Decline in Prophets (43 page)

A
rthur Urquhart was hanged on 7th September 1933, for the murder of Isobel Hanrahan, and the attempted murders of Edna Higgins and Charles
Leadbeater. Jurisdictional issues prevented him being tried for the murders of Orville Urquhart and Francesca Waterman. The death of Patrick Murphy was ruled an accident.

Hubert Van Hook eventually returned to Chicago where his family and his legal practice were waiting.

Annie Besant died on 20th September, 1933, in Adyar, India. Until the very end of her life she campaigned for social and political reform. After a brief ceremony in the
Co-Masonic Temple at the headquarters of the Theosophical Society, Dr. Besant’s bier was carried by admirers to a pyre for cremation. She was movingly eulogised by the Rt. Reverend Charles
Leadbeater, and mourned around the world. Rowland Sinclair hung her portrait at
Woodlands House
amongst his more scandalous works and a painting by Picasso.

Charles Webster Leadbeater died in Perth on 1st March 1934.

The Theosophical Society continued despite the loss of World Prophets and the death of both Annie Besant and Charles Leadbeater. It still welcomes seekers belonging to any
religion or to none who are in sympathy with its Three Objects:

• To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour

• To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science

• To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in the human being.

Jiddu Krishnamurti continued his work as a philosopher though he never rejoined the Theosophical movement. He visited Australia on a number of occasions, where he spread his
word and caught up with old friends.

The reward offered by Mrs. Harry Houdini for any person who could successfully communicate with her late husband was never collected. She herself stopped attempting such contact
on the 10th anniversary of his death.

On 30th January 1933, Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.

Archibald Leach went on to achieve some success as an actor, appearing in several motion pictures. He changed his name to Cary Grant.

Colin Delaney was promoted to Detective Sergeant in recognition of his sterling work in the apprehension of the “Cruise Ship Killer”.

Satisfied that
Woodlands House
was no longer a haven of satanic activity, Bishop Hanrahan stopped calling unexpectedly on Rowland Sinclair. He remained in Sydney doing
God’s work with conviction and volume.

Rowland Sinclair assumed his directorship of Dangar Gedye and Company, and although his Masonic ritual remained hesitant, he did acquire the collected works of George
Gershwin.