THE DAILY EXPRESS

London, England

8 November 1934

(page 7)

“Black Magic” Allegations Discussed

Before Judges

DENIALS OF MR. ALEISTER CROWLEY

QUESTION ABOUT “LOCH NESS”

LIBEL ACTION APPEAL

Mr. Aleister Crowley.

The subject of “black magic” was discussed in the Court of Appeal yesterday when the hearing of Mr. Aleister Crowley’s appeal resumed.

Mr. Crowley complained of the summing-up of Mr. Justice Swift in the unsuccessful action brought by him against Miss Nina Hamnett, authoress of “Laughing Torso,” Messrs. Constable and Co., Ltd., publishers, and Messrs. Charles Whittingham and Briggs, the printers.

“Laughing Torso,” he said, imputed that he had practiced black magic in Cefalu in Sicily.

He now asked for a new trial on the ground that the jury received no proper directions from Mr. Justice Swift.

WROTE 50 HYMNS

Mr. J. P. Eddy, for Mr. Crowley, submitted yesterday that, while the jury were told quite rightly that it was for the defendants to prove that the libel was justified, there was not a word in the summing-up about the evidence or absence of evidence on all important points.

Mr. Eddy said that besides the books criticized by the judge, Mr. Crowley had written many beautiful things. He had written about fifty hymns.

Mr. Malcolm Hilbery, K.C., for Messrs. Constable and Co., submitted that this was a case in which there could not be an order for a new trial without a tragic miscarriage of justice.

“”It appeared,” said Mr. Hilbery, “that Crowley had kept a skeleton in a ‘Temple’ he had in a flat in Chancery-lane. He had endeavoured to give life to the skeleton and fed it little animals.

“When he had a house in Scotland [Boleskine] he worked on his magic so hard that, in broad sunlight, the thronging spirits made it completely dark to him, and the place became so haunted that the sturdy natives would not go along the road.”

Lord Justice Slesser: Was this place in Scotland near Lock Ness?

Mr. Hilbery: I do not know. He did not say that he had ever been portrayed as that sort of monster, although he had been portrayed as a monster of wickedness.

The hearing was adjourned.