Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-10-23
The GIpsIes.

a band of Gipsies are now in this State, busily
telling fortunes and prosecuting other mysterious
arts with which they are familiar. The ingenious
msnner in which they practice one of their arts il
thus told by the Sedslia Mo- Press Gipsy f.
male fortune-teller being tho the heroine:
/ A company Of rovers, commonly known as Clip
sizes, encamped near the residence Of our country
citizen, A. A. Reeves some weeks since and in ac-
coroanee with their profession, went shout tellng
fortunes, and swindling generally and SO doing
MT Reeves became an unfortunate victim to the
influences OF the sorceres of one of their Gipsey
sPiritualstess" After they had been in the vicin-
lty several days and having visited the house Of
MT reeves Tor the purpose of making stndry pur-
chases, Reeves prompted by curiosity visited their
encampment, during which one Of the fair sex pro-
posed telling his fortune" 20 which, after repeated
solicitations, he consented, paid his dime and
ceiyed for it by way of compensation his and his
fam1lys past history, and the revelation of many
other facts curious and astonishing But 10 give
free scope to the divine attributes Of her mind and
to better secure her object she informed her credu-
lous and deluded victim that she had vet secret to
reveal to him, far greater than all others one by
the revelation Of which he would realize untold
rlchesi Having taken him to one side she inform
ed him that on his premises was deposited, many
years ago, large amount of gold and silver, and
which fact had been communicated 70 her by the
spirit OF his deceased seventh SON But without
his Reeyes assistance, she could not gain possess
sion of IT, and also with his assistance q certain
sam of money, $4,000, consisting of 81 600 bills
wSs essentially requisite TO obtain the treasure-the
money must be procured, brought 20 her. and count
ed by her, so that she would know it was there -
Mr.. Reeves having only 81 900 of the amount, pro-
ceeded post haste TO borrow the other So 0O0 ubi-
liant with the expectation Of shortly being master Of
millions and in his afluence enjoying all the luzu-
ries gold could purchase. Having secured the mo-
her 4
lay before her the necessary ''wherewith" Each of
them counted the "pile" several times the fortune
teller grumbling because they were not all 81 600
bills, hut said 'theyll doT She then placed the
doomed greenbacks in an envelope, slowly and care
fully wrapping the envelope in a cloth and tied it
with string. Having tied several consecutive
knots at the tying of each repeating divers cere-
monies, she then placed the money his coat pock-
ct, with the strict injunction that he go immediate
ly home and deposit it in his trunk and on the
fonrth day from that time, tThursdsy, the 18th day
OF August) at 10 o'clock, he could open it, at which
time she would be at his house "with sacks and wa
gons TO take of her part of the hidden treas
ure;' inquiring if the Sedalia National Bank would
be safe place to deposit it These proceedings,
in the meantime, were not to be communicated to
any living being, under each of their qualified pro-
mises; and TO further solemnize and be aided in
their enterprise she suggested that it was necessary
to kneel and pray, thus invoking Divine assistance
and securing the blessings of Providence in the ac
complishment of their designs Accordingly she
instructed him TO get upon his knees with his face
turned from her, and place his hands over his eyes
he innocently and eonfdingly obeyed the modern
"genii," she at once following suit by kneeling in
his rear, and commencing her petition. While in
that posture, she syy removed the package Of mo-
ney from the unsuspeeting victims pocket and sub
stituted one similar in appearance. Having con-
cuded her orisons they arose. and he being assured
the package was in his pocket, by placing his hand
upon it, proceeded quietly to his house and placed
it under lock and key to await the approach of the
golden moments. The fourth day came, the clock
struck ten, the old gentleman could have been seen
approaching his trunk, key in hand; be applies it
nervously the lock yields, he raises the lid grasps
eagerly the boarded package, opens it, when, hor-
ror of horrors he finds his money no, but in its
stead wad of brown paper. What vacant, NOR
titled look is depicted on his conntenance But we
close the just hero by saying that this scheme
in point of bodness and simplicity of execution has
scarcely parallel in the history of crime and why
Mr.. Reeves would allow himself to be so easily
duped by the Vaccinations of such vagabonds, is
truly subject Of the greatest astOnishment. We
believe only woman could have done it.
The above rowing band consisted Of two men and
two women, in an open top wagon, drawn by one
grey horse. 1t is presumed they took the cars at
this point as their abandoned "dug-out" was found
between here and Georgetown, near a. briek-yard.