Hadad; The Mystic of Leavenworth

I'm not sure if this is the right section, I usually kick around the UFO + Aliens and Breaking News boards, so my apologises upfront if this has to be moved somewhere more appropriate.

I read a book called Encyclopaedia of the Occult (By Lewis Spence) when I was younger and one entry has stuck out from it ever since. I've given it casual armchair research from libraries to newsgroups and now the Internet and feel I should share it in case anyone else is looking into it too. Below is what I have learned and I hope between us all we can open it up and discuss it further.

A man named Doctor Donald Powell Wilson wrote a book in 1952 detailing his experiences at Leavenworth penitentiary during the early 1930's as a psychiatrist employed there. This book was later made into a Golden Globe winning film which omits some parts of the book and creates elements to work better within its theatrical structure.

The following tale is one which comes from his book and is, if nothing else, rather spectacular.

A Hindu/Senegalese man by the name of Hadad (Possibly Amaen S. Haddad, prisoner #27229) resided in the prison. He was, by his own claim, educated at the universities of Carthage and Oxford, was by profession a Haitian zombie priest and a Chaldean astronomer with direct lineage dating back to 400 BC. His accent was heard to be British sounding and his parlance rich with refined rhetoric.

He was taken to the prison following an armed robbery. He was in the trunk of a car which was riddled with bullets from the police. Everyone in the car bar him was dead. He reportedly had no wounds, cuts, scratches or bruises. He is reported as saying he deflected the bullets from his body through some type of power.

He would often 'escape' from the prison and would knock on the door for entry upon his return. On one occasion staff saw him at a concert in the local town in which he is reported as saying to the warden once reprimanded "It has been some time since I have been to a concert, and I felt it would be such a shame not to go. After all, I am just a short distance from the city". The warden had him confined to solitary for 15 days by way of punishment.

He came to the attention of Donald Wilson when he was found hanging by the neck in his solitary cell apparently having committed suicide. It turns out he had used suggestive hypnosis on the guard outside his cell and had him give him his belt, replace it with rope and forget all about it. The guard was blind to the fact that his trousers were being held up by string.

On the autopsy table 3 days later as the scalpel was about to cut him it is reported that his muscles twitched, he sat upright and said "Gentlemen, I would rather not, if you don't mind".

Following this he produced the signs of the zodiac upon his body as raised whelps during a catatonic state, cured the epileptics of the ward for 3 days and nights and revealed that he was on a mission to find 2 evil spirits and remove them from this corporeal realm (1 of whom he had disposed of already) as well as 2 souls in whom he could place his knowledge.

Wilson broke off communication from Hadad as he suspected hypnotic suggestions were being implanted at each occurrence and feared for his life at the hands of a possible madman.

Nothing is known of what became of Hadad however I like the story so much that I'd like to see if anyone can add to what is here. I like the account so much purely due to the cynical, reasoned documented fashion in which the doc tells it. Other parts of the book bloom into an almost Steinbeck story, but this particular section seems fairly seriously told and if that is the case knowing as best we can what really happened then.

The book was written around 20 years after the incident so perhaps it's not as polished as he recalls it to be - but I am at ATS and this seems like the right section to open it up for discussion.

The chapter of the book relating to Hadad can be read here

As always; any and all constructive thoughts and ideas are welcome.

-m0r

This sounds kind of suspicious to me. I mean, the guy could walk out of prison any time he wanted, but kept returning? Why? Why not just walk out and keep walking (or fly, or whatever)?

He had a guard give him a belt, then use a rope to hold up the guard's pants? Why not just get the guard to give him the rope, instead? And why hang himself, if he's not going to sit still for the autopsy? I mean, if the guy's trying to kill himself, why didn't he stay dead? And as I recall, a proper Hindu mystic can choose to leave his body when he wishes.

I just can't see the point of this guy - able to deflect bullets, walk out of his cell, etc. - choosing to remain in prison doing parlor tricks. It just doesn't make sense to me.

No knowledge on this but S&F 4 u

It does seem abit dodgy though, i agree with the above why didnt he just walk out then he probably wouldnt have wanted to kill himself??

[edit on 19/11/09 by Lucifer84]

reply to post by chiron613


Yeah No one would Willing Subject themselves to Torture for the Sake of a Good Deed. That sort of thing only Happens in Fairytales, Right?

I thought this was worthy of a bump and was wopndering if anyone had any further details about the case.

Here are a few details of famous inmates which may allow for assassination or information collecting requirements. I've only found a handful that were there during his incarceration but going down the road of him being so powerful you'd think he'd want to be there rather than have to be there.

I really am interested in this case and look forward to people's ideas of what is could have been and for why.

-m0r