Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00134)

To Jerry's list might be added the New South Wales Police Files [Special 
Bundle 7792.2] in the State Archives of New South Wales which contain all the 
material (including statements from the "boys" and various others) related to 
several Police investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by 
Leadbeater. I have a complete photocopy of the files.

All the material related to the original allegations (c. 1905) has been 
reprinted in a number of works, particularly in pamphlets that were widely 
circulated at the time and, more particularly, when it was proposed that 
Leadbeater return to the TS. It is notable that, despite the gravely 
defamatory nature of some of these publications (indeed, some of them would 
have constituted criminal libel)and of newspaper reports relating to the 
allegations, Leadbeater never initiated legal action against any of the 
authors or publishers.The only legal action of which I am aware relating to 
these allegations was taken by one of Leadbeater's disciples (Gustav 
Kollerstrom, the father of Oscar Kollerstrom) in Sydney in 1926. The newspaper 
announced that it would call Leadbeater as a witness and put all the Police 
documents into evidence. Kollerstrom sought to withdraw the action, but the 
newspaper refused to agree. The action therefore concluded in favour of the 
defendant, and Kollerstrom was left to pay substantial costs (about $20,000 in 
current money). It was claimed that Leadbeater had been too ill to appear in 
court (the same explanation given for his refusal to be interviewed by the 
Police in 1922), although published accounts of his activities at the time 
suggest he was not too ill to maintain a hectic round of Theosophical 
activities.

It is a pity that Anand (and some others) do not appear to understand what 
constitutes evidence (in the legal or scholarly sense).

I am certainly aware of a number of important original documents relating to 
Leadbeater that have been destroyed, have "disappeared" or (like his diaries 
and the "Golden Book" recording occult status kept by him and Mrs Besant) are 
beieved to be in the ES archives at Adyar and therefore inaccessible to 
scholars.

Dr Gregory Tillett