The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-10-22
AyERyBAD DAME FORTUNE.
Practices That Would Disgrace the
Out-of.the-W Way Dens Of Large Cities
In Full Operation in the Very Midst
of the Capital Of the Hoosier
Commonwealth.
rrnd,anspolis Sentinel, October II.

for the life OF me see how some persons can
live within the shadows of our church spires
and commit the crimes they do. Do you
know hundreds of young girls and married
women. too, who should know better,
are being : led astray every year
bv the influences of old hags who are known
as fortune tellersg" The reporter replied
that he had heard of such things in other
cities, but was not aware that such doings
were being carried on in Indianapolis
why" said he, Il know of young mar
ried lady whohad one of the best of husbands,
who has within the past few months been
tolled away from all that is true and good
by one of these women calling herself a for
tune teller and a base man who had be-
come charmed by her beauty, and
now she is an outcast If you would
like to Investigate this matter and make
IL public, l will tell you where one of
these persons live" He gave the re-
porter the name and number of fortune
teller residing in the northwestern part OF
the city. Said he, "IfIyou will 60 up and tell
her that a friend sent you and pretend to
want your fortune told, l have no doubt
that she will expose to you her scheme of
roping thoughtless young girls and foolish
married women into her clutches
The reporter took the proffered address, and
a day or two after the above conversation,
sauntered up the street named. He found
neat little cottage, painted in the purest
white, with green shutters, and pretty
lawn in front. Upon the side of the house
was tin sign which read: Madame -,
fortune teller. The past, present and
future made clear to ALL" He knocked on the
front door, which was opened by tall, spare
built, sandy-haired woman that might have
seen the SHOWS of thirty winters or those
of fifty. She very politely asked the Knight
of the pencil in, showed him topa seat, and
then inquired:
Did you come to have your future
read. ?' 20 sf1
The reporter hardly knew what to say.
He had not visited her to have his future
read, but to try and learn something of her
past history and more especially to learn
her mode of carrying on her business. The
reporter replied that he did not know
whether he wished his fortune told
or not; he had but little faith in such
things, but friend who was acquainted with
her had told him that she could do wonder
full things.
co. said she, maybe you have some
lady friend whose fortune you would like
to have told? l am good hand at such
matters. Now, if you would like to have
some ladys future read, | will go TO her
house and tell her all about her future life
| and will only charge you 81 for my SER
vices"
Now the reporter was in deep water. He
did not want his own future read, nor had
he lady friend (?) whose future he cared to
have read, and he was just on the eve of don
| ming his hat and bidding the woman good
afternoon, when she said
II do lots of work for the rich young gen
tlemen of this city. Why, only the other
day rich young man gave me $50 to fix il
| so that he could get acquainted with young
and beautiful married lady. 1 did it and
| earned my money. You see all us folks
have 10 live for is money"
How did you accomplish the matter OF
bringing these two people in a position SO
they could become acquainted asked the
wonderfied reporter. THAT was easy enough
You see all you have to do is to give me the
name of the lady you want to see; whether
single or married, where she lives and a
description of her, and l will be sure to fix
she be rich or poor"
But, madam, how do you manage the
affair? Is it not difficult?'
mo, sir. You see have arranged it for
hundreds Okyoung men, and old ones, too,
and have never been caught yet. You see,
after get the address of the lady you desire
| to see, and description of her so that l will
| peddler of trinkets, and go to the house to
sell my goods. When the right lady comes
and looks at my stock land | always fix
| it so she will look at some of my goods,
/ catch her by the hand and begin tell
ing her something about herself (which
you have already told me) You see
that gets her interested L tell her that
she has bright future, or that she is in
danger of some great trouble, and then give
her the number of my house and tell her
If she will call on me on such day. at
such an hour. that l will furnish her
with stone that will act as
| talisman for her and warn her of trouble
by changing its color Ninety-nine times
out of a hundred she will agree to call on
me, and then let the gentleman know the
day and hour that she will be at my house,
and he can drop in to have his for
tune told. / will introduce the two, and
then they can do what they please. There
IS hardly day but what am employed in
this kind of work, and L tell you have
some OF the finest looking young ladies in
the city call at my house." s1a 4,-
What are your charges for this kind of
work.
20 that depends on how much trouble
am put to and the size OF the gentlemans
pOcketbook for whom am doing the work.
My prices range from 81 to SIS. You see
houses of rich persons and securing an in
terview with the young lady or the lady of
the house than / do in poor families.
sometimes l have to make number of
visits to rich mans house before can see
his daughter, and have to play several diff
ferent roles Of course do not always play
peddler, but rig myself up in all kinds of
DISCUSSES. You see this little home of mine?
1 have bought it with the money have
made in this way" a
After the above conversation the woman
seemed to feel that she was talking most too
much regarding her mode of operations i'm
tolling yirtuOus women into her tolls. and
refused to talk further on the subject The
reporter applied the pumping process but
it would not work. The old womans mouth
was closed as tight as an oyster on the sub
ject of securing young women for base and
unprincipled men who visit and secure aid
in running the wife, daughter or sister of
some honest and honorable man. a I9|
This is all going On right under the very
nose of the police, who never seem to in
quire into such things. 1t would be well
for ladies to watch these old women who
visit their homes for the purpose OF ''ped-
ding trinkets," and who see in their hands
"a good or bad future" The reporter, when
he found that the woman would talk no fur
ther regarding her occupation of sin, prom
ised to call again and have his future read,
and then left the degraded creature with the
intention of blocking her little game, If pos
sible .o-..,
He Kept the Money.
A Southern Baptist paper tells the follow