'My pal Vulcan the witch', Wolverhampton Express and Star, 3 April 1963

Wolverhampton Express and Star, Wednesday 3 April 1963, page 24. Mark Kersen, now styled the paper's 'witchcraft correspondent', takes Vulcan to the Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, to hear Dr R. C. Webster, radio's Brain of Britain, lecture the Civic Hall Arts Society on witchcraft. Vulcan was the name used by Robert Turner. Vulcan, 20, says his high priest has sent him to see whether the doctor is 'for us or against us', introduces himself as deputy high priest, and heckles quietly throughout: he admits witches pass children through fire, denies they ride broomsticks, and when Webster calls the whole thing fundamentally evil, retorts that he is describing black magicians. 'We are light and there's the difference.' The paper first met Vulcan in February 1963, in 'That was the witch that was', also in the archive. How to cite: Mark Kersen, 'My pal Vulcan the witch', Wolverhampton Express and Star, 3 April 1963, p. 24. Alexandrian Witchcraft Timeline & Archive.

Sent by his High Priest to watch the Doc. MY PAL VULCAN THE WITCH By our “witchcraft correspondent,” Mark Kersen THEY streamed into the Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, last night but they didn't know. Not even the “Brain of Britain” - radio’s Dr. R. C. Webster - who was to talk to the Civic Hall Arts Society knew . . . Until I told him. And then his eyebrows lifted sharply and he extended a hand to meet VULCAN, my friend the witch. “How nice,” he said. “How interesting.” A special occasion for the doctor, about to lecture to the society about witchcraft, for this was his first encounter with an admitted witch. And for Vulcan, a 20-year-old, fair-haired practitioner, a special mission from his coven. “I am here to see if he’s for us or against us,” he warned. He had just managed the meeting, he said. “We have just had a new witch join us and she’s very poor. So I've been out in the woods, gathering wands like crazy for her.” Then eyeing the radio doctor: “I have been sent by the High Priest to see what’s going on. If he’s against us I would have to take action.” Then off went Doctor Webster telling his audience they probably thought of witchcraft as something that happened long ago - reminding them of a Quinton killing in 1945 that was probably to do with witchcraft. From Vulcan, a vigorous shaking of the head: “Hideous, hideous,” he muttered angrily. Then the practice which still goes on in some parts, of passing children through fire. Vulcan: “We have done that. Witches do that.” He nodded enthusiastically. Then the story of how witches met together and called their president the “Devil.” Vulcan almost leapt to his feet. “No, no,” he nudged me. “He means High Priest- I'm deputy High Priest, you know.” And did witches go about on broomsticks? Not so, said Dr. Webster. “Quite right,” said Vulcan. “I go to coven meetings in a car or I walk.” But in spite of everything, Dr. Webster said 99 per cent. of witchcraft talk was nonsense. About that one per cent? “I don't know,” he said. “I can’t say the whole thing is quite impossible, but I believe such things are fundamentally evil.” Came a snort from Vulcan. “That’s black magicians . . . we are light and there’s the difference.” Rubbish, he said. And away he stalked, out into the night.