Published by Blavatsky Study Center. Online Edition copyright 2003.
The Judge "Occult Diary"
Vindication of Tingley, Hargrove, Fussellby H.N. Stokes
[Reprinted from O.E. Library Critic (Washington, D.C.), September 1932, pp. 12-13.]
Much has been written of late about the quotations made by Mr. E.T. Hargrove in an E.S.T. circular of April 3d, 1896, from a purported diary and other papers of W.Q. Judge, and relating to Katherine Tingley. The existence of these Judge documents was called in question in the United Lodge of Theosophists book, The Theosophical Movement (pages 667, 670) and very recently Mr. E.A. Neresheimer, who has in his possession a diary of Judge which does not contain the passages in question, has not hesitated to say that "Those alleged 'messages and quotations' attributed to Mr. Judge could only have been concocted by Mrs. Tingley, assisted by Mr. Hargrove and Mr. J.H. Fussell"; a very serious charge indeed. ("Some Reminiscences of William Q. Judge", 1932, privately circulated, quoted in Canadian Theosophist, May, 1932, page 70.). Based on Mr. Neresheimer's statements, the fraudulent nature of the Hargrove quotations has been accepted by several persons who have assumed, curiously enough, that Mr. Judge could have had but one diary. (See Canadian Theosophist, May, 1932, page 70, and The Theosophical Movement, Bombay U.L.T., July, 1932).
It is claimed by the authorities at Point Loma that they actually have at least four Judge diaries. Very recently they have unearthed in their archives a series of loose sheets in Judge's handwriting, in which are found every one of the quotations made by Mr. Hargrove in support of Katherine Tingley.
I am not asking anybody to accept their assertion alone. But I have been furnished with photographs of five of these loose sheets, the contents of which I give below, containing six of the disputed quotations. All except the one about the ring are quoted by Mr. Hargrove. Anybody having the E.S.T. circular of April 3d, 1896, can compare them with Mr. Hargrove's quotations. I submitted these photographs to two friends who had been closely associated with Mr. Judge, who at once pronounced them to be in his handwriting. Together we compared them with several personal, handwritten and signed letters from Mr. Judge in their possession, and we agreed that there could be no doubt whatever that the writing of the loose sheets was his.
There is nothing suspicious in these papers coming to light at this late date. Nearly every office has a lot of unsorted or unclassified material, and the appearance of the papers is not such as to attract attention, four of them being obviously written by pencil on a scratch pad, 5 x 4 1/8 inches.
There can therefore be no doubt that the papers are genuine Judge writing, and that the persons charged with fraud are fully exonerated, unless one makes the assumption that one of them, besides being a cheat, was a very skilful forger also, and imprudent enough to preserve the forged papers after they had served their purpose. Incidentally it may be mentioned that four of the sheets are written in pencil, apparently hastily, as the punctuation is defective, giving the impression that they may have been taken down from dictation (by a medium?). There are two or three insignificant verbal changes in the quotations as presented by Mr. Hargrove, from which it would appear that Mr. Judge may have copied them, with corrections, in a permanent diary from which Mr. Hargrove quoted, and which Mr. J.M. Pryse claims to have had in his possession for a time (Canadian Theosophist, June, page 125), but which cannot now be located.
Whether the person referred to was Mrs. Tingley or not is beyond the scope of this article to discuss. The communications are supposed to be from the discarnate H.P.B.
In the originals there occurs a sign for the name of a person, designated by Mr. Hargrove as "Promise" and supposed to be Mrs. Tingley. As this cannot be reproduced without a special engraving I have indicated it by the letter "X". One sign, however, is different, though also designated by Mr. Hargrove as "Promise". This I have indicated by "Y".
Sheet 1 - written with pen and ink
April 3 night
B. How I yearn for the day when I can come myself and work. It is being put off by all this strife and bitterness. I will come, as I said through Y. Every day they keep this up is another day of delay for that event.x x x
B. Had both been free, you well, & ye met at the time I said more and more wonderful phenomena would have happened than did with me; & we would have 100 members for every one we now have.
x x x
The ring you wear is mine. She thinks she has mine and that you have hers. But you are right. It was done by substitution, in the night by one of us. There is also a letter I left you which has never been delivered.
Sheet 2 - written with pencil
4) Jan 2
if we had been more together have come up before me & I have learned much. I am, next to the American work, interested in Spain. Ireland will take care of itself. There in Spain in the pine woods I have found a lodge which I knew something about before I went away. There 7 chelas and the light theySheet 3 - written with pencil
5
show that some day will be better known I will describe to you at our next meeting There is much connected with it that can be used for irradiating causes in this country. Be sure that at next meeting this is not forgotten. Slowly the light from this Lodge is being thrown over Spain & I see that from theSheet 4 - written with pencil
8
You can make X what you wish & the truthfulness of X spirit & devotion to us will make X useful. Keep X well in the background In outer work X is our mystery The light I mentioned in Spain is of 7 sides with a purple-yellow light. On each ofSheet 5 - written with pencil
10
with sustaining points & leave the rest to us. This is to your questions of last night. I can do well now with 13 I can do better in time. I will touch upon minor points they will take care of themselves Master is not after the little points Let our eyes turn to the American future of theosophy
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"William Q. Judge and Katherine Tingley" series of articles