated, for what it may be worth 
 to you, that under and in accordance with the exact methods 
 
"THE GREAT PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME" 375 
 
 of Natural Science six hundred examinations have been made 
 of an equal number of so-called insane inmates of one of the 
 leading insane asylums of the country. Of the number thus 
 examined 349 were found to be in a subjective, psychic con- 
 dition, under the hypnotic domination and control of outside 
 spiritual intelligences. These were treated according to the 
 diagnoses in conformity with the methods of Natural Science, 
 the results show 349 cures. In other words, out of the entire 
 number treated not a single failure resulted. 
 
 This record speaks for itself. Indeed, it speaks more elo- 
 quently than all the theories, speculations, suppositions and 
 assumptions combined, which constitute so large a part of the 
 medical literature pertaining to the great general subject of 
 insanity. This statement is made without prejudice, for the 
 difficulties which surround and have accompanied the develop- 
 ment of this particular branch of medical science are fully 
 understood and appreciated. As far as your specialists have 
 gone their work has been most creditable in every particular. 
 
 "In view of the record, however, it would appear to the 
 writer that whatever views you may entertain concerning the 
 causes of insanity in the 349 cases above referred to, the 
 record in itself is worthy of your thoughtful consideration. 
 The simple fact that all these cases were treated upon the 
 theory of hypnotic control by outside spiritual intelligences, 
 and the treatment prescribed was successful in every instance, 
 should be sufficient to establish in your professional mind the 
 reasonable presumption that the diagnoses were correct. 
 Otherwise the logic of facts is without meaning or value. ' ' 
 
 Many people upon reading this "record" have said, 
 "Here is something that seems final, something apart 
 from the author's mere assertions. Here is what ap- 
 pears to be an actual, tangible, reliable record of work 
 done, of demonstrations made, — and under conditions 
 that would make pretense and fraud impossible. ' ' 
 
376 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 And TK himself, in the most positive possible lan- 
 guage at his command says, "This record speaks for 
 itself." But why did he not publish the actual records 
 of the State Institution in which these cures were sup- 
 posed to have been demonstrated? Why of these 349 
 cured patients did not TK produce a hundred, fifty, 
 twenty-five, ten, — or even one to testify to the truth 
 of his claims? Or failing in this, why did he not go 
 into any one of a hundred or more hospitals for the 
 insane and produce even one such cure ? 
 
 The fact that not a single cure was performed at the 
 Edgemoor Sanitarium is the answer. 
 
 # # • # « 
 
 In May, 1916, four members of the Board of Trus- 
 tees visited the Stockton (California) State Hospital 
 for the express and specific purpose of making a care- 
 ful and complete investigation into these very claims 
 made by TK in the GPC. The records of the Stockton 
 institution are exceptionally well kept and complete in 
 every detail. Every assistance was rendered the visit- 
 ing committee in their efforts to make the investiga- 
 tion thorough and final. And when the work had been 
 concluded, not a single sentence or even a word, writ- 
 ten or oral, or trace of anything of any kind had been 
 found to indicate that John E. Richardson had ever 
 had anything to do with the institution in any capacity 
 
 whatever. 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 And in the face of his knowledge of the falsity of 
 his so-called "record," TK in Life and Action, Bv. 6, 
 p. 336, for August, 1915, says : 
 
"THE GREAT PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME" 377 
 
 ' ' The article to which you refer in The Great Psychological 
 Crime was written from the viewpoint of many years of active 
 and definite experience in the fields of medicine and the 
 study of Therapeutics. There is not a statement contained 
 in it that is not fully justified by the known facts of Natural 
 Science. ' ' 
 
 TK here probably refers to his two years experience 
 as an Oxydonor " Doctor.' ' See Chapter 16, pp. 219- 
 238. 
 
 As to the "scientific" value of "The Great Psycho- 
 logical Crime," — what is there in the book to entitle 
 it to the distinction of being a scientific work? Abso- 
 lutely nothing except the assumed authority of its 
 author. The book carries no actual records, no relia- 
 ble statistics, no evidences, no proofs, no anything but 
 the author's personal stories of imaginary experiences, 
 experiments, demonstrations, etc., all of which so far 
 as it has been possible to investigate them at all, each 
 and every personal claim has been proven to be untrue 
 and entirely without foundation in fact. 
 
 As for insanity thru obsession, or spirit control, it 
 has been recognized as both a possibility and a reality 
 for many thousands of years, and the subject has been 
 treated by many different writers, from ancient bib- 
 lical periods up to the present time. But to arbitrarily 
 fix upon obsession as the cause of 58% of all insanity, 
 and this too upon purely fictitious demonstrations, 
 records, etc., is entirely misleading and deplorably 
 harmful to those who may be led to believe in this 
 kind of " science.' ' It is probable that less than 1% 
 would be a liberal and conservative estimate of all 
 insanity caused by psychic obsession. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII 
 "The Great Work" 
 
 "No greater fallacy could be suggested than to 
 credit the author of this volume personally with the 
 honor of having wrought out, from the recesses of his 
 own brain and consciousness, the definite results here 
 referred to. He would be most willing and happy to 
 acknowledge such honor if he were justly entitled to 
 it. Such, however, is not the case." — TK in The Great 
 Work, p. 259. 
 
 From the fact that the essays on Ethics comprising 
 "The Great Work" appear to be so carefully and 
 rationally worked out, coupled with the admission of 
 their Author as quoted above, many people have found 
 it easy to readily believe that the work was not the 
 result of any one mind, but that probably it may have 
 somehow been received — as a whole — complete as it 
 appears — by TK from some ancient "Great School," 
 as the wisdom of the ages. 
 
 378 
 
THE GREAT WORK" 379 
 
 It is true : 
 
 1. That these principles of morality represent the 
 fundamental and universally accepted standards of 
 Right Living. 
 
 2. That the ideas and ideals presented in these 
 essays are to be found in the moral literature of the 
 world's great teachers, and may therefore be said to 
 represent the ' * wisdom of the ages. ' ' 
 
 3. That the application of such principles to the 
 * * Living of a Life ' ' inevitably results in compensatory 
 spiritual and intellectual progress. 
 
 4. That they are not the product of any one mind. 
 
 As far back as 1899, following the publication of 
 4 'Harmonics of Evolution/ ' there had begun, thru the 
 efforts of Florence Huntley, the integration of a small 
 group of Students. This led to the establishment of 
 regular weekly meetings which were continued for 
 many years. 
 
 The men and women — a dozen or less — comprising 
 this little Group were without a single exception pro- 
 found and earnest thinkers and students. 
 
 Prom my personal knowledge of and acquaintance 
 with them dating back over a period of eleven years, 
 I gladly testify that they constituted a body of scholars 
 which for clear intelligence, clean characters, pure 
 motives and earnest search of Truth for Truth's sake, 
 I sincerely believe could not be excelled by an equal 
 number anywhere in the world. 
 
380 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Now these men and women were engaged for all 
 these years upon the same identical topics and work 
 which comprise TK's essays on Morality, as found in 
 "The Great Work." For instance, week after week 
 would be given to the analysis, study and discussion 
 of Consciousness; other successive weeks were devoted 
 to the same critical analysis, study and discussion of 
 Will. In the same careful, continuous, methodical 
 manner this little Group studied the Functions and 
 Primary Purpose of the Soul; the elements and prin- 
 ciples of Personal Responsibility; the helps and hin- 
 derances to intellectual and spiritual development, etc., 
 covering in a most thoro manner all that is discussed 
 and even more than appears in TK's " Great Work." 
 
 It was both a Group and an Individual work, and 
 the results obtained and conclusions reached on the 
 various subjects studied, represented the combined 
 work of all the members of the Group. 
 
 From this, you will understand that TK, for a period 
 of over six years had the benefit of all these meetings 
 and of the study, the analysis, discussions and con- 
 clusions of this zealous body of intelligent Students. 
 
 When therefore* in 1906, the " master" came to write 
 his " Great Work," covering the findings of what he 
 called his "Great School," on the subjects of "What 
 Constitutes Scientific Demonstration," "Conscious- 
 ness," "Will and Desire," "Personal Responsibility," 
 etc., could there be any reason (other than inability to 
 write) why he should not be able to handle these sub- 
 jects in a clear, concise and systematic manner? 
 
 As a matter of fact he had at his command the care- 
 fully kept, accumulated data, the results of six year* 
 
"THE GREAT WORK" 381 
 
 of hard and earnest work on the part of all these Stu- 
 dents, and there is probably not a single proposition 
 or paragraph in what may be called the Ethical por- 
 tion of "The Great Work," that was not thoroughly 
 covered and settled by these students years before TK 
 began his writing of the book. 
 
 This being true, so far as the origin of the philos- 
 ophy is concerned, John E. Eichardson (TK) is no 
 more entitled to the credit for this work than any other 
 individual member of that Group. 
 
 As for "The Great Work" being a "scientific" 
 work, it is no more entitled to such distinction than 
 Emerson's Essays or a dozen other books on ethics. 
 Its ethics will do no more for a man than the practice 
 of the simple Golden Eule. 
 
 Its "scientific" value rests solely upon TK's as- 
 sumed authority, and upon the same kind of "verifica- 
 tions," "records," "evidences," "proofs," "scientific 
 demonstrations" and fiction, pure and simple, upon 
 which are based "The Great Psychological Crime" 
 and "Harmonics of Evolution." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV 
 
 The "Master" Consults a Medium 
 
 Of all modern liberal philosophic movements, Spir- 
 itualism, more than all others combined, accorded TK 
 a respectful, courteous, and intelligent hearing, and 
 this too up to the point of simply closing their eyes 
 and blindly swallowing all his extravagant personal 
 claims. But they did not close their eyes and they 
 did not swallow his stories. 
 
 Spiritualists thru nearly a century of doing their 
 own thinking, have learned the value not only of hold- 
 ing themselves in readiness to hear every professor 
 and consider every new philosophy, but at the same 
 time they have learned the necessity of demanding the 
 credentials of said professor and the evidences of the 
 truth of said professor's philosophy. 
 
 Those of us who were readers of "The Progressive 
 Thinker" in 1893-94 will recall that practically whole 
 pages of that excellent publication were freely thrown 
 open to both TK and his followers, and to all who 
 chose to enter into the discussion of TK's proposi- 
 tions. For months this open forum was maintained, 
 and tens of thousands of readers were given every 
 possible opportunity and encouragement to investigate 
 TK and his so-called " school.' ' 
 
 Such an opportunity for free advertising and propa- 
 ganda work, TK could not have realized from any 
 other body of intelligent, liberal, progressive students 
 
 382 
 
THE "MASTER" CONSULTS A MEDIUM 383 
 
 of spiritual philosophy in the world, but even so, his 
 " Great School" made little or no favorable impres- 
 sion upon these generous people, for the simple reason 
 that he wrote from ambush and had no evidences or 
 proofs to support his "scientific" tales. For instance 
 in his "Great Psychological Crime," pp. 230-31, TK 
 publishes the following "statistical facts": 
 
 "But what of the statistical facts? Do they verify or 
 disprove the principle here declared? Let us see. 
 
 From the class of mediums whose development has been 
 sufficient to establish definite and unqualified results, science 
 has gathered and is able to formulate and present the fol- 
 lowing verified results of the mediumistic process upon the 
 medium, viz.: 
 
 1. Seventy-three per cent, of the professional mediums 
 referred to sooner or later develop abnormally increased 
 and uncontrollable sexual passions, while as high as ninety- 
 two per cent, show marked increase of the sexual appetite or 
 desire. 
 
 2. A fraction over sixty per cent, develop hysterical or 
 ungovernable temper, while as high as eighty-five per cent, 
 show marked increase of nervous irritability. 
 
 3. Fifty-eight per cent, develop dishonesty and fraud, 
 while ninety -five per cent, show lack of moral discrimination 
 and courage. 
 
 4. A fraction over seventy per cent, develop some inor- 
 dinate vanity, while ninety-two per cent, become more or less 
 egotistical. 
 
 5. As high as ninety-eight per cent, develop some discov- 
 erable form of selfishness, sensuous desire, emotional weak- 
 ness or degrading physical appetite. 
 
 6. In no instance does the process develop marked indi- 
 vidual improvement from a moral standpoint. 
 
 Not a word of reference is made as to where or how 
 he made up this classification. Not even a suggestion 
 or promise of evidence or proof is offered. TK simply 
 and arbitrarily fixes the "percent" at 40, 50, 60 or 
 
384 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 98; sets it down as fact, dogmatically assumes that 
 it is unanswerable, and lets you take his word for it, 
 whether you want to or not. 
 
 And this "scientific" method of convincing people 
 of his authority as a "master," is entirely consistent 
 with and characteristic of the dogmatism found in all 
 his personal pretensions. As it appears to the writer, 
 TK's entire movement depended upon just two fac- 
 tors, in about the following proportions: 
 
 Deceptive Suggestions, 98 per cent. 
 
 Impressional Mediumship, 2 per cent. 
 
 From this it will be seen that for his "success" he 
 depended scarcely at all upon anything but his ability 
 to impress his readers with a purely assumed, exter- 
 nal cloak or veneer of sincerity and honesty. He pos- 
 sessed no spiritual powers, he taught nothing new, he 
 cured no insanity, he did not heal the sick. And in 
 order to anticipate any means of testing him out he 
 kept himself under cover and argued thus: 
 
 I am a master, a real master. 
 
 I possess ALL the evidences, credentials and proofs 
 to back up my claims. 
 
 I will, however, offer only one evidence. 
 
 This is an "internal evidence." 
 
 Morality is right. 
 
 Do you agree with me that morality is right? 
 
 I preach morality. 
 
 If you agree with me that morality is right, then 
 you have the "internal evidence." 
 
 In this "sign" you have the evidence of my mas- 
 tership. 
 . This is the only sign I have to offer. 
 
THE "MASTER" CONSULTS A MEDIUM 385 
 
 TK always guarded himself and his "school" 
 against Spiritualists, sensitives and mediums, because 
 he knew they would quickly detect and expose his 
 fraud. On the other hand I know personally several 
 people who were, thru mediums, warned by their 
 friends on the spiritual planes of life to beware of 
 
 TK's " school.' ' 
 
 # # # * * 
 
 In his books TK explains very definitely his ideas of 
 the difference between "masters" and "mediums." 
 He claims to have become a "master" in 1883-84. 
 To have been in constant, conscious, independent com- 
 munication with the Spirit World, and able to with- 
 draw from his physical body at will, ever since that 
 time. 
 
 He explains that in 1883-84 he learned positively 
 that mediumship is destructive. He then and there 
 gave up all mediumistic investigations FOREVER. 
 
 1. He was a ' ' master. ' ' He did not need a medium. 
 
 2. For him to consult mediums would be an open 
 acknowledgment that he was not a "master." 
 
 3. It would also be to him the commission of what 
 he calls a "Great Psychological Crime." 
 
 Nevertheless, TK did consult mediums, and we here- 
 with present the evidences. 
 
 The first is an exact photographic reproduction in 
 TK's own handwriting, over his own signature, of a 
 statement which appears on an envelope containing a 
 detailed account of a sitting the "master" had with 
 one of the justly celebrated Bangs Sisters. Kindly 
 note that this document bears the date of September 
 25, 1898. 
 
386 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
THE "MASTER" CONSULTS A MEDIUM 387 
 
 * k C~ A^*«^y aftZr~*>*. , SvfU XS- -v*&ZL. tu~ *>. 
 
 *»»■«<* o4f<W _ J' eis/ttJ VtrMCt. -rvow J-fU. -i^vuAl A^n. 
 
 Of <M.«x>- -fru^xtts »-*y. t&t S-fairLi ■X.LcC*. if *&fl ■> 
 
 tfu I3a.t*<fj StUis+j '•' ^y-U-crsv rr tit *U*c*. w«»j 
 («^> o *£^/ al "US? TlrtU CUc^ Si. 
 
 J did ~1*.<A~ -i^cn* ?Uc*~ a^J *^aJ *v**> AA>i.au 
 
 Of A~y AArkcrs, ^-" clAJLlcc~<.J Z*. 1-L. yfrefii*- J 
 
 Cj«,e*~i &c<sJ*tJ ZeJ^ -w^C 5«^ *&. -wtft* ;"£«. 
 
 THE ABOVE IS THE SECOND PAGE OF A FIFTEFN-PAGE 
 DESCRIPTION IN TK's OWN HAND WRITING . OF A SEANCE 
 HE HAD WITH ONE OF THE BANGS SISTERS, ON SEPT. 35 . 
 1698 . COULD THERE BE ANY MOPE POSITIVE EVIDENCE 
 THAN THIS, THAT TK CONSULTED SPIRIT MEDIUMS? 
 
 NOTE THAT THE "MASTER" WANTED TO SEE IF HE 
 COULD "GET" ANYTHING SATISFACTORY FROM ANY OF HIS 
 FRIENDS ON THE SPIRIT SIDE OF LIFE. 
 
388 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 The second evidence submitted is also an exact 
 photographic reproduction, being the second page of 
 a fifteen-page description of the seance. This also is 
 in TK's own handwriting over his own signature, and 
 reads as follows: 
 
 "On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 25, while Mrs. R. was away, 
 I asked Verna how she would like to go with me to some 
 "medium" and see if we could get anything satisfactory 
 from any of our friends on the spirit side of life. 
 
 "I took up the Sunday Times-Herald, and ran down the 
 column of advertisements of 'mediums.' I came to the ad- 
 vertisement of the 'Bangs Sisters,' whose residence was (and 
 still is) at 654 West Adams St. 
 
 "I did not know them, and had no idea as to their merit. 
 But observing that they were the nearest to us in point of 
 distance of any whose 'ads' appeared in the paper, I sug- 
 gested that we try them. 
 
 "We reached their residence about 3:30 p. m., and were 
 admitted to the parlor by a young man who said the ladies 
 were busy just then but would soon be at leisure. 
 
 "We waited a few moments and an old gray-haired lady 
 who said she was the mother of the 'Bangs Sisters' came in." 
 
 It will be recalled that Florence Huntley became 
 TK's first student in 1887. He had then been a " mas- 
 ter' ' for three years. He was supposed to know that 
 mediumship is always dangerous and inevitably 
 destructive. We take it that being a " master* ' he 
 must have taken great pains to explain the nature of 
 mediumship and to warn his "first student' ' against 
 consulting mediums or having anything to do with the 
 mediumistic process. 
 
THE "MASTER" CONSULTS A MEDIUM 389 
 
 But Florence Huntley's diaries contain many evi- 
 dences which prove conclusively that her " master* ' 
 either did not know what he claims to have known at 
 that time or he failed to warn her against the process. 
 The following, dated July 22, 1894 — seven years after 
 her supposed studentship began — is a reprint from her 
 diary : 
 
 "July 22, 7:30 p. m. 
 
 "At 4, I went by agreement to Mrs. M . We sat with 
 
 Ouiji, and the results are interesting enuf to make note of. 
 I shall try to put them down in dialogue form. 
 
 Q. "Who is it?" A. "R ," 
 
 Q. "And this is S— !" A. "Yes." 
 
 Q. "S will you tell me how or by what force you are 
 
 able to control this board?" A. "By spiritual influence in 
 various ways." 
 
 Q. "Who are you with most in that country t" 
 A. "R ." 
 
 Q. "Would you like to return to earthly conditions?" 
 A. "No." 
 
 Q. ' ' Can you tell us how you pass your time ? " A. " With 
 R in one long dream of bliss. ' ' 
 
 Q. "Have you any special pursuit?" A. "Yes, music 
 and song." 
 
 Q. "Can you sing now?" A. "Yes." 
 
 Q. "With R ?" A. "Yes." 
 
 Q. "Do you know M ?" A. "Yes." 
 
 Q. "What?" A. "I do not approve of the money af- 
 fairs. ' ' 
 
 Q. "Why?" A. "He wronged you girls." 
 
 Q. "How?" A. "Unequal." 
 
 "Then, as if hurt or mean, he left or was forced away by 
 something that staggered and crawled. It was horrible. The 
 very motion was repulsive. We questioned — no answer. 
 Again it wriggled. ' You make fun of me. Good Bye. * But 
 it remained to tell us it was a murderer and begged us to 
 pray for his soul's release. It disdained acquaintance, but 
 repeated its cry for 'help.' It was horrible. We took our 
 hands from the board until it was silenced. ' ' 
 
CHAPTER XXXV 
 
 The Philosophy as a Whole 
 
 "If the Harmonic Series is not based upon a 
 definite school of Knowledge, the books fall below the 
 level of speculative philosophy. They are canards, 
 falsehoods, elaborated nonsense; they are not entitled 
 to so much respect as T. J. Hudson's theories and 
 hypotheses." 
 
 — Florence Huntley in L. & A., Bv. 4, p. 221. 
 
 The Harmonic Series 
 
 Harmonics of Evolution pretends to be a reliable 
 guide to finding a soul-mate. 
 
 The Great Psychological Crime is a warning against 
 hypnotism and mediumship. 
 
 The Great Work contains a few good essays on 
 Morality, Self Control, Will, Self Pity, Vanity, etc. 
 
 However desirable it might be to have a knowledge 
 of the contents of these books, even if it were all true 
 (which it is not), why should these few subjects be 
 taken to constitute a complete " philosophy' ' by which 
 to order one's life, to the exclusion of hundreds of 
 other books covering literally hundreds of other essen- 
 tial phases of our existence? 
 
 390 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE 391 
 
 As to any particular utility of the Harmonic Series, 
 not one of them offers what can be called definite 
 instruction on any of the subjects discussed. For 
 instance, TK talks about the "extension of conscious- 
 ness,^ but nowhere does he tell how that extension is 
 to be accomplished. He talks about Will, Self-Con- 
 trol, the necessity of being able to control one's mag- 
 netism, of solving economic questions, and so on with 
 dozens of problems, but never a word as to any prac- 
 tical methods for personal development and intelligent 
 self-help. 
 
 Many students, however, testify that their acquain- 
 ance with the three books has been a source of encour- 
 agement and help to them in their daily lives. And 
 this is easily believable, because the same thing has 
 been said and is, every day, being said of hundreds 
 and thousands of other books. But while acknowledg- 
 ing such help as may have been received from the 
 Harmonic Series, it remains true that many people 
 have been deceived into thinking, accepting and even 
 passing on to others as Truth, a great deal of what 
 is now known to be absolutely untrue, deceptive and 
 misleading. 
 
 For this, no one should criticise himself or feel dis- 
 couraged. We are all human, and when, for a suffic- 
 ient length of time we read or hear others saying and 
 repeating over and over again, "the Great School/ ' 
 "the Great Friends/ ' "Great Masters," "he is a real 
 master," "he cures the insane," "he talks face to face 
 daily with masters and spirits, " " he leaves his body at 
 will," he lives in poverty," "he is the greatest," etc., 
 etc., — we are not unlikely to find ourselves taking up 
 
392 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 and repeating the same strain of suggestions, even tho 
 unconsciously to ourselves. That it is a kind of mental 
 darkness and hypnotic state does not for the time occur 
 to us. 
 
 Normally we like to think well of everything and 
 everybody. If our own motives are clean and pure, 
 we gladly grant the same state to others. But no mat- 
 ter how clear our own motives may be, this alone will 
 not always save us from mental blindness. And to 
 go on from day to day under false impressions is men- 
 tal blindness and spiritual darkness as sure as there 
 is such a state or condition. 
 
 Some have suggested that the Harmonic Series 
 must be true because they frequently find corrobora- 
 tions of the teachings in other books. Why not? That 
 is where a great deal of it came from. Others say 
 these books contain much that is entirely new. But 
 this that appears new, is new to those only who may 
 not happen to know what books to read in order to 
 make the necessary comparisons. Take for instance 
 "Harmonics of Evolution"; practically all that this 
 book contains outside of its imaginary battle with Dar- 
 win and Drummond and its seventy-odd pages adver- 
 tising TK's pseudo mastership, was written and pub- 
 lished over half a century ago. The volume to which I 
 refer is in the most wonderful English imaginable; 
 the message is practical and scientific and the appeal 
 is to Eeason and Conscience alone. 
 
 Another illustration is seen in what TK has to say 
 regarding India as the source of all civilization. Any 
 one who reads that really wonderful book, "The Bible 
 in India," will have no difficulty recognizing and iden- 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE 393 
 
 tifying some of TK's " wisdom of the ages," for 
 therein may be found some of his descriptive phrases 
 
 almost word for word. 
 
 # # # * # 
 
 Now a few plain words as to the fruits of the so- 
 called Great School philosophy and the nature of the 
 spiritual influences back of and working thru TK : 
 
 There are many items of knowledge of the most 
 serious, significant and damaging nature, which tho 
 known to a half-dozen or so " students/ ' are not gen- 
 erally known or even suspected by the student body: 
 items which, had they been permitted to become known 
 would probably have so shocked the few hundred fol- 
 lowers of TK that they would have been glad to wash 
 their hands of the whole thing and escape from his 
 occult net. 
 
 In each of these cases the particulars were known 
 usually to but three, five, seven or so individuals, each 
 of whom were students, and in every instance cau- 
 tioned and pledged by TK not to refer to or discuss the 
 matter under any circumstances, — not even with their 
 most trusted fellow students. In this beautiful exem- 
 plification of the efficacy of psychological billying, the 
 particulars were always hushed up, suppressed and 
 sealed, so far as any harm to the " Great Work" — 
 (TK) was concerned, and in time even the incident 
 itself was almost forgotten. 
 
 For instance it is not generally known that sev- 
 eral suicides and attempted suicides have, during the 
 past ten or twelve years occurred beneath the l ' benefi- 
 cent" and "powerful protecting influences' ' of TK's 
 Great School and Great Masters. In some instances 
 
394 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 these unfortunate experiences came to students while 
 actually and actively engaged in working out the so- 
 called " Ethical Section" or " Master's Catechism." 
 In one instance a student who had completed this se- 
 cret "spiritual" instruction and was, at the time of his 
 death, one of the only twenty guides or instructors of 
 other students, wandered from his home late at night, 
 went to a cemetery and there committed suicide by 
 cutting his own throat. 
 
 Would this suggest that TK and his spirit guides 
 are representatives of the true Great School of Light 
 and Life? That his so-called ethical instruction will 
 do what he claims it will do? That his so-called 
 "Great Masters" and "Great Friends" are interested 
 in and guarding the welfare and lives of his students 
 and instructors ? That his gang of ' ' spiritual helpers ' ■ 
 are the kind that men and women should pray to and 
 depend upon, as TK advises? 
 
 Why did TK suppress this knowledge, so that only 
 a few even of his Chicago students ever even heard of 
 the incident? The answer must be something more 
 than that it was "for the good of the GREAT 
 CAUSE." 
 
 In Life md Action, Bv. 5, p. 1, TK himself in a 
 vein of what he evidently intended to be humorous, 
 makes record of a case in which an osteopathic phy- 
 sician of Brooklyn, N. Y., after writing a letter in 
 which he referred to TK and his literature, committed 
 suicide. 
 
 At one time TK found it necessary to explain pub- 
 licly that certain cases of insanity were insane before 
 reading his books, and not as a result of such reading, 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE 395 
 
 which was an acknowledgment on TK's part, that 
 such impressions and reports were m circulation and 
 that TK himself knew of them. 
 
 In another instance an accepted Ethical Student 
 Tbecame mentally deranged under the blighting impres- 
 sion of being unworthy and lost. From her distant 
 home she was brot to Chicago for the express pur- 
 pose of having TK diagnose and prescribe for her 
 condition. She escaped one day from her attendants 
 and attempted suicide by drowning in a lagoon in one 
 of the city parks. 
 
 When besought for help for this unfortunate stu- 
 dent, TK would not even see the patient and with cold- 
 blooded indifference sent word that he could do 
 nothing, and that his " Great Friends" had advised 
 him that it would do no good to even see the woman. 
 
 On March 9, 1917, a year after TK's exposure at 
 Edgemoor, there came into the office of the Indo- 
 American Book Co., a poor soul who, in 1910, was an 
 accredited Ethical Student in TK's Great School. 
 Her person was neglected, and from her general ap- 
 pearance, her voice and conversation, her disturbed 
 vision and excited condition, it was evident that she 
 was mentally unbalanced. She explained that she 
 had just recently spent a few months in an asylum for 
 the insane in one of our Southern States. 
 
 She demanded to know where TK was and upon be- 
 ing told that he had gone to California, she said: 
 "Yon lie. He lives in Oak Park. I know where he 
 lives, and I am going out there.' ' With this, she 
 
396 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 quickly withdrew, slammed the door and passed down- 
 stairs, to where a sister was waiting for her. 
 
 Going to where TK formerly lived in Oak Park, 
 and finding both residences closed and unoccupied, 
 they then went to the home of a former student. Here 
 she repeated her demand to know where TK was, and 
 when told he had just recently married and gone with 
 his new affinity to California, she said: "You lie. He 
 told me I am his affinity. She is only his physical mate, 
 but I am his spiritual affinity, and he is with me spir- 
 itually every day. ' ' With this she exhibited two linked, 
 plain gold band rings which she declared were en- 
 graved with the date of her first meeting with TK, 
 and which were given to her by TK in 1910, the same 
 year in which he married Florence Huntley. 
 
 This poor woman formerly lived with her husband 
 just a few doors from TK's residence in Oak Park, 111. 
 She was a bright, intelligent woman at the time she 
 became a * ' student, ' ' and living nearby, soon grew to 
 calling almost daily at TK's home. In time, she se- 
 cured a divorce from her husband, and later left 
 Chicago. 
 
 The story she told on March 9th was to the effect 
 that TK himself had sent her a/way, a statement not 
 difficult to believe, as the same experience happened 
 to more than one woman. She further volunteered the 
 information that, in time, she met and married a Jap- 
 anese, whom she did not love, but even " loathed.' ' 
 This she did, as she explained, because she saw some 
 kind of spiritual light shining about his head, and 
 heard a "voice" which she could not resist, and which 
 she knew came from one of the "masters" of TK's 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE 397 
 
 " Great School/ ' commanding her to marry the man 
 "for a great spiritual purpose." 
 
 She had not seen her Japanese husband since before 
 entering the asylum, and upon her release, had taken 
 her little Japanese baby (about one year old) and, ac- 
 companied by her sister, had made their way to Chi- 
 cago. She wished to find TK and make him marry her, 
 as she claimed he had promised to do. 
 
 To add to the seriousness of the situation, her sister 
 also appeared to be quite as insane as she herself re- 
 garding the Great School. 
 
 Will any of those who may be interested in perpet- 
 uating TK's "Great School" and its "Work," say 
 that the influences following and destroying these two 
 women were good influences? That the fact that one 
 of the women had been an accepted ethical student, a 
 close personal friend of TK and for a time an almost 
 daily visitor in his home, was therefore under unusual, 
 constructive spiritual guidance and protection? Such 
 a thing is unthinkable and contrary to all reason and 
 sense of right. It is easier to reason that she fell un- 
 der the direct hypnotic influence not only of TK him- 
 self, but also of his rascal band of dishonest and de- 
 generate spirit guides. 
 
 But these cases are only given as examples of the 
 destructive and dangerous influences emanating from 
 or working thru TK's mediumship. There are prob- 
 ably many dozens of similar cases known only to TK 
 and the immediate few whom in each particular in- 
 stance he succeeded in either getting rid of, or pledg- 
 ing to secrecy and silence. 
 
398 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Just this week a letter came to the writer from an 
 attorney whose sister has recently been brot home 
 after several months' detention in a private sanitar- 
 ium. He attributes her insanity to the deceptive im- 
 pressions carried in TK's literature. This woman was 
 a remarkably beautiful spirit; practical, talented, in- 
 telligent, and a successful professional woman. Un- 
 beknown to her family, she was a " student' ' of the 
 "secret" work, and had gradually come to believe in 
 TK's false and pretentious claims to mastership. 
 
 Will such as are in favor of the further publication 
 and circulation of TK 's false and misleading literature 
 say that these books do no harm? What is it in these 
 books or that which accompanies them that has al- 
 ready wrecked so many lives? Why all these suicides 
 and attempted suicides, these pitiful cases of insanity, 
 to say nothing of affinity scandals, divorce cases, 
 money swindles, and instance after instance of the 
 most vital and flagrant moral and mental degeneracy 
 occurring in the very midst of TK's so-called ethical 
 instruction and training? 
 
 In one instance, where both are accredited students, 
 the man openly takes his young affinity into the home 
 of his legal wife, lives with her, divorces his wife 
 and marries the new "mate"; in another, the wife is 
 the aggressive affinity hunter, leaves her husband at 
 the direction of some "spirit voice," and sallies forth 
 into newspaper fame with her new mate, singing hal- 
 lelujahs to the philosophy of TK's Great Scheme of 
 Natural Science. 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE 399 
 
 And some students of this kind of stuff, repeating 
 after TK, still call it " science," "exact science," 
 "moral science," as if the name has anything to do 
 with it. 
 
 Actual and active studentship in TK's " Great 
 School" usually in time brot reverses of one kind or 
 another : mental or physical ill-health, financial or bus- 
 iness losses, loss of friends, misunderstanding among 
 relatives and friends, domestic discords, disappoint- 
 ments, and difficult daily problems of all kinds. Some 
 students, from no apparent reason at the time, failed 
 in almost everything they undertook, as if under some 
 sort of spell or curse. TK explained these experiences 
 as "tests" necessary to what the students imagined 
 to be their "spiritual development," 
 
 Many people, looking on from the outside and sizing 
 up these unfortunate results of contact with TK's 
 " Great School" and great "moral" philosophy, sensed 
 the destructive spiritual influences back of it all, and 
 positively and steadfastly refused to have anything 
 whatever to do with any part of it in any manner, 
 form or degree. 
 
 Because of the way in which his literature is written 
 and the false hopes which TK, as a prophet of dark- 
 ness, holds out to sincere and earnest searchers after 
 Truth, these books, in their present form, constitute a 
 snare to human intelligence and a menace to mankind 
 generally. 
 
400 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Briefly summarizing: 
 
 1. These books appear simply to be channels thru 
 which, if we may judge them by actual results, certain 
 well-defined, deceiving, misleading and evil forces have 
 sought to influence and operate upon human credulity. 
 And to disguise the real intent and purpose of the evil 
 intelligences back of these books, they are cunningly 
 clothed in an external cloak of "scientific" morality. 
 
 2. "Harmonics of Evolution" has been a source 
 of wide ill-faith in the marriage relation, leading di- 
 rectly and indirectly to innumerable reckless affinity 
 entanglements and scandals all over the country. 
 
 3. This literature promises what is not to be had 
 FROM ITS SOURCE, and never was : exact knowl- 
 edge, and the scientific demonstration of the conti- 
 nuity of individual life beyond death. 
 
 4. In their present form, these books are so inti- 
 mately saturated with the false, personal claims of 
 TK that, unless the facts are exposed to the clear, 
 open light of Truth, the entire literature may be made 
 the basis of further deception, fraud and exploitation 
 for possibly hundreds of years to come. 
 
 5. Many people have already wasted valuable time, 
 from a few months to many years, neglecting, retard- 
 ing and suppressing their real spiritual development, 
 in a vain attempt to realize TK's promises. 
 
 Many people, misled by TK into a false sense of 
 responsibility, have in the past ten years spent a great 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE 401 
 
 deal of time and money advertising, selling and dis- 
 tributing TK's books. In this way they have, in many 
 instances, innocently led their relatives, friends, ac- 
 quaintances, and even strangers into conditions of 
 mental blindness, in which they live from day to day 
 under false impressions and false hopes. 
 
 If this has been your experience, then no greater 
 responsibility in this world rests upon your soul than 
 to make every possible effort you can to see that these 
 people get a knowledge of the Truth about these books 
 and TK's whole movement. 
 
 Once the Truth is made known, your debt of respon- 
 sibility will probably be discharged, for men and 
 women are no more inclined to take their mental and 
 spiritual food and drink from morally unclean chan- 
 nels than they are to take their physical food and 
 drink from unclean vessels. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI 
 
 Florence Huntley 
 
 Florence Huntley was the brains of TK's entire lit- 
 erary success — such as it was. She was educated; she 
 was a trained, talented, successful newspaper woman; 
 she was by nature an altruist, a philosopher, a thinker, 
 a genius for dissecting and analyzing intricate psych- 
 ological problems. She alone was the enthusiast. TK 
 was not a thinker. He was not a man of warmth, 
 feeling or enthusiasm. But for his scheming, he was 
 really a physical and mental idler; a leech upon the 
 intelligence, the sympathies and confidences of other 
 people. 
 
 Florence Huntley edited everything of any merit he 
 ever wrote. He produced nothing after "The Great 
 Work," in 1906. He gave out the impression that he 
 was one of the busiest men on earth — but doing what? 
 He dictated some copy for his magazine once every 
 two months; otherwise he had practically nothing 
 to do. He healed no sick, cured no insane, visited no 
 poor. Most of his "personal letters" were form let- 
 ters written by his stenographers. Thus he lived for 
 years in secret idleness, playing billiards, walking or 
 riding out, hunting four-leaf clovers, etc., and occa- 
 sionally spending an hour or a few hours visiting 
 sociably with some out-of-town student, applicant or 
 friend — talking of the "work" or any old subject, — 
 just playing the part. 
 
 402 
 
FLORENCE HUNTLEY 
 
 403 
 
 To the earnest men and women who have for years 
 been denied the " great and priceless privilege" of 
 meeting the " master,* ' on account of his being "busy 
 and overworked," it may be some relief to know that 
 for many years TK spent practically whole days at 
 a time reading modern novels and light fiction as well 
 as all the sporting news. 
 
 Vandal" 
 Business 
 
 Writing to his daughter, Sept. 13, 1908, from San 
 Francisco, TK said: "Sh — , don't tell anybody — but 
 I saw Billy Papke knock the stuffm' out of Stanley 
 Ketchel. It was immense!" 
 
404 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 On Jan. 30, 1910 — twenty-three years after their 
 first meeting, Mrs. Huntley and Mr. Richardson were 
 married. 
 
 Upon that occasion, TK was as pale as the white- 
 ness of death. 
 
 And well he might be, for there was a young woman, 
 whom just a few weeks previous to this time, he had 
 secretly assured was his true soul-mate, — to whom he 
 had explained that Florence Huntley was his mate in 
 an intellectual sense only. 
 
 TK knew all this, but he did not know what moment 
 of that day this young woman might come in and 
 before all the wedding guests declare her betrayal and 
 demand an explanation of his hypocritical and crim- 
 inal deception. And it was this uncertainty, this awful 
 apprehension and fear that chilled his blood and 
 blanched his hands and face to a sickly, chalky white- 
 ness. 
 
 Florence Huntley lived for eighteen years in a 
 roseate hue of romance — an intense devotion to what 
 she sincerely believed to be a great work for humanity. 
 
 Who of us can picture her bewilderment, her piti- 
 ful disappointment, her sorrow and suffering, her 
 anguish and remorse when she opened her spiritual 
 consciousness to discover the true situation, — to real- 
 ize that her earthly life had been wasted and worse 
 than wasted in an earnest, loyal, blind support of a 
 scheming grafter, a man who had shamelessly and 
 cruelly deceived her into becoming a party to a great 
 
FLORENCE HUNTLEY 405 
 
 fraud upon human intelligence, — as she herself has 
 explained from the spiritual side of life, 
 
 A short time before her death she became aware of 
 TK's real nature. And as the awful consequences of 
 his destructive influences, together with her own inno- 
 cent part in carrying them into the world, began to 
 awaken and unfold before her mind, her soul sank 
 helplessly beneath the (personal humiliation, regret 
 and pain. Gladly would she have given her life to be 
 able to retrace the path, to undo the wrong, to extri- 
 cate herself, to recall her part in this awful tragedy 
 of deception and fraud, and to put herself on record 
 before all the world and especially before all who 
 trusted and believed in her. 
 
 Such was her nature, her honesty and honor, her 
 sense of right and her intention, that, had time and 
 circumstances permitted her to overcome the awful 
 sense of personal helplessness and shock of soul, she 
 would have given the truth to the world. 
 
 But she was alone in the agony of her Gethsemane. 
 She had awakened to her condition of spiritual dark- 
 ness ; she had lived in this darkness for years, — in the 
 belief that it was Light. The burden of her spirit, 
 now crushed and bleeding, was more than the weary 
 body could endure, and at last, exhausted by the fruit- 
 less struggle, she fell asleep. 
 
 The manner of her death was somewhat unusual. 
 For several days she wept beneath the cross of her 
 secret sorrow, and finally on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 
 28, 1912, she began to experience a severe headache, 
 and a few hours later lapsed into unconsciousness 
 
406 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 which lasted nearly four days, and from which she 
 awakened in the new world of spirit. 
 
 What of TK's first wife— 
 
 The first martyr to his "Great Work!" 
 
 For nearly twenty years she bore her earthly cruci- 
 fixion upon the cross of poverty and neglect. She 
 knew that her husband had a " soul-mate, ' ' an "affin- 
 ity." She knew too who that soul-mate was. But 
 there was no earthly hand to strengthen, no lips to 
 comfort or encourage, no earthly ear to heed the 
 piteous cry of pain of her soul. 
 
 Thus for years she suffered alone, an absolutely 
 needless, unjust and cruel mental and spiritual cruci- 
 fixion : an affliction and martyrdom which by any other 
 than a "modern Master of the Law," could have been 
 remedied in ten minutes by the simplest application 
 of kindness. 
 
 For eight years these two women lived within thirty 
 minutes ride, and for six years, within five minutes 
 walk of each other *s home: one in the false belief of 
 a sunshine of self-denial, self-sacrifice and romance; 
 the other in the ever deepening shadows of an inward 
 pain, neglect and sorrow. Both of them martyrs to 
 an injustice almost unparalleled in the history of 
 human relations. 
 
FLORENCE HUNTLEY 407 
 
 You ask if TK knew his first wife suffered? This 
 question may best be answered by quotations from 
 two letters to Florence Huntley, in TK's own hand- 
 writing. 
 
 April 15, 1890. 
 Beloved : 
 
 * * * * But at present, to avoid the possibility of 
 publicity, it is, perhaps best for you to write to me only when 
 I have assured you it is safe. 
 
 Let me say this much more — Mrs. R. suffers intensely, and 
 her woman's love is deeply wounded by the knowledge that 
 I still write to you. I never fully realized the depths of her 
 affection for me until this has occurred, and though it will 
 pain you as it does me, it is right for me to tell you that 
 the knowledge of my love for you has been a shock to her 
 which may prove fatal. Her health has failed ever since, 
 and the poor girl is a physical wreck. 
 
 This is all too brief to give you a clear idea, but your 
 intuition will tell you the rest. Unless a change comes, she 
 can not last long, and it is the saddest thing of my life to 
 feel that it is the result of a broken heart. 
 
 Through death and eternity, I am, your own 
 
 Zanoni. 
 * * * * * 
 
 June 7, 1890. 
 My Dearest, My Own : 
 
 The condition of my business demands every moment of 
 my time, and the continued sickness of Mrs. R. makes it 
 necessary for us to break up house-keeping. She is miser- 
 able, poor girl, and has given up all hope of recovery. I 
 shall very likely remove her to her father's home in Iowa 
 for the summer at any rate, and I trust forever. Not that 
 I wish her any harm, but she can never recover, and must 
 necessarily suffer all the rest of her days. And in the spirit 
 of pity and compassion, I pray for her release from pain, 
 which can come only with death and which it would seem 
 must come ere long. 
 
 With my whole heart and soul, now and forever, I am 
 still your, Zanoni. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII 
 What It Cost One Woman 
 
 When TK and Mrs. Huntley returned to Chicago, in 
 1902, Mrs. H. took the second flat in a three-story 
 
 building at Kedzie avenue. The owner, Mrs. 
 
 M , a widow, conducted a successful dry goods 
 
 business on the ground floor, and, together with her 
 mother, occupied the first flat. 
 
 The second flat had always rented for $30.00 per 
 month, but because of her confidence in TK's proposed 
 "work" for humanity, the owner reduced the rental 
 to $12.50, which amount TK was supposed to pay. 
 
 At this time, TK was thot to be without means of 
 support, and to make it possible for him to write a 
 certain proposed book, his landlady and benefactor 
 paid him $40.00 per month for about twelve hours' 
 bookkeeping. 
 
 TK's wife and daughter lived about two blocks dis- 
 tant. He had his office in Mrs. Huntley's "Paradise 
 Flat/' and for six years was there practically every 
 day. 
 
 At the time Mrs. M made an asylum for the 
 
 "work," her property was valued at $14,000.00. She 
 had decided to dispose of her business and, upon her 
 rentals of $130.00 monthly, was planning to retire and 
 devote her entire time to the care of her aged mother 
 and such work as she might do among the poor and 
 needy. 
 
 TK, however, induced her to continue with her Dry 
 
 408 
 
WHAT IT COST ONE WOMAN 409 
 
 Goods business, so as to have larger means for helping 
 the " Great Work." This she did, but with the $40.00 
 monthly payments to TK and the loss of rent from her 
 second flat, a situation arose which she found difficult 
 
 to meet. Finally, Mrs. M opened another store, 
 
 but with so many claims upon her time in assisting 
 with the development of TK's book business, her own 
 business affairs had to be neglected, until it became 
 necessary to dispose of the first store, and later the 
 second. By this time she found herself practically pen- 
 niless, except for the rentals from her property. This, 
 too, was now very inadequate. Unbeknown to Mrs. 
 Huntley, the " master" had made but one payment 
 for her "Paradise Flat"; and for his book business 
 (now occupying the entire ground floor), he paid prac- 
 tically no rent at all, on the grounds that it was for 
 the good of the "Great Cause." 
 
 In the meantime, TK's business was growing, and 
 tho he was simulating poverty, he was secretly accu- 
 mulating a fortune. 
 
 In 1902-3, Mrs. M was paying TK $40.00 a 
 
 month charity. Now, with her business entirely gone, 
 she began working for TK at a salary of $10.00 per 
 week, under circumstances so difficult that by 1909 she 
 broke down under the strain. Mrs. Huntley, about this 
 time, moved to Oak Park, 111. 
 
 Here, TK conceived the idea of getting his benefac- 
 tor out of his way, and arbitrarily decided to send her 
 and her mother to Seattle, Wash., "in the interest of 
 the Work." But before her departure, TK secured 
 from her a power of attorney. 
 
410 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Thus, as representative of the Book business and 
 other interests of the " Great School," TK was sup- 
 posed to continue paying her $10.00 per week salary. 
 Writing April 6, 1908, TK refers to this matter of 
 salary as follows : 
 
 "I am going to assume that you will need $80.00 
 per month to sustain you and care for your mother. 
 You will have $30.00 rental from R, and $20.00 from 
 S. This leaves $30.00 for the Book Company to pay." 
 
 By this psychological confusion of details and tak- 
 ing advantage of her confidence in him, he manages to 
 pay less than half of what the monthly rental for his 
 business should have been, and at the same time to se- 
 cure her efficient, faithful services without paying her 
 a single cent of the meager salary he had promised. 
 
 TK was legally responsible to Mrs. M for $40.00 
 
 per month salary and at least $100.00 per month ren- 
 tals. Instead, however, of sending her this $140.00, he 
 sends her only $80.00 per month, and retains the dif- 
 ference of $60.00 each month. Later, he increased her 
 monthly allowance to $100.00, which still relieved him 
 from paying the $40.00 salary agreed upon. 
 
 Here we have an illuminating illustration of TK's 
 spiritual ethics as attorney, tenant and employer com- 
 bined. 
 
 At the end of twenty-one months, when Mrs. M 
 
 returned to Chicago, TK's book business occupied both 
 
 the ground floor and the second flat. Mrs. M was 
 
 thus forced to rent an apartment elsewhere. Later 
 TK planned to move his book business, and began in 
 his subtle way to urge the sale of her property. When 
 he had carried the suggestion far enuf, he one day 
 
WHAT IT COST ONE WOMAN 411 
 
 astounded his Friend and Benefactor by asserting that 
 she owed him for money spent for minor repairs on 
 her property, the enormous sum of $4,300.00* 
 
 Under pressure of care, accumulated interest on an 
 original mortgage of $6,000.00, amounts borrowed on 
 account of failure of rent payments, working for sev- 
 eral years for practically no salary, etc., Mrs. M 
 
 finally disposed of the property, and still believing in 
 TK's integrity, handed over to him $2,000.00 in cash. 
 But for the fact that her mother was entirely depend- 
 ent upon her, she would probably have given TK all 
 she had left. 
 
 Later in 1915, when the " Elder Brother* ' began 
 calling for funds for his Sanitarium, this same bene- 
 factor, now working for a meager wage, paid TK first 
 $50.00, and later on $100.00 — practically all she had 
 in the world — on this alleged debt. 
 
 To briefly review, we find: 
 
 1. That when Mrs. M became acquainted with 
 
 TK and his Great School, she possessed property 
 valued at $14,000 and a successful business with in- 
 come sufficient to nicely take care of her aged Mother 
 and herself. 
 
 2. Twelve years later when the " Elder Brother" 
 got thru with her affairs, she was practically penni- 
 less. 
 
 3. In six years TK paid for Mrs. Huntley's "Para- 
 dise Flat" just one payment of about $50.00. 
 
 * The writer has before him the affidavit of TK 's Business Manager 
 for the years under consideration, 1909-10-11. This gentleman personally 
 looked after all repairs connected with the property, and he states under 
 oath that the total amounts expended did not exceed $500.00. 
 
412 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 4. For six years he paid practically no rent for his 
 book business. 
 
 5. When she sold her property, he again took ad- 
 vantage of her confidence in him as a " master/ ' and 
 coolly extorted from her $2,000.00 in cash, upon the 
 basis of a purely fraudulent claim. 
 
 After TK's exposure and his whole " Great School' ' 
 
 was revealed as a fraud, Mrs. M wrote to him 
 
 asking for a refund of the $2,150.00 extorted from her. 
 but received no reply. Failing in this she turned to 
 the Board of Trustees. 
 
 These seven gentlemen are all men of affairs, in 
 business and professional life. Their aggregate 
 wealth is probably several million dollars. As trustees 
 they have in their possession some $40,000,00 — of the 
 former " Great School's" funds. 
 
 If you were one of these Trustees, what would you 
 do in a case of this kind? 
 
 Mrs. M makes no claims for the loss of her 
 
 former business; for the six years unpaid rent for 
 " Paradise Flat"; for ten years in which little or no 
 rent was paid by the "Book Co."; for the years in 
 which she received little or no salary; for the $40.00 
 monthly charity paid to TK. 
 
 All that she asks is a refund of this last $2,150.00, 
 and this, not for herself, but for what it may mean to 
 her in the care of her mother. 
 
 The former President of the Board of Trustees has 
 from the beginning taken an open stand that this and 
 all just claims made against the funds of the so-called 
 "Great School," should be paid promptly. 
 
 What would you do in a case like this? 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII 
 The $40,000.00 Trust Fund 
 
 About June 1st, when the Committee of Four re- 
 turned from California, there was on deposit in the 
 Illinois Trust and Savings Bank, in the name of John 
 E. Richardson (TK) over $40,000.00. 
 
 This sum was the remainder of a $50,000.00 donation 
 made by Dr. H. H. , in 1908, with the under- 
 standing that it was to be made the nucleus of a Trust 
 Fund for the specific purpose of carrying on what he, 
 at that time, believed to be a beneficent work of edu- 
 cation for mankind. The donation was made as the 
 result of Dr. H 's confidence in John E. Rich- 
 ardson (TK) as a Brother Mason and upon TK's pub- 
 lished and personal misrepresentations to the effect 
 that he was a " master.* ' 
 
 All the members of the Board of Trustees under- 
 stood : 
 
 1. That this $40,000.00 was the remainder of the 
 original $50,000.00 donated by Dr. H . 
 
 2. They knew that the Bank records show that John 
 E. Richardson (TK) had in 1914, transferred this 
 $40,000.00 from the Trust Fund to his own personal 
 savings account.* 
 
 (See pages 303-304.) 
 
 413 
 
414 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 3. They knew that by the recent disclosures of 
 TK's personal record, he had forfeited the right to all 
 money donated for the good of his " Great Cause." 
 
 4. They knew that when it was discovered that the 
 reason for the continuance of the Edgemoor Sani- 
 tarium was merely a false pretense, Dr. H was the 
 
 first to suggest and use his personal and official influ- 
 ence for the immediate return of that valuable prop- 
 erty to its donor. 
 
 Every member of this Board of Trustees is a Mason, 
 
 and knew that Dr. H is a man whose hands and 
 
 conscience are clean; that his honor and honesty are 
 unquestioned; that as a Mason his reputation for 
 Equity, Justice and Right are of the highest order. 
 
 Under these circumstances would it not be reason- 
 able to suppose that the members of this Board of 
 Trustees would have taken the initiative to see that 
 this sum of $40,000.00 be returned to Dr. H-— -? 
 Would it not seem a matter of the simplest Fraternal 
 
 justice for them to have gone, as a body, to Dr. H 
 
 voluntarily, and offered their services to this end? 
 With practically no effort on their part, and abso- 
 lutely no personal loss or inconvenience, they could 
 have done this. And there is not one chance in ten 
 thousand but that the entire amount would have been 
 
 legally transferred by the Bank to Dr. H . This 
 
 is exactly what any body of men, making no preten- 
 sions to Masonic Fraternalism or special ethical in- 
 struction and training, would have done. 
 
 In this instance, however, not a single member of 
 the entire Board of Trustees ever even suggested such 
 a thing. 
 
THE $40,000.00 TRUST FUND 415 
 
 But what did happen? 
 
 Dr. H informs me that when in June he con- 
 templated attaching this fund, he was told by the At- 
 torney for the Board of Trustees, Mr. F. T. L., that an 
 attachment was entirely unnecessary. He was further 
 assured that the money was perfectly safe. That the 
 Bank's Attorney had been shown the legal documents 
 which transferred everything from TK to the trustees 
 and that the Bank would not dare to turn this fund 
 over to TK without being specifically authorized by 
 the Board of Trustees to do so. 
 
 Dr. H further informs me that upon his confi- 
 dence in Mr. L 's word as an attorney, a Mason, 
 
 and a fellow student in the " Great School/ ' and be- 
 cause he wished to save the other trustees from the 
 publicity which an attachment would have precip- 
 itated, he decided to order an attachment only as a 
 last resort. 
 
 And then what happened? 
 
 A few weeks passed, and early in August Dr. H 
 
 went to the Bank and inquired about the $40,000.00. 
 
 The Attorney for the Bank informed him that the 
 money was gone. 
 
 "Gone," said Dr. H , dumfounded. 
 
 "Yes," replied the Attorney. "It was sent to Mr. 
 Richardspn in July. We received a communication 
 from Mr. Richardson inclosing a letter he had received 
 
 from Mr. F. T. L , the Attorney for your Board of 
 
 Trustees. In this letter, Mr. L states that he had 
 
 never at any time made any claim upon the fund, and 
 did not know of any one else of the Board of Trustees 
 
416 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 who had ever made any such claim. Upon the strength 
 of that letter, we sent the money to Mr. Richardson. ' ' 
 
 The $40,000.00 was gone. 
 
 It had been turned over to John E. Richardson. 
 
 The Bank had acted in perfect good faith. They 
 
 knew that Mr. L was the Attorney for the Board 
 
 of Trustees, and that he had declined personally to the 
 Bank's Attorney to make any claim against the 
 $40,000.00. 
 
 But, he wrote a letter to TK. 
 
 TK sent that letter on to the Illinois Trust and Sav- 
 ings Bank, and, 
 
 Upon the strength of that letter, the Bank immedi- 
 ately forwarded the $40,000.00 to John E. Richardson 
 (TK) at Pasadena, California. 
 
 We herewith submit the letter written by Mr. L 
 
 to TK, the original of which is now in the possession 
 of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank. 
 
 July 20th, 1916. 
 Mr. John E. Richardson, 
 
 Pasadena, Cal. 
 Dear Uncle John: — 
 
 Your recent letter is before me. In reply I have to say 
 that never at any time, have I made any claim to the Illinois 
 Trust & Savings Bank upon the fund there. So far as I per- 
 sonally know, no one else of the Seven has ever made such 
 claim. 
 
THE $40,000.00 TRUST FUND 417 
 
 Just before we started for California, Dr. H and I 
 
 went to the Bank and asked for information as to your 
 account, exhibiting the transfer to us by you, which was 
 intended for public exhibition. Upon the basis of that docu- 
 ment, we asked if there was any money in the bank to your 
 credit, and were informed by them that the account had been 
 closed out. Any further information was refused us. This 
 is the only transaction I ever had with the Bank, except that 
 Mr. Dunbar of that bank recently called me up over the 
 telephone. In that conversation, I consistently refused to 
 make any claim upon the fund, and referred to the fact that 
 he should carry out whatever arrangement he had with you. 
 
 In my opinion, the bank is simply seeking for an excuse to 
 hold on to your deposit. You know $40,000 is a considerable 
 deposit, and bankers hate to see it go out of their bank. 
 
 With my kindest regards, and best wishes, I am, 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
The following was dictated, word for word, from the Spiritual Side 
 of Life by one who knows TK and the entire history of his present 
 earthly activities. 
 
 "TK." 
 
 As sleek a mortal, as ever donned man's attire. 
 Covetous, to the minutest degree. 
 Possessed of a subtlety, that is uncanny. 
 The poise, dignity, and bearing of the elect. 
 
 A reserve so ■ ' crusted, " as to not allow of a pin hole of 
 penetration to the innerself, the revelation of which 
 would make man stagger, and give vent to silent furies 
 and mutterings. 
 
 Astute in manner and dealings. 
 
 Has a way with his fellowmen, bordering upon the 
 hypnotic. He plays with their thought, so to speak, 
 until he brings them to his way of thinking and deal- 
 ing, — the least unto the greatest. 
 
 The roles he assumes in the Drama of Life are only 
 those which have for their harvest, the fruits of gain, 
 (personal gain). 
 
 Money is his creed, his deity. 
 
 One of the most assumptive of men, of the leech type. 
 
 His is the lure of the hypocrite. 
 
 With sanctimonious mien and the denominational "I" 
 he journeys forth in search of ''wise" men, mostly 
 "wise men of the East/' 
 
 Being well read, he babbles fluently on borrowed tales 
 and speeches. 
 
 Men eat of his crumbs greedily, — hungeringly, until 
 they stand forth at the Portal of Submission, ready 
 to give their all, their life, if need be, for the ' ' cause. ' ' 
 
 He is more sensual, than spiritual, — gratification marks 
 his innermost fiber. 
 
 His Motto— "Do Others." 
 
 His Principle — An easy life, in the easiest way. 
 
 His Prayer — Get thee behind me — conscience. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 TK and Freemasonry. 
 
 The facts embodied in this chapter should be of the 
 most immediate and vital concern to every Master 
 Mason, and particularly so to every Mason who has 
 in any way ever been identified with TK's so-called 
 " Great School." A knowledge of these facts carries 
 with it to every Mason a life-long Personal Responsi- 
 bility to the Fraternity, to humanity and to himself 
 to undo as far as may be possible the widely sown 
 influences employed by TK in his attempts to fasten 
 upon the Masonic Fraternity his many fraudulent 
 claims. 
 
 TK's fixed general attitude toward contemporary 
 movements was always one of intolerance, without 
 kindly interest, friendly feeling or willingness to co- 
 operate in any manner whatsoever. Toward Free- 
 masonry, however, he openly professed the warmest 
 friendship and fraternal devotion, — the more surely 
 and easily to impose upon his own Masonic Brethren, 
 and those men and women outside the Fraternity who 
 justly regard Masonry in a kindly light. 
 
 On page 67, TK tells us that he came to Chicago in 
 1891 and formed a business association with which he 
 remained until 1900. It is quite noticeable that he 
 passes over this period of ten years of his life without 
 the least hint as to the kind of business he was en- 
 gaged m. 
 
 419 
 
420 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 It will be recalled that his first Chicago "Business" 
 venture was selling ' ' Oxydonors. ' « In time the Gov- 
 ernment denied that business the use of the mails, and 
 we next find Mr. Richardson promoting what he called 
 "The First National Masonic Savings and Loan Asso- 
 ciation." This association was incorporated May 16, 
 1891, with the modest capitalization of $50,000,000.00. 
 For two years it appears to have done a good business 
 on the original name, but on Sept. 6, 1893, the title was 
 changed to the "Masonic Mutual Savings and Loan 
 Association." 
 
 Stock and insurance in both of these "associations" 
 were sold in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and other states. 
 The "Masonic Mutual," however, with its $50,000,- 
 000.00 capitalization, failed in 1895, and in the same 
 year we find Mr. Richardson in Council Bluffs, Iowa, 
 as Secretary of two more "associations": This time 
 the "United States Masonic Benevolent Association" 
 and the "Guaranty Fund Life Association." 
 
 These two associations were later licensed in Illi- 
 nois, but their licenses were revoked Jan. 30, 1896, 
 because of failure to comply with State Laws. A re- 
 ceiver for the "Guaranty Fund Life Association" was 
 appointed by the Attorney General in 1897. 
 
 The "United States Masonic Benevolent Associa- 
 tion" in 1897 changed its name to the "United States 
 Life Association." It continued until about 1900, 
 when its business was reinsured by the "Illinois Life 
 Insurance Company" of Chicago. 
 
 Thus for a period of about ten years TK was "Sec- 
 retary" and general promotor and manager of what 
 might be called progressive insurance "associations." 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 
 
 421 
 
 v 
 
 A NftMC. 
 
 ILLINOIS 
 
 SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION. I 
 Certificate no. ** 
 
 CHICAGO, 
 
 Special * Notice 
 
 PAYMENTS by maif must be by Bank Draft oh Chicago or 
 New York, by Post Office or Express Order or by Registered Letter. 
 
 THE ASSOCIATION will not be responsible for MONEY 
 sent by mail. 
 
 REMITTANCES to the Home Office should be addressed to 
 "John E. Richardson, Secretary, 702 Phenix Building, Chicago, III." 
 
422 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 423 
 
 He also sold both stock and insurance, and from the 
 following, taken from Mrs. Huntley's diary for Sept. 
 13, 1894, we may judge that he was a pretty smooth 
 salesman: 
 
 ''Last night we went out in a semi-roasted condition to 
 visit some people who wanted to purchase stock. What a com- 
 fort it is to see the Grand Master do up shrewd, obstinate, 
 old men and fat, stupid, young ones!" 
 
 It would be interesting to know just how many peo- 
 ple lost money in these various " associations/ ' but it 
 is sufficient to know that TK's " Great Work" was not 
 his first experience in working the Masonic Fraternity. 
 
 In 1901 TK disappeared from the field of his for- 
 mer Masonic Insurance operations. In 1902 he re- 
 turned to Chicago, and went into his "obscurity." He 
 now has ten or a dozen "students." These are his 
 visible assets; he is their "master." He depends on 
 them to vouch for his mastership, and guard his iden- 
 tity and his business. Unsuspectingly they stand be- 
 tween him and those whom he is planning to exploit. 
 
 His first book was published in 1903. It closed with 
 a powerful appeal "To the Master Mason," and from 
 that time forward thruout all his writings he gave 
 Freemasonry second place to his fictitious "Great 
 School," and used the fact of his Masonic membership 
 to command and hold the confidence of Brother 
 Masons whom he used in every way possible to further 
 his real business. 
 
424 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Fully 90% of all TK's students were Masons, or in 
 some way connected with the Fraternity. The great 
 majority became interested in his literature because, 
 
 1. He was a Mason. 
 
 2. He assumed the role of a Masonic scholar, his- 
 torian and authority. 
 
 3. His frequent use of familiar Masonic terms and 
 phrases in connection with his " secret' ' work. 
 
 4. His bold statement that his " Great School" was 
 the parent of Freemasonry. 
 
 5. He openly advertised that his secret instruction 
 constituted the "Lost Word" of Masonry. 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 The 7th of the 48 "Preliminary Questions" sub- 
 mitted to all applicants reads : 
 7: a. Are you a Mason? 
 
 b. If so, to what bodies do you belong? 
 
 c. Briefly, what are your present views as to 
 
 Freemasonry and the Masonic Fraternity? 
 
 d. Bo you recognize it as a descendent of the 
 
 Great School? 
 
 e. Why? 
 
 w * • • • 
 
 In Life and Action, Bv. 6, p. 318, under "Questions 
 and Answers," TK states publicly what he thinks of 
 the 33° S. R. Masonry, as compared with his private 
 "Great School." 
 
 Question: — "Are those of your readers who are interested 
 from the viewpoint of Freemasonry, justly entitled to infer 
 that the Great School is only another name for the 33° in 
 S. R. Masonry?" 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 425 
 
 Answer by tk: — "Hardly so. They are, however, entirely 
 justified in assuming that the Great School is an institution 
 which has long ages past, demonstrated all that constitutes 
 the ethical foundation of the 33° in Scottish Rite Masonry. 
 They are also justified in assuming that the Great School is 
 the original source from which all the degrees of Masonry 
 were derived. But the Great School stamds for something 
 vastly more than the 33° in S. R. Masonry." 
 
 In The Great Work, p. 48, TK speaking specifically 
 of his "Lost Word," says: 
 
 "And so it has remained lost from that day to this. And 
 so it will continue until the Masonic Fraternity shall make 
 it possible for the Great School to restore to it the 'Lost 
 Word ' of direct instruction. Can this be done ? It not only 
 can, but will be done. Moreover, the preliminary work to 
 thai end is already well under way." 
 
 To know just what is here meant by the "Lost 
 Word," you have only to recall Chapters 13, 14 and 
 15. And it is this amazingly empty pretension to a 
 "scientific instruction" which TK declares to be 
 11 vastly more than the 33° S. R. Masonry!" 
 
 At the head of practically every Masonic publica- 
 tion in America is a thotful, intelligent, cool-headed 
 Editorial Management, and to this one fact more than 
 all else combined, is due the credit for the protection 
 of the literature of the Fraternity. 
 Take for instance TK and his "Great School." 
 For a period of about fourteen years he made 
 Masonry his special field of literary and financial 
 operations. By an almost uncanny use of the influ- 
 ences of a dozen or so men whom he had, in his way 
 "convinced," he pulled every possible wire in his 
 
426 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 efforts to worm himself and his writings into the 
 Masonic literature of the age. For years he sent out 
 a constant stream of hundreds of thousands of Masonic 
 leaflets, booklets, etc. But in spite of this " campaign 
 of education/ ' so far as we know (outside of a few 
 book reviews) the Masonic Press of the country was 
 content to see and examine some of TK's "evidences," 
 "records" and "proofs" before committing them- 
 selves to advertising his " Great School." 
 
 But suppose that these publications had accepted 
 TK as a "real" master, — an "Avatar," or Deity 
 incarnate, as one entire book tries to prove him to be. 
 Suppose they had announced to the world that a "mas- 
 ter" had come to restore the "Lost Word," that he 
 held the key to the origin of Freemasonry, that his 
 fictions had all been scientifically demonstrated, etc., 
 — and in due time this same "master" was found to 
 be a pretender, a charlatan and ordinary money 
 grafter. Can any man measure or even imagine the 
 far-reaching, disintegrating, destructive results that 
 TK's pseudo "scientific" literature would have had 
 upon Freemasonry, had the Masonic Press, or even 
 one influential Masonic publication been thrown open 
 to his "Great Cause"? 
 
 Personally, the writer can imagine no greater calam- 
 ity possible to the Masonic Fraternity than this, and 
 it is our candid opinion that this very thing was the 
 intent, the spirit and purpose back of TK's activities. 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 427 
 
 The following is reproduced from a large eight-page 
 folder addressed "To Master Masons." Tens of thou- 
 sands of these were sent out annually advertising "the 
 parent of modern Masonry. ' ' 
 
 THE GREAT WORK 
 
 Dear Sir and Brother: — 
 
 We send you this leaflet because you are an honored member of the 
 Ancient Craft of Free Masonry, and you also doubtless are one who is 
 seeking further light. 
 
 The GEE AT ANCIENT SCHOOL (one of whose members is the 
 author of this volume) is the parent of modern Masonry. 
 
 If you are still hungry, thirsty and unsatisfied, and are turning from 
 the lifeless dogmas of the past and are seeking "Living Truths" and a 
 rational philosophy, please read and study this book. 
 
 The following quotation from one of his letters dated 
 Feb. 23, 1907, will give you some idea of the extent of 
 TK's Masonic advertising campaigns. 
 
 "We have the 'Grand Lodge report' of only two states, viz.: — New 
 York and Michigan. If you can give us lists of names from any other 
 states, we will .appreciate every name you can send us. I want to send 
 out at least 100,000 letters to Masons within the next three months and 
 wijl do so just as rapidly as we can get the names. ' ' 
 
428 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 To many of his students, TK confided that he was 
 at one time Grand Lecturer for the Grand Lodge of 
 California, but the following does not bear out this 
 claim. 
 
 GRAND LODGE, F. & A. M. 
 of California 
 
 San Francisco 
 
 JOHN WHICHER. Grand Secretary 
 
 December 4, 1916. 
 
 Dear Sir and Brother: 
 
 John E. Richardson was never Grand Lecturer of our 
 Grand Lodge, and he did not fill any office in the Grand 
 Lodge between 1878 and 1890. 
 
 Fraternally yours, 
 
 (Signed) John Whicker, 
 
 Grand Secretary. 
 
 In an article published in " The Oconomowoc (Wis.) 
 Enterprise/' for March 3, 1916, TK took special pains 
 to explain that all the officers and Trustees of " Edge- 
 moor Sanitarium" were "prominent members of the 
 Masonic Fraternity, ' ' and in speaking of himself, said : 
 
 "Mr. Richardson holds a life membership in all 
 Masonic bodies of both York and Scottish Rites."* 
 
 In a letter dated 3-28-1911, TK says : 
 
 "I am as deeply and actively interested in the Cause of 
 Freemasonry and its influences in behalf of 'Life, Liberty 
 and the pursuit of Happiness,' as I was more than 20 years 
 
 ago when H Lodge No. 4 voted me a 'Life Member' as 
 
 a token of appreciation for 'Services rendered' the Cause." 
 
 * This is untrue, as Mr. Richardson does not hold a life 
 membership in the Order of Knights Templar. 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 429 
 
 w 
 
 1638 1639.1640 and 1641 Monadnock Block 
 
 WMSOII OlAMO** ««« ••«!• » CUJTOH «0»»t .tfM 
 
 Ckicafo. 
 
 June 4th. int»4. 
 
 United States masonic 
 
 Beneooleht Association 
 
 163ft (o 1641 monadnock Block 
 
 f^K^^-lfttC 
 
 celpt of which, we will enter the proper credits in her pass book and 
 forward her certificate of stock and pass book to her address as given. 
 
 in answer to your question cs to bow payments are to be made 
 where we have no board established, the only nethod is to remit direot 
 to the hone office. In this o&se it is always oe3t to reDit by either 
 bank draft tff P. 0. order, and in either ease the remittance should be 
 made to " John_E*_Kichard8on , Sucrotary";and in each oase, the pass book 
 should accompany the remittance so that we may enter tie proper oredlt 
 at this office. 
 
 Thanking you for your favor and wishing you continued Bucoesa, 
 t remain. 
 
 Cordially and fraternally 
 
 Secretary. 
 
 Early in its history his home Lodge found itself in 
 need of immediate funds, and to raise the amount 
 needed, offered paid-up memberships for $20.00. TK 
 took advantage of this situation and thus secured per- 
 
430 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 petual exemption from dues. This then was the " serv- 
 ices rendered/ ' and some of the older members of his 
 Lodge refer to these, not as "Life Memberships/ ' but 
 as "$20.00 memberships. ' ' 
 
 Now regarding Mr. Richardson's "Life member- 
 ship" in the Scottish Rite bodies, we quote as follows 
 from a letter dated March 15, 1910, and addressed to 
 a student and Brother Mason: 
 
 "Let me tell you in confidence something that I am sure 
 will please you and will explain also some of the added stren- 
 uosity of my present life. Without seeking it in the slightest 
 degree, the Supreme Commander of the Scottish Rite South- 
 ern Jurisdiction nominated me for the Scottish Rite Degrees. 
 He makes this a complimentary and honorary gift to me and 
 
 has appointed Brother to communicate the 
 
 degrees to me some time in the early part of April. Then 
 the 22nd of April I am to go to Nashville where the Convo- 
 cation for the purpose of conferring the same degrees upon 
 about seventy-five to one hundred candidates opens. 
 
 "This is very important to Masonry in this country, I am 
 
 sure, for Brother amd I are really working together 
 
 for the revision of the ritualistic service of the entire Scottish 
 Rite work, and you can well understand what it means inas- 
 much asi my purpose in that work is to bring it into exact 
 allignment with the ritualistic work of the Great School, as 
 well as with its spirit and purpose/' 
 
 We now quote from a letter to another student fol- 
 lowing the convocation. 
 
 "In strict confidence, let me tell you of something in which 
 I believe you will be interested, because of its bearing upon 
 the future of the Work. 
 
 "In recognition of my own Work, the Grand Commander, 
 entirely of his own motion, and to my great and pleasurable 
 surprise, tendered me honorary membership in the Order. 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 431 
 
 The degrees were communicated to me by Bro. (acting 
 
 for the Gr. Com.) here in my own home early in April, 
 requiring 10 days hard work. We then went to Nashville, 
 Tenn., and for 6 days saw the degrees conferred on 87 fine 
 men. Today I received my 'Patent' from the Supreme Coun- 
 cil making me a 32° S. R. Mason. 
 
 "In a way which I cannot fully convey to you by letter, 
 this opens the Masonic field for my own work, in such man- 
 ner as to mean vastly more to the Cause than it is possible 
 for me to tell you. But you will get some idea when I tell 
 you that I regard this as the most important, vital and far- 
 reaching step thus far taken m this country." 
 
 Now the facts are : 
 
 TK was, in 1910, just entering upon a carefully- 
 planned, nation-wide Masonic advertising campaign. 
 For years previous to this time he had been * ' educat- 
 ing" a number of men and unsuspectingly using their 
 Masonic influences to further whatever schemes he 
 w T ished to carry out. 
 
 His book, "The Gkeat Work," was the bait that 
 caught most of these men. 
 
 In fact, he made it a business to get this book, in 
 one way or another, into the hands of such Masons as 
 he particularly wished to " convince. ' ' 
 
 Thus it happened that a prominent and influential 
 Mason, upon the word of Masons who were supposed 
 to have personally investigated the whole matter, 
 became interested in TK and his so-called " philo- 
 sophy/ ' And just as he had deceived and used many 
 another Brother Mason, so, step by step, TK deliber- 
 ately deceived and misled this man, until in time he 
 came to regard Mr. Bichardson as a "spiritual mas- 
 ter,' \ and the head of an ancient spiritual school of 
 Masonic Light. 
 
432 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Upon the basis of these misrepresentations, TK, in 
 his subtle way, impressed the suggestion that mem- 
 bership in S. R. Masonry would be very acceptable to 
 himself and his " Great Cause.' ' This suggestion was 
 duly carried to the Supreme Grand Commander, and 
 thus upon his confidence in the one who made the rec- 
 ommendation, and the published endorsements of 
 Masons who were supposed to know TK, he was nom- 
 inated for the Scottish Rite degrees, and received his 
 Patent from the Supreme Council. 
 
 In view of these circumstances, it is plainly evident 
 that TK obtained and to-day holds his "Life Member- 
 ships in S. R. Masonry upon the basis of deliberate 
 and intentional misrepresentation. 
 
 Is TK a Deity incarnate? 
 
 Did TK knowingly and intentionally publish to the 
 world that he is a Deity, a God, incarnated as a man? 
 
 "The New Avatar," a book of 226 pages and pub- 
 lished in 1911, is devoted entirely to identifying TK 
 as the "New Avatar of Natural Science." 
 
 TK himself read the manuscript of this book and 
 therefore knew, before it was published, just what it 
 contained. In announcing this volume to his readers, 
 TK said: 
 
 "The subject of ' Avatars' (which means 'the des- 
 cent of a Deity to earth and his incarnation as a man 1 ) 
 is one that is rather new to our Western mind. But 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 433 
 
 in the Orient it is a subject of the most profound 
 interest and vital importance. ' ' 
 
 One prominent Masonic magazine in reviewing this 
 book "The New Avatar,' ' said: 
 
 "Dr. B declares that we possess in America to-day one 
 
 who can fill all the requirements that he has pointed out, as 
 related to an Avatar such as he describes, not as a reincarna- 
 tion of Buddha, but as 'a Master' who has made the demon- 
 stration of life after death, as a member of the 'Great School' 
 initiated many years ago, and who has devoted his life to the 
 service of his fellow men. ' ' 
 
 Here is a situation in which hundreds of thousands 
 of books, magazines, etc., have been distributed, con- 
 veying the impression that TK is an exalted moral 
 Being, an embodiment of the most lofty moral prin- 
 ciples — a "master.' ' Upon these fraudulent preten- 
 tions he manages to secure a life membership in S. R. 
 Masonry. He even plans to secretly tamper with, 
 " revise' ' and change the "ritualistic service of the 
 entire Scottish Bite work." He deceives a number of 
 Masons into blindly writing articles and books endors- 
 ing and advertising his pretentions. And much of 
 all this literature is to-day in Masonic homes and 
 libraries. 
 
 Many Masons have expressed the opinion that no 
 more subtle, underhanded, far-reaching injury has 
 been done Masonry in two centuries than the publica- 
 tion and circulation of TK's books. The effects may 
 not show plainly just now, nevertheless this literature 
 will be a source of keen embarrassment to Freema- 
 sonry for possibly a hundred years to come, — espe- 
 cially so if the books are permitted to be republished. 
 Here and there will arise other charlatans pretending 
 
434 
 
 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 to be "masters" and "sole representatives ' ' of the 
 so-called "Great School,' ' and the work of deception, 
 misdirection and exploitation will go merrily on. 
 
 Already from one "Masonic" source it is announced 
 that $2,500.00 has been pledged to revive and carry on 
 TK's "Great Work,''— that either TK himself or 
 some other "master" will in due time be on the job to 
 "head" the new movement, — that TK's so-called "text 
 books" are to be republished, — that his "Lost Word" 
 is yet to be restored to Masonry, etc. 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 435 
 
 The following is taken from The Builder (Masonic) of 
 Anamosa, Iowa, for July, 1915. It is a clear, sane, kindly, 
 fraternal comment covering TK's pretentions, and Time has 
 proven the wisdom of every word used in this statement. 
 
 ''First, the Great Work professes to be an exposition of 
 the teachings of an ancient School of Natural Science which 
 has existed from the beginning of time, having in its keep- 
 ing records reaching back beyond the days of Moses, if not 
 further; which school was the inspiration of Buddhism, early 
 Christianity, and Freemasonry. Surely these are amazing 
 statements, and yet not one item of evidence is offered in 
 support of them. 
 
 "Second, the Great Work purports to tell us the origin of 
 Freemasonry. Masonry we learn is, or was, until it turned 
 out abortive; one of the efforts of the said Great School to 
 instruct mankind and lead it into the light. Here again no 
 evidence is set forth, but only bare affirmations of a man who 
 does not even sign his name. * * * If the origin of 
 Masonry is obscure that is no valid reason for accepting the 
 theory of TK, which is still more obscure. 
 
 "Some of us, because we love Freemasonry, flatly refuse 
 to accept any such account of its origin when no facts are 
 forthcoming to prove it. 
 
 "Now consider! This book calmly tells us that Masonry- 
 is only a makeshift substitute for something withheld by a 
 mythical Great School, a faded sham, an echo, an imitation, 
 if not a counterfeit — not the real truth that makes men free 
 and fraternal, but a thing almost worthy of contempt along- 
 side the alleged Great School. Indeed Masonry is only used 
 in this book as a kind of tail to fly the kite of the Great 
 School in which the author is, apparently, an instructor. 
 
 "Seldom have we seen a book which so belittles the noble 
 order of Freemasonry — not intentionally so, perhaps, but 
 actually so none the less — and some of us resent it. 
 
 "In these despites, we find Masons accepting the whole 
 book as if it were a revelation. It is indeed strange. And 
 this, too, without a particle of evidence save the dicta of a 
 man whom they never saw and whose name they do not know. 
 If this is what is meant by Masonic Research, then we might 
 as well set fire to our libraries and set sail into fairyland, the 
 while we make contest as to who can spin the most extrav* 
 
436 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 agant fancy and call it history. * * * We believe that 
 the " Great Work" has done great injury to the cause of 
 authentic Masonic research — not intentionally so, but actu- 
 ally so in fact — in that it has started many Masons on the 
 wrong track, and would, if it were accepted as a standard, 
 expose the Order to just ridicule.' ' 
 
 To appreciate why the facts disclosed in this book 
 were not discovered and exposed years ago, you must 
 realize that practically all of TK's public activities 
 were carried on by correspondence. He "worked in 
 obscurity and under assumed names." All mail con- 
 nected with his "business" reached him thru his 
 Book Co., or "234." Probably not more than a hun- 
 dred students ever knew where he lived. Even in 
 1916 he had in Chicago only 58 students. Of this num- 
 ber 15 had completed the "Ethical Section" — five, ten, 
 fifteen years ago. These were the ' ' Old Group. ' ' 17 
 were on the ES; 11 were on the "Test Course;" 15 
 were harmlessly copying answers to the 3857 ques- 
 tions. 
 
 Now about Nov. 1st each year it was the custom for 
 these four groups to hold a joint meeting. At this 
 time TK was present, shook hands all around, jollied 
 the bunch good-naturedly; and only a few saw any- 
 thing more of the "master" for another year. Some 
 of the Old Group, and possibly a dozen or so others, 
 met him occasionally, but only by appointment, and 
 then for but a few minutes at a time. 
 
 As for his business affairs, these were carried on 
 under the same "cloak of secrecy" as everything else. 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 437 
 
 No one except his book-keeper and manager really 
 knew anything about the extent of his income from 
 his publishing business, and these men were led to 
 believe that all profits were used by TK to support 
 various secret works of education and charity in which 
 he was supposed to be engaged. 
 
 Besides these safeguards, it must be remembered 
 that the " students' ' were all active, busy people. 
 They seldom met one another except in their respect- 
 ive groups. It was then only to exchange hasty greet- 
 ings, read or study together for an hour or so, and say 
 Good Night until the next week. Thus they really 
 knew very little more, and in the majority of instances 
 even less, about TK and his private affairs, than stu- 
 dents a thousand miles from Chicago. Outside of a 
 half dozen employees it was rarely that any local stu- 
 dent ever even heard of any new books, changes, etc., 
 until the announcement appeared in the magazine. 
 
 To further camouflage his "affairs" he carefully 
 "educated" his students for years until in matters 
 pertaining to his activities, they were psychologized 
 blind, deaf and dumb to everything except his own 
 suggestions. 
 
 The following is just one example of his methods 
 of "training" his students so they would not meddle 
 in his "private and personal matters." This is from 
 a form letter sent to all accepted students. 
 
 "Be on guard constantly against the approach of stran- 
 gers who may ask questions or seek information about any- 
 thing whatsoever, outside what is contained in the books. 
 
 "Never answer impertinent questions, even from your per- 
 sonal friends. 
 
438 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 "Never answer questions concerning the Authors of the 
 Books personally, nor discuss the TK or RA, or Mrs. Hunt- 
 ley, or Dr. St. John, with anybody. The Books are public 
 property and always a proper subject of discussion or 
 inquiry ; but the lives and affairs of their Authors are strictly 
 private and personal matters and not proper subjects of con- 
 sideration or discussion with anybody, nor at all." 
 
 In June, 1915, the writer was employed by TK as 
 manager of his publishing business. 
 
 Up to that time I knew nothing whatever of either 
 his business affairs or the extent of his " spiritual' ' 
 activities except as gathered from his literature. 
 
 Directly entering upon my duties, my whole time 
 and attention was given to the production side of the 
 business. In the clerical and shipping departments 
 everything continued just as under the former man- 
 agement. I knew 7 that TK was receiving a great deal 
 of money from the Book Co., but I was told that it 
 was only an insignificant amount compared with what 
 he needed and was paying out for the Sanitarium. 
 Thus it was that no investigations were made into 
 TK's financial affairs or his business "systems" until 
 after the Edgemoor disclosures in April, 1916. 
 
 Following TK's "withdrawal" my services were 
 continued by the Board of Trustees, and when, the 
 latter part of May, the facts were laid before the Chi- 
 cago students, it was generally understood that the 
 Trustees would publish a satisfactory statement to all 
 subscribers. I personally had every confidence in the 
 individual members of the Board. I fully believed and 
 had every right and reason to expect that all sub- 
 scribers and customers would be treated fairly in 
 every particular, including money matters. 
 
TK AND FREEMASONRY 439 
 
 I understood that all who purchased books after the 
 Trustees knew that the literature was not what it was 
 represented to be, would later on be given an oppor- 
 tunity to have their money refunded, if they so chose. 
 It was also understood that all subscription money 
 would be refunded, and it was upon these grounds 
 alone that I continued my services for the Board. 
 
 On Aug. 30, 1916, a Trustees ' meeting was held and 
 a " Liquidating Committee" of three members, includ- 
 ing two attorneys, elected themselves. It was now to 
 be expected that everything would be settled promptly 
 and justly. 
 
 But what happened? 
 
 Subscription money was accepted for three months 
 after the magazine suspended, and the sale of books 
 continued without a word of explanation to any one. 
 
 During all this time I urged at every opportunity 
 that some statement be published and that all money 
 be refunded. In Feb. 1917, I resigned and thereupon 
 the Book Co. was closed. 
 
 Nearly two years have now passed and these Trus- 
 tees still hold subscription money belonging to about 
 3,500 people, and without a single word of explanation 
 or apology. From July 1, 1916, to Feb., 1917, they 
 sold over $8,000.00 worth of books to people who would 
 never have purchased them had they known what the 
 Trustees knew. As I recall now, only four "text" 
 books were, during those months, sold to people who 
 had a knowledge of the true situation, and these did 
 not have all the facts. 
 
440 TK AND THE GREAT WORK IN AMERICA 
 
 Only after it became clearly evident that no state- 
 ment would be issued by^the Trustees, that the facts 
 ivould be suppressed permanently and that all avail- 
 able evidences would probably be destroyed, was the 
 publication of this volume undertaken. 
 
 Every effort has been made, as far as consistent with 
 the definite establishment of the true situation, to 
 save the members of the Board of Trustees and other 
 Students formerly associated with these activities — 
 from any and all avoidable publicity and embarrass- 
 ment. 
 
 The Trustees now have in their possession in the 
 neighborhood of probably $40,000.00, — money that 
 belonged to TK's former " Great School,' ' — money 
 that now belongs to, and should have been refunded 
 long ago to those whom TK exploited. 
 
 With the idea of determining those contributors who 
 are entitled to refunds from these assets, the " Liqui- 
 dating Committee' ' last March sent out about 1,700 
 requests for information. After waiting nearly a year, 
 it now appears that the work of gathering this data 
 was merely a "joke," and that this money after all, is 
 not to be refunded pro-rata, or any other way. 
 f f ? $ $ ? f ? ~f 
 
 All of which reminds us that "$40,000.00 
 is a considerable sum" and that its 
 final disposition will be keenly 
 watched by all the Friends 
 who are interested. 
 
 Finis 
 
We 
 SUPPLEMENT 
 
 a a a 
 
 A 
 
 Brochure 
 by the 
 Chevalier de B- 
 
IN THE LONG RUN. 
 
 In the long run fame finds the deserving man. 
 
 The lucky wight may prosper for a day, 
 But in good time true merit leads the van, 
 
 And vain pretense, unnoticed, goes its way. 
 There is no Chance, no Destiny, no Fate, 
 But Fortune smiles on those who work and wait, 
 In the long run. 
 
 In the long run all hidden things are known; 
 
 The eye of truth will penetrate the night, 
 And good or ill, thy secret shall be known, 
 
 However well 'tis guarded from the light. 
 All the unspoken motives of the breast 
 Are fathomed by the years, and stand confest — 
 In the long run. 
 
 —Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 
 
We HARMONIAL PHILOSOPHY 
 AND ITS FOUNDER 
 
 A Tribute 
 By The Chevalier De B- 
 
 /?2?s 
 
 o 
 
 WRITTEN IN 1876 
 
 N AMERICAN SOIL was born, and 
 under American skies were first poured 
 out, the vaticinations of a Seer, who 
 stands second to no prophet, religious 
 teacher, reformer, writer, or phenome- 
 nal wonder-worker, that the pages of 
 history have ever borne witness to. 
 That seer is Andrew Jackson Davis. 
 
 During a brief residence in America, some few years 
 since, the author, being on a visit to a friend in a 
 charming country-seat, found himself made free of a 
 noble library of several hundred volumes. In one por- 
 tion of that enchanting study, just where the beams 
 of the sinking sun would fall most favorably through 
 the softened lustre of the stained-glass windows, stood 
 a rich ormulu table, where, in singular contrast to the 
 luxurious objects surrounding them, were piled a 
 large mass of plainly bound volumes, most of them 
 large and evidently sufficiently popular with their pos- 
 sessor, for they bore more conclusive marks of wear 
 than any of the gorgeously bound volumes that the 
 room contained. 
 
On opening, with some curiosity, the most ponder- 
 ous of these books, the eye came upon the most won- 
 derful elucidations of Universal Laws. Turning to 
 other pages the author found astounding and deeply 
 occult descriptions of God, man, creation, the Solar 
 and Astral systems, the mystery of force, life, being, 
 the order of creation, — in fact, eloquent, burning 
 words and thots almost beyond earthly comprehen- 
 sion for their sublimity, in every department of 
 human possibilities." When this volume was glanced 
 thru, others were opened, and hours swept on like 
 seconds. 
 
 The Author's mind beamed and glowed thru all 
 those plain, cheap books — books which should have 
 been bound in rubies and sapphires — and the reader 
 became at last almost overwhelmed at the breadth of 
 information, the intense insight into Being, and the 
 majesty with which some mind more than mortal had 
 swept creation, and reduced its vast research into the 
 holiest and most lofty language. 
 
 Hours passed on. The early morning that had in- 
 vited the student into that choice retreat now deepened 
 into the gray mists of evening, yet still the lingering 
 gaze wandered thru the wonderful stack of shabby 
 books. At last the master of the mansion, opening 
 the library door, uttered an exclamation of surprise at 
 finding the guest whose presence he had missed for 
 upwards of twelve hours, still at home. 
 
 "Who is the author of these wonderful books ?" 
 
 "Oh, those," replied the host, with seeming indif- 
 ference, "those books were all written by a poor shoe- 
 
maker's boy of Poughkeepsie. That one" — pointing 
 to the largest, the one which had first attracted the 
 attention and awakened the astonishment of the 
 reader, "was written, or rather dictated, when the lad 
 was about sixteen years of age ; he was too ignorant to 
 have written it; he could not have even spelled the 
 words'.*' 
 
 "In what school was he brot up?" 
 
 "Utter destitution." 
 
 "But who taught him all this wonderful wisdom?" 
 
 "God and the angels. He never had any human 
 teachers. Of that I am a living witness." 
 
 "But hoiv were these volumes written?" 
 
 "At first they were taken down by a Scribe, as he 
 dictated, — because, I tell you, he who discoursed of 
 suns, stars, systems, astronomy, geology, physiology, 
 and every other known science was too uneducated 
 to be able to even write down the words he spoke, and 
 then, after graduating in the spiritual schools of — 
 God alone knows where — but in no seat of learning on 
 this earth — he wrote the rest himself, every line of 
 them." 
 
 "But if God and the angels instructed him is there 
 no record as to how he learned?" 
 
 "Yes, one to which scores of living men and women 
 will testify. As a little shoemaker's lad of the hum- 
 blest and poorest condition, he became an independent 
 clairvoyant." 
 
 "Aye, indeed! God's spirit poured into the soul, 
 and it becomes clairvoyant; it ascends to the spheres 
 of Deific knowledge ! Why, this is ancient Magic, but 
 when did any ancient Magian, any mind however 
 
aspiring, vast or illuminated, ever achieve such a 
 height, depth and breadth of comprehension as this 
 man has achieved? Can this wonder of the age exist 
 and the world not know of it?" 
 
 "The time was when these revelations startled ma- 
 terialism out of its blank negations and compelled 
 the attention of multitudes. ' ' 
 
 "But surely so noble a philosophy, received thru an 
 inspiration so unmistakably divine, so free from 
 human bias or mortal intervention must still commend 
 itself to every civilized nation of the present age." 
 
 "Some few there are in every country where these 
 plain, black volumes have made their way, who regard 
 them as we do. Many even believe they are the voice 
 of earth's Tutelary Angel, speaking from between the 
 Cherubim and Seraphim of past and future ages, but 
 they, like us, must wait until the age is more receptive 
 to these sublime truths.'' 
 
 In after years, when the author had time and oppor- 
 tunity to study the vast stores of spiritual thot and 
 the profound philosophy embodied in the voluminous 
 writings of this great modern Prophet, the admiration 
 they excited, determined him, if he ever again visited 
 America, he would seek out this marvel of the age, 
 even as the Disciples of classic Greece sat at the feet 
 of her master spirits to learn wisdom. 
 
 The time for the fulfillment of this cherished pur- 
 pose came, and in company with an ardent disciple of 
 the Harmonial Philosophy from a distant land, the 
 author commenced his search. 
 
Few spiritualists seemed to know even of the where- 
 abouts of the Poughkeepsie Seer. Surely, we thought, 
 he must be at the head of some great Church, Temple, 
 Synagogue, a mechanic's institute at the least, or a 
 popular lecture hall; some place where spiritually 
 starved souls could feed upon the Divine revelations 
 of Nature as taught by one of her purest and most 
 faithful interpreters! But no! the great Alchemist 
 who had transmuted the Magic of early ages into the 
 Gold of Spiritual Science, the Seer, Philosopher and 
 greatest phenomenon of this or any age, had to be 
 sought for in a little shop in an obscure street, where, 
 without followers or disciples, and, to judge from 
 appearances, with but very few customers — amidst 
 his neat, well ordered collection of books, ranged on 
 their shelves in curious little delicate curves, and 
 tastefully adorned with illuminated mottoes, and 
 autumn leaves — stood the great Seer — selling books 
 for a livelihood. 
 
 The placid mien and gentle tones of the unassuming 
 salesman betrayed none of the pangs of grief, indig- 
 nation and humiliation which two foreigners felt for 
 him as with hearts too full for utterance, they made 
 their silent purchase, and withdrew. 
 
 "That man is nobler far in the quiet, cheerful dig- 
 nity with which he accommodates himself to the sordid 
 necessities of a petty trade, than when he stood as 
 the interpreter of Angels, dictating 'Nature's Divine 
 Revelations.' " Thus spoke one of the deeply-moved 
 visitors. 
 
"The age is not worthy of him; he lives a century 
 before his time," rejoined the other. 
 
 "Aye! but his Works will live after him. The 
 Truths he reveals are eternal, and their revelator will 
 yet become immortal," was the reply. Even so. 
 Time, the touchstone of truth, will do justice to him — 
 to all ; and so, Andrew Jackson Davis, farewell ! But, 
 whilst the Magic Staff — Penetralia, Stellar Key, 
 Arabula, Harmonia and Divine Revelations — are in 
 print, or even in memory, never let any critic presume 
 to say: "Spiritism has no philosophy.' ' 
 
 In the volumes enumerated above, it has the best, 
 broadest, holiest and yet most practical philosophy 
 
 THAT WAS EVER ENUNCIATED SINCE GoD SAID I ' ' Let THERE 
 BE LIGHT, AND THERE WAS LIGHT. ' ' 
 
 Our sketch of supermundane Spiritism would not be 
 complete without this humble tribute to one who forms 
 its noblest illustration — to one with whom the writer 
 has never exchanged a word on earth, and in all human 
 probability never will, but who rejoices to believe that 
 name, so coldly slipping out of human remembrance 
 and appreciation now, will be enshrined in the hearts 
 of unborn generations, and in the shining role of 
 immortality be held sacred as the Founder of a Divine 
 and Natural Harmonial Dispensation. 
 
/ 
 
Sylvester A. West, M. D. 
 
mlllllllllllll!H'!i 
 
 HIIIIII iiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIH 
 
 "When the Pilgrim arrives at the goal of Scientific Knowl- 
 edge, no matter what path he may have pursued, the Angels 
 bring forth and place upon his brow a Royal Diadem, which in 
 these days, we call 'Common Sense.' " —Andrew Jackson Davis. 
 
 ^e Harmonial Association 
 
 The first Harmonial Association was organized May 3, 
 1881. It was a Spiritual Association and its objects were : 
 
 1. To promote the discovery and diffusion of accurate 
 scientific knowledge concerning things spiritual. 
 
 2. Mutual improvement in Ethical Principles. 
 
 3. To make practical the pleasant ways of Wisdom. 
 
 4. To cultivate love and reverence for pure Truth 
 wherever found. 
 
 In brief: To encourage the harmonious growth of the 
 individual character— spiritually, intellectually and so- 
 c i a lly_to the end that nobler people, juster laws, sweeter 
 homes, better schools and wiser governments may be 
 secured, and life here and hereafter, be rendered more 
 Worthy, Beneficent and Beautiful. 
 
 It is plainly evident that TK in naming his "Harmonic Philos- 
 ophy" and "Harmonic Association" simply appropriated, by^ a 
 slight revision, the beautiful spiritual conceptions: Harmonial 
 Philosophy and Harmonial Association, first published to the 
 world by Andrew Jackson Davis nearly fifty years before the 
 appearance of any of TK's literature. 
 
 A number of the former Students and Friends of the 
 "Great School" have organized a revival of THE HAR- 
 MONIAL ASSOCIATION. Membership is open to 
 every one who wishes to engage in the truly Great Work 
 of practical self-improvement and service to humanity. 
 There are no dues to pay, no arbitrary pledges of any 
 kind, no authority but your own Reason, no leadership 
 except your own Spirit. 
 
 A beautiful hand illumined Membership Certificate 
 (suitable for framing) with appropriate Harmonial 
 Motto and your full name inscribed thereon will be pre- 
 sented free of charge to all members. 
 
 We invite you to join with us in the establishment of 
 the Harmonial Dispensation. 
 
 Address : Dr. S. A. West 
 720 North May-field Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 
 
 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii- 
 
PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 
 
 Great Harmonia 
 
 A Monthly Magazine 
 
 Devoted to the most Practical Philosophy ever presented 
 to mankind. Useful 24 hours daily and applicable to each 
 and every task, diversion and essential activity of Life. 
 A powerful appeal to every ennobling impulse of the 
 human Soul. 
 
 The Great Harmonia is just the kind of a magazine that 
 every up-to-date intelligent man and woman has been 
 searching and wishing for — because we do not deal in 
 speculations. We explain clearly the accurate, provable, 
 scientific methods of procedure which lead directly to 
 the Living of the Harmonial Life. This is the Keynote 
 to a definite personal demonstration of the underlying 
 Laws and Principles of Nature as taught by Andrew Jack- 
 son Davis. 
 
 The Great Harmonia will teach you how to control, 
 apply and enjoy the Seven Factors of Health: — Dress, 
 Food, Water, Air, Light, Electricity and Magnetism. 
 How to make your Life exactly what you will it to be. 
 How to overcome, re-form, re-construct every relation 
 and condition of Life. The crowning achievement of the 
 power of Mind over Materialism. 
 
 A Home Section, An Open Forum, Questions Depart- 
 ment, Children's Lyceum, etc., etc. 
 
 ARE YOU WITH US? 
 $1.00 per year — 12 issues. Satisfaction guaranteed or 
 your money cheerfully and promptly refunded at any 
 time during the year. Address : 
 
 Dr. S. A. West, Editor and Publisher, 
 720 North Mayfield Avenue Chicago, 111. 
 
 !DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 
 
v^v 
 
 
 fe^ 
 
 
 For Sale by 
 
 
 DR 
 
 S. A. WEST 
 
 720 North Mayfield Ave. 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 Supplemental Lists and announcements of Philosophic. 
 Historic, Occult, Economic, Juvenile and Fictional 
 "Books Worth While," — and personally recommended, 
 will be issued from time to time. You will be glad to 
 have your name on our mailing list. LET us be sure we 
 have your CORRECT ADDRESS. Thank you ! 
 
pllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 
 
 "Books that should be bound in Rubies and Sapphires." 
 
 Andrew Jackson Davis 
 
 The Greatest Seer of our modern age, was born August 
 11, 1826. He became an Independent Psychic in 1847, 
 and from that time on, his whole life was devoted en- 
 tirely to laying the foundation for the Harmonial Spir- 
 itual Dispensation on the earth plane. He wrote and 
 published some thirty volumes, constituting the most 
 remarkable and comprehensive Library of Spiritual 
 Knowledge ever given to man. 
 
 For a number of years his books have been out of 
 print, and it is rarely that any of them may be found, 
 even in the largest second-hand book stores. Only after 
 two years' search and at considerable expense, did we 
 succeed in securing a complete set of these volumes for 
 our own library. Recently, however, we learned of the 
 existence of a stock of some of these books, and at once 
 closed a deal for the entire lot. These are all NEW and 
 in perfect condition, uniformly bound in black cloth, 
 stamped in pure gold. The prices quoted are less than 
 what you would have to pay for them second-hand. 
 
 Kindly notify us of change of address, so we may send you our 
 new Announcements. 
 
 •Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu 
 
illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllN 
 
 BEYOND THE VALLEY 
 
 This wonderful volume satisfies a natural longing — the 
 universal desire to comprehend the activities of psychic 
 and spiritual principles as they manifest themselves in 
 the life of a Seer. The history of Mr. Davis' life, as un- 
 folded and influenced by Guardian Angels, amid the cir- 
 cumstances and entanglements of human society. A 
 rational and easily readable narrative filled to repletion 
 with those extraordinary psychological events which 
 attract and instruct every thotful reader. 
 
 Records of many wonderful spiritual scenes, blended 
 with the trials and changes in the personal life of the 
 author, all of which are entirely authentic and beyond 
 refutation. Six full-page engravings, illustrating the 
 author's experiences while using his spiritual powers. 
 Two of these illustrate most interestingly, the mode of 
 separation and departure of the Soul in physical death, 
 as viewed from the Spiritual side of life. 
 
 Over 400 pages. 56 chapters. Price, $2.00. 
 
 PENETRALIA 
 
 Styled by the author, "the wisest book" from his pen, 
 deserves to be brot prominently before the public. Ques- 
 tions of the most momentous import answered from the 
 spiritual plane in simple language and familiar illustra- 
 tions. "Penetralia" reaches down to the very foundation 
 of Nature's triune Temple, and conducts the philosoph- 
 ical reader thru intellectual labyrinths innumerable. It 
 sings the sweet anthemnal song of Eternal Harmony, and 
 awakens aspirations toward Heavenly Wisdom, Love 
 and Liberty. Over 500 pages. Price, $2.00. 
 
 We wish to keep our Mailing List up-to-date, 
 — and you will want to keep in touch with us. 
 
 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH^ 
 
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN 
 
 THE REFORMER 
 
 This volume contains Truths eminently serviceable 
 in the elevation of the race. It is devoted to the consid- 
 eration of "Physiological Vices and Virtues, and the 
 Seven Phases of Marriage." It covers ground never 
 before occupied by any reformatory writer, and teaches 
 the most important truths upon the most vital ques- 
 tions that can agitate any mind — those of Marriage and 
 Parentage. 
 
 It is a work that appeals first to man's consciousness, 
 by a clear representation of existing evils; and next, to 
 the higher faculties, by pointing out the "Highway of 
 Freedom" from all these evils. Satisfying, as it does, the 
 understanding, it affords valuable aid to the individual in 
 rooting out bad habits. It is a safe book for youth, for 
 it has not the least indelicacy of sentiment or expres- 
 sion ; and it furnishes just such knowledge, and incul- 
 cates such principles as are calculated to preserve the 
 youthful mind from contamination, and insure the prac- 
 tice of virtue. 
 
 It is an invaluable book for the newly-married, for it 
 points out the danger and consequences of extremism 
 and inversionism, and imparts that information concern- 
 ing the reproductive functions necessary to avoid con- 
 jugal misdirections. 446 pages. Price, $2.00. 
 
 ANSWERS TO EVER-RECURRING QUESTIONS 
 
 A multitude of questions have been propounded to Mr. 
 Davis by his numerous Readers and Students. From 
 this list, those of the most permanent interest and highest 
 value have been carefully selected, and the result is this 
 present volume, comprising well-considered and intelli- 
 gent replies to more than two hundred important ques- 
 tions. Over 400 pages. Price, $2.00. 
 
 For answers to PERSONAL Inquiries, kindly inclose postage. 
 And THANK YOU for the courtesy. 
 
 InillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllW 
 
llllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH 
 
 THE THINKER 
 
 A progressive revelation of the Eternal Principle- 
 which inspire mind and govern matter. Revealing cer- 
 tain Occult phases of mind which afford prophetic gleams 
 of a more natural, harmonious and perfect development 
 of the triune man. 
 
 No book extant contains any such unanswerable Logic 
 as that running thru the chapters on "Immortality," or 
 any such Metaphysics as those which distinguish this 
 "Pantheon of Progress." 419 pages. Price, $2.00. 
 
 THE HARMONIAL MAN 
 
 The natural result of the Harmonial Philosophy. De- 
 signed to enlarge man's mind concerning the political and 
 ecclesiastical conditions of our Country. A rational con- 
 sideration of scientific themes going directly and practi- 
 cally to the heart of the great problem of our social and 
 personal happiness. The aim is to enable men to think 
 for themselves, and feel henceforth inwardly strength- 
 ened and disposed to become as nearly as possible an 
 exemplification of the Harmonial Life. 167 pages. Price, 
 $1.25. 
 
 THE ETHICS OF CONJUGAL LOVE 
 
 An elucidation of the Harmonial principles pertaining 
 to love and marriage, and the fundamental ideals leading 
 to Spiritual adjustment and Happiness. A volume of 
 Hope, Strength and Inspiration. 142 pages. Price, $1.00. 
 
 THE PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL PROVIDENCES 
 
 The author's "vision" of the harmonious works of the 
 Creator is fully given in this bright little book. He illus- 
 trates the chain of Special Providences which mankind 
 generally attribute to the direct acts of the Deity. Price, 
 75 cents. 
 
 The Names of Your Friends who are interested in Advanced 
 Thot Literature — will always be appreciated. Thank you. 
 
 Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy 
 
jlllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH 
 
 HARBINGER OF HEALTM^J^_£ 
 
 This rare volume has been a veritable veftitjure to a 
 new and glorious Temple of Life, Health and Happiness 
 to many thousands of people. A rational and masterly 
 elucidation of the vital subject of physical, mental, moral 
 and spiritual health. 
 
 The author's prescriptions are given in the light of the 
 "Superior Condition." This book has awakened intense 
 interest in the minds of the most intelligent of the Med- 
 ical Profession, and it is invaluable to the general reader, 
 containing as it does, information concerning methods 
 of treatment hitherto unknown to the world, and impart- 
 ing important suggestions respecting the Will Power and 
 the Self-Healing Energies. 
 
 A wonderful treatise, containing more than three hun- 
 dred prescriptions for the treatment and cure of over one 
 hundred forms of "disease," a simple guide to health 
 which ought to be in every home. 428 pages. Price, 
 $2.00. 
 
 PHILOSOPHY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE 
 
 An exposition of modern mysteries, with particular 
 reference to the philosophy and utility of spiritual inter- 
 course. The Author opens his discussion with this sen- 
 tence, "The intelligent individual needs not to be in- 
 formed that this Age is one of unparalleled mental 
 activity," — and then, sweeping forward in easily readable 
 and beautiful English, lays before the reader 399 pages 
 of rich fields of philosophic investigations, thot and 
 deductions. Price, $2.00. 
 
 If we can, in any way, be of service to you, we shall be glad to 
 hear from you. 
 
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