The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-17
TFrom the Sedalia (Mo. Times. ]
ASTOUNDING CREDgLITY.
GYPSY WOMAN SwINDLEs MAN OUT
OF $4,000.

A GYPSY WOMAN swINDLEs A MAN OUT
OF $4,000.
A. A. Reeves is quiet, well-to-do
farmer, living about six miles northwest
of this city, on the Georgetown road.
By hard work and frugal living, he had
acquired the farm upon which he resides,
and about 81 900 in money. Week he
fore last, however, he was vlctimized
in an almost incredible manner to the
extent of $6,O0O-an amount which it
will perhaps take half the earnings OF
his lifetime to repay.
On Thursday, August l, a company
ofgypsies, consisting of three men and
one woman, encamped near Mr.. Reeves
house. The woman called on MIR. Il.
the same day, representing to him that
she was clairvoyant, fortune teller, and
that she was endowed with a secret
gift, which enabled her to reveal the
past and future of all things sublunary.
Furthermore, she informed Mr.. Il. that
she was a spiritualist, and that the
spirits had communicated to her the
astounding fact that somewhere on his
(Mr. R.'s) farm immense quantities of
gold and silver had been hidden by
some one at time whence the memo
ry of man runneth not to the contrary
- The charming woman continued to
visit Mr.. RS house from day to day,
and finally informed him that the spirits
would not deign to tell where the
treasure was deposited unless she could
be temporarily placed i'll possession OF
$4,000 with which to perform the ne
cessary incantation. Strange as 1t may
seem, Mr.. Reeves gave credence to this
story-the woman completely infatuat-
ed him, leading him whithersoever she
would. He promised her that he would
Obtain the money (S6,OO0), and each
swore the other to eternal secrecy. Mr.
r. had 1865 in his own possession, and
he quietly borrowed enough from diff
ferent members of his family to make
up the thousand, without limiting the
purpose for which he wanted it. He
came then to Sedalia, and mortgaged
his farm to Mr.. Reeve Hughes, to the
amount of $4,000, payable in ninety
days, at two and half per cent a
month. He Jhereupon returned home,
without informing any member of his
family what his mission had been to
Sedalia; stealthily met his enchantress
and told her he was ready for the in
cantation. The woman took the money,
made roll of it, and then proceeded to
wrap it up securely in piece of cotton
cloth, and, as if to make assurance
doubtly sure, she then took long
string and tied it many times around
the roll of money. She returned the
next day, when the final ceremonies
took place which were to inevitably
extort revelation from the spirits as to
the exact locality where the treasure
was to be found. She took Mr.. Reeves
into room where there could be no
witness Of the mysterious COMPUTATIONS,
had him to stand in the centre of the
floor, and with uplifted hands repeat
the Lords Prayer, while she, in pos
session of the package of money, per-
formed eyolutions round about him,
mysteriously chanting during the time.
The performance concluded, the woman
placed what was ostensibly the package
of money in one of Mr.. RS hands, and
charged him, at the peril of destroying
the spell, not to let the package 60 out
of that particular hand until be had
hidden it in some safe and secret place,
where, undisturbed, it was to remain
tor the period of four days, when Mr..
X. was to go and get it, and meet his
enchantress at spring near by, when
the two in company would proceed to
the place where the hidden treasure
was buried. Mr.. Reeves obeyed these
lnJunctions strictly telling no one of
any part of the transactions, hid what
ne supposed was his package of $4,000
safely away, and at the exact moment,
SaD, wnsn the four days expired, sought his
package and found it, but alas instead
-, containing the $4,000, it only con-
ona o~lneo the disconnected fragments of
rne reaa OF Beadle's dime novels. Our
tdaaers of 1i can imagine Mr.. RS feelings
cb.o oulsappointment, indignation, and
LII at this sf aua of +bo oool1;,rxs Il