'I killed a man by prayer', Lincoln Gould, Western Daily Press, 20 April 1970

Western Daily Press (Bristol), Monday 20 April 1970, page 6. Lincoln Gould interviews Eric Humphry, a 41-year-old news photographer in Monmouthshire who calls himself Janus, prays to Lucifer, and claims to be king of the Monmouthshire witches. Humphry says his prayers brought about the death of a man who in fact drowned in an accident. Alex Sanders appears in one line, misspelt: Humphry "rejects claims by Londoner Alex Saunders that he is King Witch of all Britain." The reporter is unconvinced throughout. It is kept here as an example of the rival "kings" and self-declared black magicians the press set beside Alex in 1970, the kind of practice he was publicly warning against. Cropped to the article, with the photograph of Humphry and the full page. How to cite: Lincoln Gould, 'I killed a man by prayer', Western Daily Press, 20 April 1970, p. 6. Alexandrian Witchcraft Timeline & Archive.

[ photo of Eric Humphry ] Eric Humphry . . . a pendant of greenstone A startling ‘confession’ I KILLED A MAN BY PRAYER “I AM VERY proud of the fact that I killed a man last year -I exulted in this; loved it.” Lincoln Gould talks to a witch called Janus What manner of man made this horrific confession? A convicted murderer, a hired assassin, a madman? No. He is Eric Humphry, a 41-year-old news photographer. Some may call him mad. But he lives freely in Monmouthshire with his wife and two daughters and on the surface appears to live a normal life. But on the little finger of his left hand is a huge greenstone ring. Strung around his neck is a large pendent of the same stone. These are the only outward signs that the man is different. Ghoulish For Humphrey claims he is a witch, who by calling upon his god Lucifer - better known as the devil - can evoke evil spirits and perform dastardly deeds. The man he alleges to have killed - an ex-sailor with a family - was actually drowned in an accident. But Humphry says through prayer he called on Lucifer's devilish powers which resulted in the tragedy. Humphry describes his feelings about the man with ghoulish passion. “I hated him. It was a personal hate because of something he had done against me - not against Lucifer. “I desperately wanted him punished and I prayed hard. I did not expect him to die, but he did. “This was not an evil act according to Humphry. He justifies it with a mumbo-jumbo of theology and ethics and says that if Lucifer had not wanted the man dead then he would not have been drowned. Ancient “So you can’t call me judge jury and executioner.” Humphry maintains he is the king of Monmouthshire witches. He says he is a divine apostle of his devil gods. He rejects claims by Londoner Alex Saunders that he is King Witch of all Britain. Strange, but ancient rites dating beyond Christ are practised by Humphry and his coven. Many of them appear to be linked with subsistence agricultural societies whose lives and worship were controlled by the four seasons. There are apparently modern adaptations to ride over the impracticalities of old methods. Much of their religion would be termed evil by many people. Others would laugh despite the obvious absence of humour in the situation. Witches, including Humphry, seem to quieten any personal pangs of conscience by righteous claims that their practises are justified. He told me: “I am not evil. I don’t propogate evil day in and day out. I have a family and a job. Of course, I believe in law and order and have to abide by the ethics and morals of the society in which I live.” In the language of the occult Humphry is known as Janus - the two-faced god who looks forward and backward or to light and darkness. The greenstone ring, which he wears like a bishop, and the pendant of the same stone illustrate his association with Janus. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and turned to Black Magic 13 years ago when he read a book by the bizarre but brilliant Black Magic theorist, Alister Crowley. Denials He felt a spiritual association with Crowley and more satisfaction with what he preached than with Christianity. After considerable time studying the occult, Humphry was introduced to a coven and initiated during a midnight ceremony in a churchyard in the Welsh mountains on the site of an ancient Roman fort. Despite his denials, selfishness seems the overriding factor in Humphry's theology. Black magic and witchcraft have no design for the salvation of mankind and there are no “love thy neighbour” philosophies. Humphry says the main aim of his faith is to ensure his personal salvation in the form of re-incarnation back on this world as another person. Already his soul has been used before, he believes. And only through the practise of Black Magic can he expect this extra life. He says he does not pray for material gain, but one story he recounted seemed to have little to do with Lucifer. Next door to his home a neighbour owned a frisky Alsatian puppy which often bounded over the fence into Humphry's garden. Humphry hates animals and he was incensed by this dog. “I got really evil about it. I thought evil and prayed hard, transfixing the dog.” Apparently the puppy was so frightened it streaked away, tail between legs. Despite urgent efforts by its owner it has not been seen since. The coven Humphry leads is made up of men and women from various occupations. According to its leader, they do not hold grand sexual orgies often associated with Black Magic. Healthy They meet regularly on estates or social gatherings to talk and debate Black Magic and on the few feast days of the occult hold sabats, or masses of worship. Sometimes, the witches carry out acts against Christianity almost with childlike spite. Humphry says he and his followers have never actually desecrated a church - probably because of a healthy fear of the law. But their attacks are more subtle. Humphry told me how he would attend a familiar mass in a Roman Catholic church. Before going he would wash out his mouth with alum so when the bread or Host of Christ was placed in his mouth he could keep it there without it dissolving. Believing indeed that the bread was the Host he would then take it away and with his followers carry out their own mass using the bread. Humphry is no intellectual and he oftens appears confused in his thinking and contradicts himself especially in talking about evil. Nothing he does is according to him, classed as evil. He follows a cult which is as complex and diverse as any religion. It can be traced through many civilisations and is understood by few people. Its practise in Monmouthshire is probably quite different from any other. And even within the county there appears to be more than one coven holding different allegiances which places doubt on Humphry’s claim to be king. He says these groups follow an impure form of Black Magic often covering up questionable activities such as orgies with claims of worshipping Lucifer. Terror But despite this, Black Magic, pseudo or otherwise, is growing in str[egnth?] with[in?] [Britai?]n according to Humphry. He receives letters each week from people throughout the country. Often, he says, they are insincere and not worth taking into his confidence. Those that are, become involved in a world which is mystifying to most, terrifying to many and undoubtedly evil in the accepted sense of the word the - the world of Eric (Janus) Humphry.