The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-07 00:00:00

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UNION-HALL.

Saturday a man named Samuel Belt, but who is
better known by the nick-name of Pair Ifflp, was
brought before the ittiug Magistrate on a charge of
being a fin-owe-teller. A complaint had been
made previously to the Magistrate, by ROBERT
Gans, the agent employed by the Society for the
Suppression of Vice and Immorality, against• the
prisoner, in which he stated that the prisoner h.td
been for several years past employed in the pritelice
of telling fortunes, and pretending to be a Wizard,
by which he had realized a considerable sum of
money, and in carrying on his nefarious and deceit-
ful profession, had induced many persons to believe
he was really able to foretel their future fortunes
or destiny, by the assistance of the Angel Gabriel,
with whom .he frequently conversed, and by a
knowledge of the holy scriptures ; for which pat.
pose he always made it a praaice to quote twiny
different passages from the Bible to those who came
to him, and by these means so worked upon the
minds of several weak persons, as not only to occa-
sion them great anxiety and distress, but had dis-
turbed the peace of several families. That he
(Gray) had been with him at different times,
Jim the purpose of inquiring of him different
circumstances that might attend his future for-
tune and welfare, at which times he had charged
him, different sums of money, according to
the information required. The last dine he charged
him half-a-crown ; and at the different times Gray
attended him, he found several other persons there,
some in the room with the prisoner, and with whom
he was practising his pretended science ; while
others were waiting for their turn to be admitted—
and among such persons he described, that there
were several of both sexes, who, from their ap-
pearance, would not be suspeaed of such f.olly and
weakness, as many of them appeared to be above
the middling class.
Cpon Gray making an information upon oath be-
fore the Magistrate of these circumstances, a war-
aant was granted to apprehend the prisoner; and to
confirm what Gray stated, he told the Magistrate
he would introduce one of the Officers to the pri-
soner to have his fortune told.

John May, ono of the Officers, was sent with
Gray to execute tae warrant, and when they ar-
rived at the prisoner's house, they found him en-
gaged in the exercise of his profession, with a very
decent-dressed woman, of a very respeaable ap-
pearance, and writing down passages from Setip-
tore. They waited till the prison,r had answered her
such questions as site wished to be resolved, and
then May desired to have his fortune told. The
prisoner took hold of his right hand, and, after ex-
amining the inside, and quoting several passages
from the Bible, foretold him several circumstances
that would occur to him, and made him and Gray
a present of a curious straw ring of various colours.
May then enquired of him his charge, when he told
him he never took the money, but the woman below
did, whom he called up, and May paid her a shil-
ling in the prisoner's presence.
May then inforined the prisoner of the other ob.-
jeft of his visit, and in return predided to the pri-
soner what was likely to happen to him, and took
. him into custody; the prisoner, who was very strong,
resisted the officer, who, with the assistance of Gray,
had much trouble in getting him out of the house ;
and when in the street, he made such resistance as
to occasion a vast crowd of persons to assemble, who
attempted to rescue the prisoner, and it was with
great difficulty that May, with the help of other
officers, got him into ecoach and brought him to
the office.
When he appeared before the Magistrate, his
dress appeared a disguised garb, to give him the ap.

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