The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-09-06
ASTOUNDING CREDULITY.
A Gypsy Woman Swindles a Man out
of $4,000.

of $1,000.
The Sedalia (Mo.) Times gives the fol.
lowing particulars of a huge swindle lately
perpetrated near that place:
A. A. Reeves is quiet, well to do farm
er, living about six miles northwest of this
city, on the Georgetown road. By lard
work and frugal living he had acquired the
farm upon which he resides, aud about
81 900 in money. Week before last, how
ever, he was victimized in an almost incred-
iblc manner, to the extent of Sc, 000-an
amount which it will perhaps take half the
earnings of his life time to repay.
On Thursday, August LIST, company of
gpsies, consisting Of three men and one
woman, encamped near Mr.. Reeves house.
The woman called on Mr. Reeves the same
day, representing to him that she was
clairroyant and fortune teller, and that she
was endowed with secret gift which ena-
bled her to reveal the past and future of alt
things sublunary Furthermore, she In.
formed Mr.. Il. that she was spiritualist,
and that the spirits had communicated to
her the astounding fact that somewhere on
his (Mr. RS farm, immense quantities of
gold and silver had been hidden by some
one at time whence the memory of maa
runneth not to the contrary" The charm
ing woman continued to visit Mr.. r. s
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 in posses
sion of six thousand dollars with which to
perform the necessary incantaiion. Strange
as it may seem, Mr.. Reeves gave credence
to this story-the woman completely infat-
mated him, leading him withersoever she
would. He promised her he would obtain
the money S6,o00l, and each swore the
other to eternal secrecy. Mr.. r. had 1865
in his own possession, and he quietly Dor
rowed enough from different members of
his family to make up the thousand, with
out limiting the purpose for which he want
ed it. He then came to Sedalia, and mort
gagged his farm to Mr.. Reece Hughes, to
the amount of s., 900, payable in ninety
days, at two and half per cent. month.
He thereupon returned home without in
forming any member of his family what his
mission had been to Sedalia stealthily met
his enehantress and told her he was ready
for the incantation The woman took the
money, and made a roll of it, wrapped it Sc
curely in piece Of cotton cloth, and, as if
to make assurance doubly 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
| a revelation from the spirits IS to the exact
locality where the treasure was to be found.
! She took Dir. Reeves into room where
there could be no witness of the mysterious
con,urations, had him to stand in the cen
ter of the floor, and with uplitted hands re.
peat the Lords Prayer, while she in pos.
! session Of the package OF money, performed
evolutions round about him, mysteriously
chanting during the time. This perform
ance concluded, the woman placed what
was ostensibly the package Of money in one
of Mr. Il. hands, and charged him at the
peril of destroying the spell, not to let the
| package go ont of that particular hand, I'M
! til he had hidden it in some safe and secret
place, where, undisturbed, it was to remain
! for the period of four days, when Mr.. 4.
was to 90 and get it, and meet his enchant-
ress at spring near by, when the two in
company would proceed to the place where
| the hidden treasure was buried. Mr..
| Reeves obeyed these injunctlons strictly,
telling no one of any part OF the transac-
| tons, hid what be supposed was his pack
| age Of SIX thousand dollars safely away, and
I the exact moment when the four days ex
PRED, sought his package and found it,
but alas instead Of containing the six
thousand dollars, it only contained the dis
| connected fragments of one Of Beadles
Dime Novels. Our readers can imagine
Mr. r. 5 feelings of disappointment, indlg
nation and chagrin at this stage of the pro-
ceedings. He sought his charmer at the
spring, but alas! she was nowhere visible.
The gipsies had
Folded their tents like the Arabs,
Aud silently stole away"