Bare-Faced Messiah (PDF) - Apologetics Index

the partnership could purchase its first yacht in the east; it was agreed that Ron and Sara would
then either sail it back to California for re-sale, or transport it overland, whichever proved to be
cheaper.
It seemed a perfectly simple and sensible business arrangement, although Parsons presumably
did not know that on 1 April Ron had written to the Chief of Naval Personnel requesting permission
to leave the United States to visit South America and China.[24] However, not many weeks passed
before Parsons began to worry, for he heard not a word from either Ron or Sara. He realized, with
mounting frustration, that they had gone off with $10,000 of his money and he had little idea of
where they might be. He confessed his concern to Louis Culling, another member of the OTO
lodge, and swore he was going to get his money back and dissolve the partnership.
The next day Ron telephoned from Florida, reversing the charges. Culling was at South Orange
Grove when the call came through and he was amazed to find that Parsons was completely
dominated by Hubbard. After what had been said the previous day, Culling expected Parsons to be
cool towards his wayward partner at the very least. But Parsons made no mention of his disquiet,
did not complain about being kept in the dark and said nothing about dissolving the partnership.
He was soon laughing happily into the telephone as if he had not a care in the world and the
conversation ended with Parsons saying, 'I hope we shall always be partners, Ron.'
Greatly disturbed, Culling took it upon himself to make some inquiries and on 12 May he wrote to
Karl Germer: 'As you may know by this time, Brother John signed a partnership agreement with this
Ron and Betty whereby all money earned by the three for life is equally divided between the three.
As far as I can ascertain, Brother John has put in all of his money . . . Meanwhile, Ron and Betty
have bought a boat for themselves in Miami for about $10,000 and are living the life of Riley, while
Brother John is living at rock bottom, and I mean rock bottom. It appears that originally they never
secretly intended to bring this boat around to the California coast to sell at a profit, as they told Jack,
but rather to have a good time on it on the east coast . . .'[25]
Germer naturally informed Crowley, who replied by cable on 22 May: 'Suspect Ron playing
confidence trick. Jack evidently weak fool. Obvious victim prowling swindlers.' In a letter seven days
later, Crowley wrote, 'It seems to me on the information of our brethren in California that Parsons
has got an illumination in which he has lost all his personal independence. From our brother's
account he has given away both his girl and his money. Apparently it is the ordinary confidence
trick.'[26]
While Crowley and fellow members of the OTO were already in agreement that Brother Parsons
had been conned, Brother Parsons was painfully arriving at a similar conclusion and at the
beginning of June he packed a case and caught a train East, determined to track down the errant
lovers and get his money back.
In Miami, Parsons discovered to his astonishment that Allied Enterprises had already purchased
three boats - two auxiliary schooners, the Harpoon and the Blue Water II, and a yacht, the Diane. It
seemed that Ron had raised mortgages totalling more than $12,000 to buy the schooners.
Parsons traced the Harpoon to Howard Bond's Yacht Harbor on the County Causeway, but there
was no sign of either Ron or Sara. The Blue Water was found at the American Ship Building
Company docks on the Miami river; again, there was no one on board.
One evening a few days later, Parsons received a telephone call from the harbour. The Harpoon,
he was told, had set sail at five o'clock that afternoon, with Ron and Sara on board apparently intent