Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00427)

The bibliography in the Harris book contains the following articles by this 
author:

"African Magic" in "Lucifer", November, 1890
"A Modern Magician" in "Borderland", April, 1896

According to Harris, Vittoria Cremers gave a jounalist, Bernard O'Donnell, a 
detailed memoir of her relationship with Mabel Collins, Blavatsky 
and "D'Onston Stephenson" (which is very interesting as a by-way of 
Theosophical history). Alas, I cannot find anywhere in the book a reference to 
the source from which Harris claims to derive this memoir - he notes that 
Cremers did not write any such account for publication so, presumably, someone 
(probably O'Donnell - although Harris notes that this was not his real name!) 
had or has the notes. Assuming, of course, they exist. But the alleged account 
Harris quotes included a statement by "D'Onston Stephenson" that Tautriadelta 
was his name.

A little searching, however, found the following in an interview with Andy 
Aliffe (a Ripper enthusiast) on the website: 
http://www.nospam.casebook.org/authors/interviews/int-aa.html

"I established that Bernard O'Donnell had a son, Peter O'Donnell, (author of 
the Modesty Blaise novels) and a couple of phone enquires later I was talking 
to him ; yes he remembered his fathers manuscript, and thought it might be in 
the attic !!!. Low and behold a couple of days later it was on my desk, un-
seen and un-read since the end of WW2. Not so hard to find really, it was 
there all the time but know one thought to check !. Lesson one - always double 
check." 

The interview includes some additional information on "D'Onston Stephenson".

Harris includes a few other items in his "D'Onston Stephenson" bibliography 
which may be of interest:

"The Real Origin of 'She', By One Who Knew Her", "Pall Mall Gazette", 3 
January, 1889 [signed RD]
"What I Know of Obeedahism, By The Author of the Original of 'She'", "Pall 
Mall Gazette", 15 February, 1889 [signed RD]
"Elementals", "Borderland", July, 1896

Harris also wrote of the "D'Onston Stephenson" theory in his earlier 
book, "Jack the Ripper - The Bloody Truth" (London, Columbus Books, 1987).

I note that neither "Taudriadelta" nor "D'Onston Stephenson" appear in Michael 
Gomes' extensive "Theosophy in the Nineteenth Century. An Annotated 
Bibliography" (1994).

Dr Gregory Tillett