Judas Always Turns Up

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Judas Always Turns Up is a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle to Sami Frikell, published in 1930 in Frikell's book Spirit Mediums Exposed (published by New Metropolitan Fiction, Inc.).


Judas Always Turns Up

in Spirit Mediums Exposed (1930, p. 10)

Dear Sir,

I am very interested about the Thompsons and quite agree with your estimate, and I think you have done good service to the cause of truth. I should like to denounce them by name before the assembled Spiritualists who will greet us one evening in Chicago, so I should be glad to have a cable, which I would pay on receipt, to tell me they were actually convicted. I can hardly act until then. I fear a letter would be too late.

We should have no hushing up or apologies but always face the facts and so cleanse the movement... Judas always turns up.

You are wrong in saying I object to conjurers. Jeffry, the chairman of the Scottish Amateur Conjurers is a Spiritualist and a friend. So are others. But I object to any man who comes to a sitting throwing out thoughts of suspicion and ill will. 'Of one accord' says the Bible, and that is my experience. If a Critic had been in the upper Room they would never have got the tongues of fire. Harmony is everything. After all, no conjurer was needed to expose the Thompsons, nor can I remember any case where more was needed than common sense. I am sure no medium has ever deceived me...

Arthur Conan Doyle.