Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-10
HOODED BY AN EGYPTIAN.
A Strange Case of Mental Halluci-
nation at Newton, Ia.
FRAoTIcINo THE BLACK ART.
An Old Woman Narrowly Escapes
Being Swindled out of All Her
Earthly Possessions Bya
Female Fraud.
A Newton Sensation.

DEs MoINBs, Ia, May Especial Tele-
gram to The BEE. "A startling case Of at
tempted swindling and mental hallucination
is reported from Newton, Jasper county.
The victim is an elderly woman, living alone,
and possessed of considerable property.
Tuesday morning she called at the bank
where she had deposits, and requested the
president of the bank TO call at her house,
during the day. He did so and was informed
that she wanted to draw =, 900, and wanted
hlm to bring the money to the house, stating
that she was going to make an Investment.
When the banker learned that she was going
TO keep the money in the house, he strongly
demonstrated, since she was entirely alone.
Finally she said she would see if a check
would not do as well as the currency.
Yesterday she returned, saying that she
must have the money, and in large bills, and
that it would be safe. for she would hide it.
AS she grew more confidential she dvu lged
the fact that it was woman who was going
to make so much money for her, and that the
woman was an Egyptian. The banker be-
came at once suspicious that some black art
was being practiced, and he determined to
go to the bottom of the mystery. Telling
her that he would be down in fifteen min
utes, he called the cashier and proceeded to
the house on the preteXt of wanting to pur-
chase it. They made an inspection of the
house, and had almost finished their tour
when, in the last room of the second floor,
| the president, opening the door of dark
closet, beheld, hidden IN the darkest corner
behind the door, the Egyptian. He quietly
slammed the door and summoned the CASH
| Ter, and then ordered the woman
| to come out. The Egyptian came
forth, woman of extraordinary height,
| blue eyes and sharp features.
| Sne protested her innocense, and claimed to
| be friend of the lady in whose house she
| was stopping.
| been begun last fall with kind of hoodoo
| influence. She had told the lady that
through the aid of spirit forces she could
find certain treasures hidden in the yard
| about the place. But in order to find the
| hidden gold, it would be necessary to have
a large pile of money in the house to estab-
| lish sympathetic communication. Fifteen
| hundred dollars was first named last fall,
| butt later the Egyptian said it would take
| s., 600, and had finally convinced her victim.
When the banker went for an officer, the
| Egyptian skipped out and down the railroad
| track, but was overtaken and captured.
People in Newton recognized her as one of
| band camped near there last fall, who
| went around telling fortunes. The woman
| was held for examination and tells
conflicting stories. but said that
her name was Mrs Mary Brewer
| evening Mrs. Brewer was arraigned at New
| ton on charge of vagrancy and was fined
] $50 and costs, which she promptly paid. She
| seemed very anxious to leave town, and took
| the first train west, promising not to come
| back. This morning young man appeared
at Newton with what purported to be "a GER
| tificate of good character for her from q
| party in Des Moines, and he left town with
| her tonight. The people of Newton are
very much aroused over the strange affair.