Theos-Talk Archives (July 2001 Message tt00191)

EXCERPTS FROM AN ARTICLE (dated April, 1898) BY ROBERT CROSBIE 
DEFENDING MRS TINGLEY FROM THE 1898 ATTACKS BY ERNEST T. HARGROVE, 
ALEXANDER H. SPENCER AND C.A. GRISCOM 

"THE SIFTING PROCESS 
by Robert Crosbie 

. . . The first great Leader . . . [was] H.P. Blavatsky. . . . The 
second great Leader . . . [was] Wm. Q. Judge. . . . 

The third great Leader, Katherine A. Tingley, established [February 
1898] the organization called 'Universal Brotherhood,' or 'The 
Brotherhood of Humanity,'. . . . 

It is not difficult to see what 'An Ark of Safety' the Universal 
Brotherhood is for the work, and to realize the wisdom of the Leader 
[Mrs Tingley] in sounding the key-note, when it was not generally 
known that the dark forces of disintegration were so close to us, and 
which aroused us to action, and disclosed the imminent danger. . . . 

Foolish are those who are attempting by legal technicalities to 
hinder the work. . . who never were workers in the true sense; for 
all who know the Leader [Mrs Tingley] best, who have worked the 
closest to her, are the ones who are most energetic in carrying on 
the work at Headquarters, and the most unswerving in their allegiance 
to the Leader, and certainly their judgment is worthy of the most 
weighty consideration, for no others are so well qualified to judge. 

Some names, like those of Messrs. Spencer and Griscom, Jr., have 
appeared in print so often in connection with the New York 
activities, that it might be supposed that they were workers of the 
Headquarters' staff, and being now connected with the disintegrating 
faction, it might appear that the staff was weakened by their 
disaffection, but they were not part of the staff, nor were they 
workers in the true sense, especially since the return of the Leader 
[Mrs Tingley] from the Crusade [around the world]. . . . It seems 
necessary to call attention to this point, for the part taken by them 
in the attack upon our Leader, (for no matter how much it is 
disguised, that is the real issue), might lead members to suppose 
that they were very essential to the work, and person whose opinions 
might appear to be of more weight than they really are. . . ."