Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-29
TIFrom the Sedalia Times. 23d.l -
Astounding Credulity-A Missouri
Farmer Gypsfed Out of $4,000
An Amazing Instance of Super



| A. A. Reeves is aquiet well-to-do farm
er, 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 ST.
600 in money. Week before last, however,
he was victimized in an almost incredi-
BILE manner, to the extent of $6,OOO-an
amount which it will, perhaps. take half
i the earnings of his lifetime to repay.
On Thursday. August l, company of
Gypsies, consisting of three men and one
woman, encamped near Mr.. Reeves house.
The woman called on Mr.. n. the same day,
| representing to him that she was clair
voyant fortune teller, and that she was en-
! dowed with secret gift, which enabled
her to reveal the past and future of all
things sublunary. Furthermore, she in
formed Mr. r. 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 memory 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
leigh to tell where the treasure was de-
posted, unless she could be temporarily
placed in possession Of six thousand dol
lars with which to perform the necessary
Reeves gave credence to this story-the
T woman completely infatuated him, leading
whithersOever she would. He promised
her that he could obtain the money
N(S6,O0OG aud each swore the other to eter-
nal secrecy. Mr.. had nine hundred and
siXty-five dollars in his own possession,
and he quietly borrowed enough from diff
ferent members of his family to make up
the thousand dollars, without limiting the
ipurpose for which he wanted it. He then
came to Sedalia. and mortgagcd his farm
to Mr.. Reece Hughes, to the amount of
five thousand dollars, payable in ninety
days at 212 per cent. month. He there
upon returned home without informing
any member of his family what his mis-
sion had been to Sedalia; stealthily met
! his enchantress and told her he was ready
| for her incantation.
The woman took the money, made roll
| of it, wrapped it securely in piece of cot
| ton cloth, and-as if to make assurance
doubly sure-she then took a 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 eXhOrt 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 witnesses of the mysterious conjura-
! tions, had him to stand in the center of the
| floor, and with uplified hands, repeat the
| Lords prayer, while she, in possession of
! the package OF money, performed evolu-
tiOns round about him, mysteriously chant
( ing during tie 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 pack
age go out of that paI ticular hand, until he
\ had hidden it in some safe and secret place,
where, undisturbed, it was to remain for
the period of four days, when Mr.. R. was
| to go and get it, and meet his enchantress
at spring near by, when the two in COM
pany would proceed to the place where the
| hidden treasure was buried.
Mr.. Reeves obeyed these injunctions
strictly, telling no one of any part of the
! transaction, hid what he supposed was his
package of six thousand dollars safely
| away, and at the exact moment when the
four days expired, sought his package and
found it, but alas instead of containing
/ the $4,000, it only contained the discon-
| nected fragments of one of Beadle's Dime
Novels. Our readers can imagine Mr.. r. 8
| feelings of disappointment, Indignation
| and chagrin mt this stage of the proceed
ings. He sought his charmer at the spring,
but, alas! she was nowhere visible. The
Gypsies had
Folded their tents like the Arabs,
And silently stole away"
| This is certainly one of the most aston
ishing instances of credulity on record
In reading it one would suppose the victim
must have been insane. But when we con-
slider that Mr.. Reeves is an upright, sober
and industrious farmer, the transaction
seems almost incredible. 1t can only be
regarded as an additional confirmation of
the adage of old: There is nothing new
under the sum-