Correspondence from Gerald Yorke to Mr. F. Covell (Withers & Co. Solicitors)

Harbin

28 September 1932.

Withers and Co.

For the attention of Mr. Covell.

Dear Sir,

I will start numbering my letters. No. 1 from London returned your copy of my statement with corrections, No. 2 from Ostend dealt with some MSS of Mr. Crowley's which I found in my room, this is No. 3.

I am writing without papers, which I sent round by sea, as railway travel in Manchuria is not yet safe. They will reach me in Shanghai 30/10/32.

Mr. Crowley's Stock.

When I first joined Mr. Crowley's order in 1928, I found his affairs in the utmost confusion. His books, pictures and papers were scattered in Naples, Leipzig, London and Chicago.

Stock A. In Naples. Consisted largely of pictures. I paid the charges of the American Express Co. for transferring them to Paris. I have no detailed knowledge of this stock. When Mr. Crowley came to London the pictures joined Stock D in London.

Stock B. In Chicago. This was, and I believe still is in the hands of Miss Olsen [Dorothy Olsen]. I obtained a list of the contents of this stock. It was amongst the papers which I handed Mr. Regardie [Israel Regardie] at Mr. Crowley's request in October 1930.

Stock C. In Leipzig. I believe in the hands of Miss Kuntzel [Martha Küntzel]. It contains the German translations of Mr. Crowley's works published by the Thelema Verlag Co. I have never seen or handled this stock.

Stock D. In London. I collected a few packing crates of books, MSS and clothes from J.G. Bayley [James Gilbert Bayley] of 11 Abercairn Road, Streathan. I took the clothes and some of the papers over to Mr. Crowley in Paris. The remainder ultimately I stored with Messrs. Dixon.

The bulk of the stock in London was in storage with Messrs. Pickfords. It consisted largely of poetry written and printed at the expense of Mr. Crowley. This stock had been damaged when Messrs. Pickford's warehouse was flooded by the Thames. I settled the claim for damages with Pickfords for their past charges and a cash payment of some £40. I have a letter from Mr. Crowley approving this settlement. The payment is entered in the accounts which I rendered. I employed Messrs. Dulau, booksellers of Bond Street to list and value this stock. They wrote me that it would require excellent salesmanship to realise £200 for the whole lot. This is the stock which Mr. Crowley always talks about as being worth thousands of pounds. I understand that it is one of his grievances that I have not sold it for him. I transferred the whole of this stock to Messrs. Dixon's where it is stored in my name. It was stored in my name at Mr. Crowley's request.

In 1929 the Mandrake Press became the sole agents for Mr. Crowley in England. Messrs. Dixon's on my instructions delivered some books to the Mandrake Press. They were still at the Mandrake when I handed over to Mr. Regardie in October 1930.

In 1928 accurate lists of Mr. Crowley's stock were not available. I had lists and valuations prepared at my own expense, so that if any books were wanted they could be obtained immediately from storage. I handed over the stock and my lists to Mr. Regardie in October 1930, when I ceased to act as Mr. Crowley's agent. Subsequently these stocks have reverted to their previous confusion. Their history is as follows.

Stock E. Magick [Magick in Theory and Practice]. This book in four parts was privately printed in Paris during 1929 and 1930. The stock was stored with the printers. 300 sets were printed though not all were bound. In I think 1930 100 bound sets were transferred at Mr. Crowley's instructions to the Mandrake Press Ltd. I think the number was 1000. In October 1930 I went to North Africa for 3 months. On my return I found that Mr. Regardie had stored them with Messrs. Dixon's in my name. I denied liability to Messrs. Dixon's for this storage. The books are still with Messrs. Dixon's but I have no knowledge as to how many are there. I believe Mr. Regardie sent some to Germany and America.

Stock D. When in October 1930 Mr. Crowley wrote me to hand over all books and papers to Mr. Regardie, I instructed Dixon's to send him a copy of their stock list, and in future to take their instructions from Mr. Regardie and Mr. Crowley. I also handed over to Mr. Regardie my stock lists and papers referring to them. The goods however remained stored with Messrs. Dixon's in my name. This was owing to the fact that Dixon's refused to transfer the account until the old storage bill had been paid. It came to some £70, and at the time I was unable to settle it. I denied all liability for future charges. I made arrangements for them to be paid some £40 on account in November, and left for North Africa. On my return in January 1931 I paid them a further £15 on account. This enabled Mr. Regardie to transfer all the stock except Magick (stock E) to the warehouse of James Burn and Co. at Esher, where only a nominal rent is charged. I believe that the bulk of the stock is still there.

In the spring of 1931 I was in correspondence with Mr. Crowley still being a member of his order, though I was no longer acting as his treasurer or agent. Mr. Crowley wanted his pictures (stock A) transferred to Berlin. Mr. Germer [Karl Germer], another member of Mr. Crowley's order was arranging an exhibition. They both wrote me asking me to send some of the pictures. Mr. Regardie was out of town and the pictures were wanted in a hurry. I got in touch with Mr. Regardie, and with a letter from him arranged for all the pictures to be sent carriage forward to Berlin. Even so I had to pay £2.10.0 to the Commercial Transport Co. out of my own pocket. The pictures were stored in cases and not listed. I therefore sent the whole lot. The exhibition was duly held in Berlin about 9 months later. I believe that no picture was sold.

In the Spring of 1932 Mr. Crowley wrote me complaining that he had not enough of his papers in Berlin. I therefore obtained a letter of authorisation from Mr. Regardie, went down to Esher, and looked through the cases stored there which contained his papers. Amongst them was the file of stock sheets etc which I had handed over to Mr. Regardie in 1930. I did not ascertain whether or not it was complete as I had left it. These papers I took over to Mr. Crowley in Berlin. Together with the MSS etc I obtained from stock F (see below) the papers filled one cabin trunk.

Stock F. When Mr. Crowley was expelled from France in the winter of 1928-29, he transferred Stock A to London. He did so with the assistance of Mr. Regardie. Ultimately he stored some 7 or 8 packing cases with the American Express Co. in London. I have never seen a list of this stock. In the Spring of 1932 Mr. Crowley was behind hand with the storage charges on this stock. The Amexco wrote threatening to sell it unless paid within the week. Mr. Crowley wrote asking me to save the stock, enclosing a letter of authorisation for me to view and remove it. Accordingly to save the MSS I paid Amexco £6 odd, went through the cases and removed all papers and MSS which I though important. I did not make a list of them. Some I took over to Mr. Crowley in Berlin, together with papers from Stock (see P. 3). The remainder I kept for safety in my room. I wrote asking Mr. Crowley what he would like me to do with these papers as I was going to China. I received no reply until Messrs. Forsythe and Kerman [Crowley's Solicitors] requested me to deliver the papers to their offices. This I did the next day, but received no receipt from them. A cardboard box of papers escaped my notice at the time. I wrote you from Ostend as to the best method of returning them.

Stock E. Magick. In September 1932 Mr. Crowley sold a number of sets to Messrs. Foyles [bookstore]. He withdrew them from the stock at Dixon's without any letter from me, paying them £10 on account, proving that in fact he is responsible for the storage. After this at his request I wrote to confirm to Dixon's that they were to accept his instructions for this stock.

The remainder of this stock is still stored with the printer Mr. Cope in Paris.

In August 1932 the contents of Mr. Crowley's flat in Berlin were seized by the landlord for nonpayment of rent. In order to save the MSS I paid the landlord £50 in September 3rd 1932.

Accounts.

Trust Fund.

In 1928 Mr. Crowley's assured income consisted only of £80 odd a year derived from a Trust Fund of which his daughter [Lola Zaza Crowley] by his first wife [Rose Kelly] is the other beneficiary. In 1928 I became one of the Trustees. In 1932 owing to the death of his first wife (they have been divorced for years) Mr. Crowley received and is still receiving full benefit from the Trust Fund, namely £160 odd. I am still trustee, but shall resign the moment this case comes to court. I have not done so to date, as the appointment of a new Trustee involves legal costs which would be deducted from the income paid to Mr. Crowley which is small enough already.

Accounts proper.

In 1928 Mr. Crowley's assured income was only £80. He was living a precarious existence in Paris relying on the loyalty of the members of his order and upon his wife to augment his pittance. I do not think he was receiving a penny in royalties on his books. He had however plenty of schemes for his rehabilitation. They all depended on his obtaining a headquarters and working up an organisation. I thought that I could help him. If subscriptions from the members of his order were regularised and his memoirs and other prose typescripts published, he would have enough money to live quietly and complete his life's work. The figure at which I aimed and which he agreed to be sufficient was £500 a year. I therefore became his agent—I did not and do not still know what the term implies legally—and treasurer. At that time I was a director of the Mexican Railway, and Director and Secretary of H. Pontifex and Sons. I was only able to devote my spare time to Mr. Crowley's affairs, for which I received no remuneration.

I opened a publication account in my own name with the Westminster Bank, Cavendish Square Branch, with a personal payment of £400, and wrote round to some 8 members of his order with whose addresses he supplied me, in an attempt to regularise their subscriptions. The monies received from them as a result of this appeal are shown under their various names in the accounts—Jacobi [Oliver Jacobi], Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith], Wolfe [Jane Wolfe], Olsen, and I think Windram [James Windram]. Of these Jacobi is the only one to my knowledge who made and still makes a regular monthly contribution (of 20 dollars).

Another member of the order Karl Germer was engaged to a Miss Eaton [Cora Eaton] in America. At his and Mr. Crowley's instigation together with a personal guarantee for me for repayment with a little interest in 1944, Miss Eaton put up £1000, which she sent me in installments, and which I duly paid into the account. She subsequently put up more money but not at my instigation. She had by that time married Mr. Germer. When this money was sent to me for Mr. Crowley it appears in the accounts, but a considerable quantity was I believe paid to Mr. Crowley direct, and of that I have no account. In the main the Germers kept Mr. Crowley from 1929-December 1930. They did so out of capital, and as a result are now penniless.

When I first started these accounts, the idea was that Mr. Crowley should no longer be worried by finances, but should live on £10 a week, sent him by me out of the Publication fund in London. Mr. Crowley however was quite unable to keep his expenses within this limit. As a result there were often moments when the fund was empty. Mr. Germer would then advance money to the fund from time to time, which I repaid him and myself when more money came in. The total amount which I myself advanced without repayment was £800, as shown in the accounts. I did not consult Mr. Crowley when refunding Mr. Germer or myself for monies advanced.

I have no intention of pressing Mr. Crowley for repayment of the money which I have advanced him and spent on his behalf. It would indeed be waste of time seeing that his present assured income is under £200 a year. But if he brings a suit against me for damages as he has threatened, I will press my claim for repayment.

In about August of 1930 Mr. Crowley decided to desert his second wife [Maria de Miramar], and go to Portugal with a young German girl, Miss Yaeger [Hanni Jaeger]. He left his wife, who is a Nicaraguan, and at that time spoke very little English, behind in London without any money. I therefore paid her out of the balance of the publication fund against Mr. Crowley's wishes, for he wrote me to send him the money for his own expenses in Portugal. I had paid her some £60, before he "suspended me from all activities: and I handed the account over to Mr. Regardie. I maintained then and still believe that it was better for Mr. Crowley that she should receive something then that he should run the risk of a prosecution for not supporting her. The money which I paid her is shown under her name in the accounts. Later I helped her out of my own pocket. She would not however help herself by working for a living, but drifted I believe to the Embankment, and from then to the workhouse, where I visited her. From there she was certified insane, and sent to Colney Hatch, where I think she still is. I understand that the L.C.C. are anxious to obtain Mr. Crowley's address with a view to prosecuting him for payment. I must leave it to you whether you think it to be in my interest that they be sent the name of his solicitors. If you think it would damage his claim against me, please send the L.C.C. the address. He has received nearly £400 from me this year, of which I believe he has sent nothing to her.

I believe that Mr. Crowley can produce a letter from me showing that I approved of his going to Portugal. But this was before I realised that he was taking Miss Yaeger with him, and when I still thought he intended to make some provision, no matter how small for his wife.

In October 1930 Mr. Crowley "suspended me from all Functions", I gave you the letter he wrote me about this. I then Handed the publication account over to Mr. Regardie, instructed the Bank to accept his signature, and warned that that the account was not to be overdrawn. I then left for North Africa. The account however remained in my name. There was only some £30 left, and I did not bother to have it transferred. Mr. Regardie however used it largely for his own purposes, closing the account in August 1931 with a payment to himself of £3. When making up the accounts for Mr. Crowley in August 1932, I included the period during which Mr. Regardie handled the fund. The details are shown under Mr. Regardie's name in the "accounts.

The Mandrake Press, and the Mandrake Press Ltd.

In 1929 when Mr. Crowley came to England the Mandrake Press entered into a contract with Mr. Crowley to publish four or five of his works during a period of I think 2 years. The main item was Mr. Crowley's Confessions [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley] in 4 or 5 volumes. E. Goldston [Edward Goldston], a bookseller in Museum Street, and P. R. Stephensen [P.R. Stephensen] were the directors. Mr. Crowley gave me power of attorney to arrange and sign this contract. I played an active part in the negotiations, but as Mr. Crowley was in England, he signed the contract himself. The Mandrake Press published 2 volumes of the Confessions, a small volume containing 3 short stories entitles "Stratagem" [The Stratagem and Other Stories], and a novel, Moonchild.

Mr. Goldston then decided to go out of the publishing business. Major Thynne [Major Robert Thynne] then organised the Mandrake Press Ltd. which took over the assets and liabilities of the Mandrake Press. I put in £1000 and became a director. The other directors were P. R. Stephensen, and McCullum. At Mr. Crowley's instigation the Germers agreed to invest £1000, but Mr. Crowley diverted £500 to his own pocket, so that the Mandrake Press Ltd only received £500 of the money promised them from this source. They published "The Legend of Aleister Crowley", the third volume of Confessions, and a volume of short stories called "Golden Twigs" were in proof state when the company went into liquidation. Of course other books besides Mr. Crowley's were published and at the printers when the crash came.

Apart from publishing Mr. Crowley's books the Mandrake Press also became Mr. Crowley's sole agent in England. Accordingly on Mr. Crowley's instructions they were sent 100 sets (I think) of Magick which had been privately printed by Mr. Crowley in Paris. These arrived about August 1930. The Mandrake Press decided not to market them until after the 3rd volume of Confessions and Golden Twigs had come out. Otherwise the market would have been flooded with his works.

Some time ago I gave Mr. Crowley my list of addresses of all people and booksellers who had ordered books of his from the Mandrake Press and the Mandrake Press Ltd. This proves that there was no sale for Mr. Crowley's works. He was paid £100 advance royalties, and I do not think received a further payment from the Mandrake Press Ltd. Mr. Crowley maintains that the failure of his works to sell was due to lack of enterprise on behalf of the Press. In this I disagree with Mr. Crowley. Events have proved that there is no ready sale for his works in England at the moment. Surely Mr. Crowley has to prove that there is a market for his works in England before he can claim damages from me because they have not sold. His writings and pictures are his only assets. The Press went bankrupt when publishing his works, and his picture exhibition in Berlin in 1931 did not bring about the sale of a single picture.

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