H. Spencer Lewis, Leader of Rosaecrucians, Arrested in Lily Langtry Home

H. Spencer Lewis, Leader of Rosaecrucians, Arrested in Lily Langtry Home

New York,The Sun, Tuesday, June 18, 1918

Three score or more men and women of varying ages -the majority of the men within the draft age- were seated last night in parallel rows in a room on an upper floor of what was the old Lily Langtry home, and before that the Josie Mansfield residence, at 361 West Twenty-third street. Any one who had ever been received in that room when the Jersey Lily was the chatelaine and who was there last night would have been impressed with the changes that have taken place since. 

They have been peculiarly impressed with the furnishings that were in evidence last night when Detective Joseph Russo and four or five other men from the District Attorney's office entered. But more about the detectives later. About 9 o'clock sixty or seventy men and women were assembled in what was once Mrs. Langtry's drawing room. 

From the front the old place would give the impression of a well appointed private residence or club. The windows were shaded and the iron fence that fronts the place had just received a new coat of paint. It was almost a place of distinction and soldiers and sailors who were strangers in New York looked at it while passing and inquired of one another what it was. An inconspicous group of four or five men at a convenient corner were also watching the place, but were not so ignorant of its character.

Scene in Drawing Room Inside, in the drawing room, were assembled the members of the New York branch of the so-called American Rosicrucians. A feeble light from three candles on a tringular altar in the centre of the room was the only illumination. On a raised dais at one end, clad in all the robes of his office as grand master and imperator of the order in America, Brother H. Spencer Lewis, F.R.C., whatever that means, was giving the regular weekly lecture to the members. 

At the other end of the room in the sombre setting of a cheap black screen stood a five foot wooden cross, with a wreath of roses at its base. The furnishings were of the cheapest, and the floor was uncovered except for a layer of dust. 

An unprotected heating flue gaped in the middle of the floor; plaster was hanging from the walls and ceiling, and the desk from which the Grand Imperator was delivering his lecture on the alchemy of life was of the cheapest unvarnished pine. 

Across the entrance to the room that once boasted of double sliding doors there hung a cheap orange colored curtain, through which the light from the three canndles softly filtered to the hall without. 

Downstairs one or two members, to whom the ceremony in the room above was no mystery, occupied desks and were busy going through card index and classifying applications for membership. Then the officers came and in a moment the whole place was in a tumult. 

Detective Russo with his aids entered and were on the top floor before the bewildered Rosecrucians in the business office knew what was coming off. A man was placed at the door, and Detective Russo, thrusting aside the cheap orange colored curtains, stepped into the dimly lighted lodge room, walked to the dais and announced to the assembled members that everybody in the room was under arrest. 

The Imperator attempted to expostulate but was told to keep quiet and prepare to go to headquarters. He quickly divested himself of his robes of office while his followers wondered what is was all about and while other detectives went to phone for a patrol wagon. Lights Show Queer Scene The Grand Imperator was in the midst of an interpretation and delineation of some of the occult mysteries in the unraveling of which he is regarded by his followers as a seer, when he was so rudely interrupted. When the lights went up a queer scene greeted the officers' eyes. 

The assembled men and women who had been absorbing the words of wisdom from the lips of the seer presented and odd picture in the dilapidated room, that was not only shorn of its once elaborate furnishings, but which showed unmistakable evidences of long neglect. Most of the people in the room were of German, Scandinavian or Russian extraction. 

Most of the men were within the draft age, although there were several older ones in the group. Several of the women were well dressed and gave evidence of education and culture. Some of them replied to the questions of the detectives in an unmistakable foreign accent. But all of them expressed the greatest concern in what was to befall the Grand Imperator. After the detectives had questioned them and served several with subpoenas two or three went to Police Headquarters to await the arrival of Lewis. Others went to a nerby restaurant to await developments. 

Meantime with the appearance of a police patrol wagon a crowd of several thousand gathered in Twenty-third street curious to know whether it was Assistant District Attorney Jim Smith instituting a Monday night raid by way of change, or what kind of an affair was being staged. Bond Fraud Charged The raid followed information that for several weeks has had the attention of the District Attorney's interest in the case comes through the allegation that Lewis and his associates in the so-called American Rosae Crucis were selling fraudulent 6 per cent gold bonds. 

The interest of the Federal authorities is in the allegation that Lewis and his associates were soliciting membership in the order on the representation that such membersghip automatically exempted men from the draft and gave them a legitimate right to profess conscientious scruples against war. The interest of the Masonic officials was aroused by the representations of Lewis that he was a Mason. Lewis is not a Mason. But the first question he asked Detective Russo when he appeared on the scene last night was, "Are you a Masosn?" According to the story of the career of Lewis and his attempt to organize his American Rosae Crucis, as it was told to a reporter for THE SUN last night, the movement has made headway. 

There have been several branches of the so-called order established in Western cities, but through the instrumentality of men who were watching his movements attempts in other places failed. 

In New York City the affairs of the cult seemed to reach a crisis last Friday night. A.B.Brassard, Lewis's former secretary, and the man who finally gave the District Attorney the information on which he acted last night, became suspicious of the genuineness of the 6 percent bonds that Lewis sold to prospective members. Brassard and some of his fellow members went to the Twenty-third street headquarters Friday night and accused Lewis in the presence of several other members of making suggestions by which men of draft age could get exemption. Brassard's signature appears on some of the bonds that Lewis sold. 

On Friday night, according to the story, he accused Lewis of certain irregularities, including the violation of another Federal statute. Lewis Asked for Proof It is said that Lewis invited Brassard to return on Saturday night with proof of the charges he made. Brassard accepted the invitation, and it is said, presented Lewis with documentary proof of the alleged irregularities and demanded his withdrawal as head of the Rosaecrucian order, whereupon ...carding to Brassard's story. 

Lewis tore the documents up and challenged Brassard to go ahead if he wanted to in the face of what Lewis thought was destroyed evidence. Brassard claims to have kept originals of the documents in question and to have handed Lewis only copies. 

Another failure of the case, and the one that is most interesting the Federal authorities, is the statement that at a recent meeting of the members of the organization Lewis is said to have addressed his disciples as follows: 

"I hold in my hand a letter from president Wilson guaranteeing exemption from the draft to members of the Rosaecrucian Order in America." 

At the headquarters of Local Board 158, where it was said certain of Lewis's followers had claimed exemption on the ground of membership in the order, officials were not able to trace the records of any such cases without the names although the three members of the board said they recollected that such claims had been advanced. 

Initiation Fee and Dues Apart from the sale of bonds, one of which a formere member of the organization showed to a SUN reporter last night declaring at the same time that she paid $100 for it and to which was attached a receipt signed by one L. Lawrence, as secretary of the organization, new members were required to pay an initiation fee of $5 or $10 and member dues of $1. 

The organization is also said to have published a secret paper called the "Cromaat," the letters of which backwards are the first letters of the title the cult has assumed - The Ancient and Mystical Order (of) Rosae Crucis. 

Another monthly magazine called "The American Rosae Crucis," carries on the first page the names of a number of associate editors in various parts of the world. These, it is represented, make up the Supreme World Council of the order. Among the dozen or more are such names as these: Emanuel S. Camilleri, Upper Egypt; Prof. C. Magala Desa, Bombay; Mohamed Ismail, I.G.O.H., Ceylon; Sir N. Irnathellickerjo Lemindar, Bengal; Lady Brooks, Shangai, China; Sir William Samuel Grant, Natal, East Africa; Lady Florence Burgess, London, England; Raynaud E. de Belcastle-Ligne, Toulouse, France, and several others. 

A more definite address is not given in the copy of the magazine, but THE SUN reporter yesterday saw a dozen of more such letters that had been sent to addresses furnished by a former member of Lewis's organization, all of which came back with the notation "No such person known," or "No such address."