THE YORKSHIRE POST

Leeds, Yorkshire, England

26 July 1934

(page 3)

LETTERS TO LIBEL ACTION WITNESS.

Aleister Crowley Guilty of "Receiving" Them.

BOUND OVER.

Prosecution Described as "Very Useful."

Edward Alexander Crowley (58), who writes under the Name Aleister Crowley, was found guilty at the Old Bailey, yesterday, of receiving five letters said to have been stolen from Mrs. Betty Sedgwick, professionally known as "Betty May," an artist's model.

Crowley was bound over for two years, and ordered to pay 50 guineas to the costs of the prosecution.

According to the prosecution, the letters disappeared from Mrs. Sedgwick's attaché case, and later were produced by Crowley 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.

In her evidence on Tuesday Mrs. Sedgwick alleged that a man named Capt. Eddie Cruze had stolen the letters from her.

Mr. George Mather, a merchant, of Cambridge Terrace, London, continuing his evidence for the defence, yesterday said that when he told Crowley that Cruze had the letters in his possession, Crowley said he would like to use them. "I got copies of the letters," said Mather, "and Mr. Crowley asked me to secure the originals."

Mr. C. Gallop (for Crowley): Assume that these letters were stolen. Had you the slightest knowledge or suspicion that they had been stolen?—None.

Mr. Mather said that Cruze received £5 from Crowley for the loan of the letters.

Never Suspected

Crowley giving evidence, said he was the plaintiff in a libel action, Crowley v. Constables and Another, and he heard that a probable witness for the defence would be a Mrs. Sedgwick.

Mr. Gallop: Did you regard her as a trustworthy person or otherwise?—Otherwise.

Crowley said he showed copies of the letters to his solicitor and told him what Mr. Mather had said.

Mr. Gallop: Did your senior counsel at the libel action take the same view as the solicitor?—Yes.

The Judge: Did your senior counsel know the circumstances in which you obtained possession of them (the letters)?—I cannot say that, my Lord.

Crowley said that he never suspected that the letters had been stolen.

Mr. Isidore Kerman, a solicitor, said that he had the conduct of the libel action, Crowley v. Constable.

"I remember Mr. Crowley showing me the copies of the letters and asking whether they would be useful at the trial," he said. "I said they might be useful, but I did not attach much importance to them. Crowley's view was that Mrs. Sedgwick was trying to sell her evidence to the defendants."

The Judge: By being paid to give evidence?—Yes.

Mr. Kerman said that he asked Crowley where the letters had come from, and he said that a friend named Mather had borrowed them from Capt. Cruze, who had been, or was, living with Betty May. He asked Crowley how Cruze got hold of the letters, and Crowley said that Cruze had told Mather that Mrs. Sedgwick had given the letters, together with other documents to Cruze because she owed Cruze certain money.

"I asked for more details," went on Mr. Kerman, "And Crowley said that Cruze had been keeping Mrs. Sedgwick for some time, and she owed him money. I said it seemed a foolish transaction for security of the loan."

The Judge: You appreciated that there seemed to be no security at all?—Yes.

Mr. Gallop: Did you at any time dream of a questions of stealing or criminality in this matter?—No.

"Cannot be Done"

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

Judge Whiteley asked if any one knew what had happened to Captain Cruze.

Mr. Stevenson: I wish we did.

Mr. Gallop: The summons has been in existence for some time, and no doubt the officers have done their best to find him.

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

"It is quite clear," said the Judge, addressing Crowley, "that you must have known that Captain Cruze had no right whatsoever in dealing with these letters, and if he had no right in dealing with them, he must have stolen them.

"This is the first time this sort of case has come before me, and I think it is a very useful prosecution, because it has been made clear now that this sort of thing cannot be done. These letters ought not to have been used, or handed to your solicitor at all. However, they were used, and no harm had in fact been done therefore I am not going to send you to prison.

Judge Whiteley told Crowley that he would be bound over for two years to be of good behaviour, and must pay a sum not exceeding 50 guineas towards the costs of the prosecution.