Washington Post, March 9, 1903


OCCULTISTS AT A DINNER.

De Sarak and His Followers Gather to
Toast a New Organization.


    The Oriental Esoteric Center of Washington gave a vegetarian supper at the Hotel Cochran last evening to Miss Alice May Youse, first president of the Baltimore Center, which was formed in this city a few days since.   The tables were adorned with a miniature sphinx, a single candlestick in the shape of a golden cobra, a large candelabra with seven candles, and also seven yellow lilies, while a large portrait of Budda [sic] hung upon a wall of the dining-room.   The master of organization, Augustus Viscount de Sarak, a child of scarcely four years, sat at the head of the table, while at the foot was Dr. Count A. de Sarak, the Hindoo occultist, both decorated with gorgeous surplices and insignia.
    The toasts responded to during the dinner were all to the honor and for the welfare of the new center and its president, Miss Youse.   The address of the evening was that of Dr. Count de Sarak, who spoke of occultism and the purpose of the organization, and prophesied a glorious success for the new center.     After the dinner Dr. Sarak performed some mystifying feats, which he attributed to his occult powers.
    The officers of the Washington Center are: Master, Augustus Viscount de Sarak; delegate to the center and general inspector, Dr. Count A. Sarak; president, Mrs. S. Fitzgerald; vice president, Miss Fannie Willis; treasurer, Miss Elisa Hay; general secretary, Miss A. Marsland; delegate, Miss S.L. Lee.   The officers of the Baltimore Center are: President, Miss Alice May Youse; vice president, Miss Ethel N. Parsons; treasurer, Mrs. Emily Demander Giessman; general secretary, Miss Augusta J. Giessman; delegate, Mr. E.J.W. Dress.

Commentary: Hooray for the Baltimore Center!   You know, I googled Miss Alice May Youse, and she may have later become a film actress alongside Lon Cheney.  Interesting to see that, at this point (1903), Miss Marsland was a mere secretary and not yet the president of the Washington order.   Most exciting of all is the mentioning, including the name, of Dr. de Sarak's son!  I've read elsewhere that Sarak propped him up as a prophesied messiah-king who would lead the world into a new age.   It looks like, instead, he just inadvertently revealed to the people of Paris that his father was a sham.  I hope his life turned out well and his dad didn't mess him up too much.


H.N. Stokes (main)         De Sarak Page         Marsland Page         Home         Random Things