Theos-Talk Archives (July 2006 Message tt00546)

In my posting at:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/34797>
I quoted a Theosophy Company 1923 publication that claimed:

"During all the troublous period 1893-6 Mr. Crosbie shared TO AN 
EXTENT UNKNOWN AND UNDREAMT OF by others in the burdens and the
CONFIDENCE of Mr. Judge."  caps added.

Now if we accept this CLAIM at face value and as true, what are the 
implications of the statement?

Let us consider the above statement in light of the following.

Jasper Niemand ALSO shared in the CONFIDENCE of Mr. Judge.  Many 
Theosophical students will recognize "Jasper Niemand" as the pen 
name of Julia Campbell Ver Planck (later Mrs. Archibald Keightley), 
who was a trusted associate of William Q. Judge and a well known 
writer contributing many articles to THE PATH.  Jasper Niemand was 
the compiler of the two volumes of W.Q. Judge's "Letters That Have 
Helped Me" which the Theosophy Company thought fit to reprint.

Below is what Mrs. Keightley wrote in 1896 about Mrs. Katherine 
Tingley:

". . . It is well known to members of the Inner Council in America 
and Europe that the present Outer Head [Mrs. Tingley] has for two 
years past assisted Mr. Judge in the inner work of the School as his 
associate and equal. Some of these Councillors were doing important 
work under her directions, and by the order of Mr. Judge, for some 
time before he passed away." 

"The present Outer Head had the entire confidence of Mr. Judge and 
has that of the Council. The Council, composed of members in America 
and Europe, is in entire harmony and unity on this point, and 
especially those members of it who were in close touch with H.P.B. 
during her lifetime.  I have lately met, in America, with some 
hundreds of Esotericists, and I have not met a single one who would 
not agree to what I say here. . . ." 

"For myself, I may say that as early as June, 1894, Mr. Judge told 
me of the standing of the present Outer Head in the school, and 
spoke of her work at that time and for the future.  I am one among 
several to whom he so spoke himself.   Of his appointment of the 
present Outer Head there is absolutely no doubt; and there is also 
no doubt of her entire ability to fill that appointment; or of her 
right to it; or that it came from and was directed by the 
Master. . . . " [The Search Light (New York), Volume I, May 1898, p. 
30.]

Now if Mr. Crosbie really did share in the confidence of Mr. Judge, 
then surely he must have known what Mrs. Keightley also knew.

And in fact we find after Mr. Judge's death in 1896 that Robert 
Crosbie was a firm and very loyal supporter of Mrs. Tingley.

Notice what Mr. Crosbie said of Mrs. Tingley in 1901:

"....Madame Blavatsky was the first leader, by force of her wisdom 
and power of leadership, and all true students of Theosophy accepted 
her as such.  And when she appointed William Q. Judge as her 
successor, his leadership was accepted for the same reason and so, 
too, with Katherine Tingley, WHO WAS APPOINTED by William Q. Judge 
as his successor."  

". . . These [theosophical] results . . . will continue to grow, and 
remain as lasting monuments to the life-work of THE IMMORTAL THREE --
-H.P. Blavatsky, William Q. Judge and Katherine Tingley." 
caps added.  "In Honor of W.Q. Judge", 1901, page 46.

Now as pointed out by Dr. H.N. Stokes many years ago,  if Mr. 
Crosbie was really "the intimate sharer 'in the burdens and the 
confidence of Mr. Judge' then he must have known the truth about 
Mrs. Tingley.  

And Mr. Crosbie must have known all that Mrs. Keightley also knew 
and which I have quoted above.

If the above statments are true (and I ask readers to think through 
the issues raised here and not simply have a "knee-jerk" reaction), 
then why do the Theosophy editors in their 1925 history of the 
Theosophical Movement (and also in the revised 2nd edition) portray 
Mrs. Tingley in such a different and negative light?  

Why do these editors, for example, ignore the testimony of Mrs. 
Keightley when writing about Mrs. Tingley?  

Why do they in fact ignore the claim (and the implications of that 
claim) which reads:

"During all the troublous period 1893-6 Mr. Crosbie shared TO AN 
EXTENT UNKNOWN AND UNDREAMT OF by others in the burdens and the
CONFIDENCE of Mr. Judge."  caps added.

Food for thought.

Daniel
http://hpb.cc