through the instilling of suspicion of the others in each novitiate, Brother XII maintained personal control over the individual.

“He had given out in his earlier writings that the purpose of the establishment which was planned in detail by the divinities, was the creation of a place where true brotherly love, absolute unselfishness and truth, and perfect equality would reign. Instead, as the description of witnesses, complete slavery, abuse and blows were their portion. In place of the quiet life of equality and selflessness they had sacrificed their former associations to adopt, aged women were compelled to labor in the fields like beasts and on the scantest of foods. Men admitted in court that they were under the mental dominion of De Valdes and his free-love mate, Zura de Valdes; were parted from their wives and suffered great privations and torture of mind and body.”

“How the arts of Egyptian black magic were invoked by Brother XII, in order to rid himself of those whom he disliked, was disclosed to Chief Justice Morrison in the Supreme Court here today, when further revelations were made concerning strange happenings at the Aquarian cult near Nanaimo. His Lordship was told of orders being issued by Brother XII from England to Roger W. Painter to kill Hon. R. H. Pooley, Attorney-General; Hon. Joshua Hinchliffe, Minister of Education; E. A. Lucas, Vancouver barrister, and Maurice and Alice von Platen, wealthy California couple, by black magic. The ‘etheric’ assassinations failed, the witness explained, for at that time he did not know how to do such things; and if he did he would not have done so.”