THE DETROIT TIMES

Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.

10 February 1922

BOOK SENT TO MOVIE COLONY.

Ritual of Detroit Love Cult

Was Mailed to Hollywood.

The possibility of the sinister influence of the O.T.O. underlying the mystery of the murder of William Desmond Taylor developed today when it was discovered that many copies of the Equinox had circulated among the movie folk of Hollywood.

Grover L. Morden, counsel for the complainant to the bankruptcy proceedings of the Universal Book Stores, Inc., in which the O.T.O. is the principal factor, said that a copy of the Equinox had been mailed to the wife of a prominent moving picture director in Hollywood some time ago, and it was known many other copies had been shipped to the movie colony.

It is possible that the order has obtained a foothold in the picture colony and color is lent this theory by the frequent occurrence of alleged drug orgies among the movie stars.

Drugs Play Part

Drugs and their indulgence play an important part in the ritual of the O.T.O., especially “hashish,” the exotic drug of the Orient. This combines the two theories of Craig Kennedy. He said, “Women or drugs.” The O.T.O. combines both.

Hashish is a drug much used by voluptuaries of the far east and its evil influence ,may have been the moving impulse in the crime. Some drug crazed maniac or jealous woman of the O.T.O. may have been Taylor’s mysterious assailant, believes Morden.

One contributing factor to the belief that Taylor may have been an active member of the O.T.O. is his power to attract women. Adepts in the rites of the O.T.O. are usually surrounded by many woman adherents.

Warning comes from Mr. Morden that the next O.T.O. scandal, and possibly another “sex crime” may come out of Chicago.

“Chicago is now ripe for the organization of another branch of the O.T.O.,” says Mr. Morden. “That city has been crying for copies of the Equinox. The ground work is usually prepared by Aleister Crowley’s lieutenant and when the preliminary work is completed and a foot hold gained the “Master” follows to complete the work with his lectures and the distribution of the Equinox.

There is every reason to believe that great numbers of the Equinox have reached the movie colony. Two thousand copies were run off the press and only 1,100 of these reached Detroit. A few filtered through to the south, where the O.T.O. is somewhat active in the state of Georgia, and none have reached Chicago. There are nearly 900 copies unaccounted for and there is every reason to believe that most of these reached the Pacific coast.

That would be the logical place for the dissemination of the O.T.O. doctrine, says Morden. Movie folks are peculiarly susceptible to the fascination of the occult sciences and Hollywood would be a fertile field for the promulgation of the mysticism of the O.T.O.

Fred L. Eaton, assistant U.S. district attorney, today manifested no surprise when informed that copies of the Equinox, the O.T.O. text book, had been found among the members of the Hollywood motion picture colony.