THE LEICESTER MERCURY

Leicester, Leicestershire, England

25 July 1934

(page 14)

ALEISTER CROWLEY—FOUND GUILTY

SAYS HE PAID £5 FOR

‘BETTY MAY’S’ LETTERS

The hearing of the case for the defence was continued at the Old Bailey to-day, when the trial of Edward Alexander Crowley (58), who was described as an explorer, was resumed.

Crowley was charged with receiving four original letters and one copy, said to have been stolen from Mrs. Betty Sedgwick, professionally known as “Betty May,” an artist’s model, of South Hill, Park Gardens, Hampstead.

Mr. Melford Stevenson, prosecuting, said that the letters disappeared from Mrs. Sedgwick’s attaché case and were later produced during the hearing of a libel action in the High Court in which Crowley was the plaintiff.

The letters referred to the payment of certain expenses by a firm of solicitors to Mrs. Sedgwick, who was a witness for the defence in the action, and she was cross-examined upon them.

Mrs. Sedgwick was questioned at length yesterday by Mr. C. Gallop, defending, about a book she had written called “Tiger Woman. My Story, By Betty May.”

She said that parts of the book were untrue, but the passages about Crowley and an Abbey [Abbey of Thelema] were correct.

She alleged that a man named Captain Eddie Cruze had stolen the letters from her.

Why He Paid

Crowley, in the box, to-day said that £5 was paid for the letters. He did not at any time suspect that they were stolen.

Mr. Stevenson (cross-examined): Did you think it in the slightest degree likely that that lady would consent to their passing into your possession?—I did.

Judge Whiteley: Why should you give £5 for something you could have got for nothing?—Her consent would no doubt be dependent on some compensation.

Judge Whiteley, summing up, said that Crowley had not been previously charged with any criminal offence at all. “So far as that is concerned, he came into this court with a good character,” the judge added.

Crowley was found guilty.

Crowley was bound over for two years and ordered to pay a sum, not exceeding 50 guineas, towards the costs of the prosecution.