THE LEEDS MERCURY

Leeds, Yorkshire, England

26 July 1934

(page 7)

Judge Warns Aleister Crowley.

From our London Staff.

FLEET STREET, Wednesday.

The trial of Edward Alexander Crowley (58), who was described as an explorer was concluded at the Old Bailey, to-day.

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, London.

Mr. Melford Stevenson, prosecuting, said 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

WOMAN’S ALLEGATION.

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 alleged yesterday that a man names Capt. Eddie Cruze had stolen the letters from her.

Mr. George Mather, a merchant of Cambridge Terrace, London, continuing to-day his evidence for the defence, said that when he told Crowley that Cruze had the letters in his possession, Crowley said he would like to see them.

Mr. Gallop (defending): Were you absolutely innocent of any suspicion that those letters were stolen?—Absolutely.

Mather added that he gave Cruze £5 for the letters, and handed them to Mr. Crowley.

CROWLEY’S EVIDENCE.

Crowley was then called. He described himself as an author and poet, writing under the name of Aleister Crowley.

Crowley said that in December, 1933, Mr. Mather told him that Mr. Cruze knew all about the projects of Mrs. Sedgwick and would disclose the whole affair to him.

“Mather told me, said Crowley, “that Betty May was preparing to commit perjury. That I already knew from several sources.

“Mather said Cruze’s story could be substantiated and that he had some letters in his possession.

“I wanted to know whether these letters did prove he plans of Mrs. Sedgwick that she was going to commit perjury.”

FOUND GUILTY.

After an absence of half an hour, the jury found Crowley guilty.

Asked if he had anything to say, Crowley said, “I can only repeat that I am innocent of guilty knowledge and illegal intent.”

Judge Whiteley told Crowley that he would be bound over for two years to be of good behaviour.

Replying to the Judge, Crowley said the litigation was still going on.

Judge Whiteley: If anything of this kind happens again, you will be brought to this court and sentenced to six months for this offence.

The Judge also ordered that Crowley should pay a sum not exceeding fifty guineas towards the costs of the prosecution.