Theos-Talk Archives (May 2006 Message tt00304)

THE COULOMBS AND THEIR CHRISTIAN BRIBE

Dear Friends, 
 
In September 1884, the “Christian College Magazine” of the  Free Church of Scotland in Madras (1)  published a collection of false letters ascribed to Blavatsky and slandering her.  
 
The material had been forged by Emma and Alexis Coulombs,  a couple of scoundrels nowadays highly publicized by Daniel Calwell and others.  
 
In October 9, 1884, the publication “Athenaeum and Daily News”, in Madras, India, published this letter by W. Judge: 
 
To the Editor.
Cheapness of Public Morality and the Coulombs.
 
SIR, –   I believe I  am under no obligation to keep silence. At an interview,  on the Theosophical Headquarters on the 27 th day of Sept. ult,  in the presence of Dr. F. Hartmann, Mr. Gribble, Mr. Padfield, Mr. Alexander, D.K. Mavalankar, a Madras gentleman, Mr. Darbogen Nath, Mr. T. Subba Row, High Court Vakeel, myself and another person whose name escapes me, the Rev. Mr. Patterson stated freely, and not under the seal of confidence, that he had paid the Coulombs for the alleged Blavatsky letters, the sum of rupees one hundred and fifty, in 3 instalments first 25, second 50,  and then 75, in all 150. Now the question arises, is the “C.C. Magazine”  so poor that it cannot pay Rs. 150, in one payment. Common sense and common reputation answer, that they very well could pay this small sum at once why then they break it up in this case? It must be either because of bargaining; or because at firt “public              morality” was thought to be worth Rs. 25, which estimate was afterwards changed twice; or because these amounts are only earnests (2) of what  the Coulombs may expect from the Missionary camps upon the success of their attack on Theosophy.  Did the Coulombs receive this money; or are they being slandered? In the Oct. “C.C.M.”, the Editor says he “would be likely to hear” of bargains with the Missionaries; he does not say that he did not hear.      William Q. Judge. (3) 
 
 
So far, the letter. 
 
 
Now, my  questions  to Daniel Caldwell, who since the 1990s has been the main publicist of the Coulombs, are: 
 
1) How does he evaluate this amount of 150 rupees as the value for a  bribe?  
 
2) How much a new “Coulomb” or “Soloviof”  could earn today,  by circulating the same lies in the Internet and in theosophical books?  Or would that have to be volunteer  work? 
 
3)  Does Daniel  believe  that the 150 rupees’ bribe payed  to his “ historical sources”, the Coulombs, was the  full price for their treason, or Judge was right and it was just paid as earnests?  Does Daniel find it a fair price?  
 
 
Best regards,  Carlos Cardoso Aveline. 
 
 
 
Best regards,   Carlos Cardoso Aveline 
 
 
 
NOTES:
 
(1) A Church influenced by Calvinism. It  separated from the Church of Scotland in 1843, after a ten years’ conflict. (See Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1967) 
 
(2) “Earnests”, that is, money paid in advance to bind a contract, a token or assurance of something to come. 
 
(3) “The Coulomb Case”, Theosophical History Occasional Papers, Volume X, California State University, 2005, 73 pp., see p. 49. 
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