The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-30
swIEDLzD BY A GYPSY QUEEN.
HOW a Citizen of Roanoke county
Va. Parted with $4,000.
F,,om the Washington Star.

zou a Citizen of Roanoke County,
Va. Parted with $4,000.
From, the Washington Star.
Tbare died last Wednesday, near Salem,
Va David E. Trout, well-knoWn and
well-to-do farmer of Roanoke
oa,,,,+v q brother Of Hon. Henry S. Trout,
Tho represented that district in the Senate
~ Virginia from 1882 to 1885. Mr.. Trout
o-vned one of the best farms in the county,
1.;n, about midway between Salem and
10 citv of Roanoke, Immediately on the
Sorfolk and Western railroad. Though
somewhat reserved and quiet in his manners
I@,rssa popular man and one in whom
ne ne ono had confidence, the best evidence
HIGH is that be had been elected one or
a. sunervisors of the county during sew
vi successive terms and was chairman OF
tba hoard at the time of his death. he
ros regular and temperate in his habits,
s+rict church member, and was looked upon
oe n prudent, industrious and thrifty man,
e1nosed not only to be ont of debt, but TO
80 money laid up In 1877 a gang of
+roIIino gypsiss came into his neighbor-
bood and made an enchmpment about
.-oIe from his house, and while the rem
snent their time going around swapping
borses the women occupied themselves in
fortune telling. Matilda T. Worton, the
f was not known at the time.
MR.. TRoUT's SILVER MINE.
Tbrea vears afterward, on April 6, 1880,
D. f. Trout appeared before one OF the
courts in Brooklyn, accompanied by Detect
i've John Wren of Richmond, and the
msvor of Newark, n. J., to identify Ma
aida T Worton, (who was then con-
Fned in the Brooklyn jail on a charge of
swindling one William Jessup, of Prince
ton Ind. out of 80, 250, and who was
charged bv David E. Trout with swindling
him out of $4,000 in greenbacks in the
wear 1871 Mr.. Trout swore positively as
10 her identity, and proceeded to state that
in the year 1877, while the gypsles were en-
canned near his residence, he received
tbrangh the pos office at Salem a note or
letter signed NJ. T. WortOn. informing him
that size had discovered on his farm, very
near his house, a silver mine, worth at least
million dollars, and appointing time and
Mace where she would meet him and give
hun further particulars. The meeting was
held according to appointment, and she
proceeded to give him further account of
this silver mine, which at some former and
nerhaps remote date had been worked BY
two Iniian chiefs, named Curry and
Fash. who died, leaving the secret of the
existence and value oil the mine, and which
she was willing to communicate to him.
He
PROMISED TO GIVE HER oNE-HALF
if she would take him to the place and
Salty him of its value. To this she replied
that all she would expect in the way of
compensation as to have $4,000 in bank
notes that she could see and handle. When
be told her that he did not have that much
money by him, but thought he
could raise as much as $4,000 i'll
a few days, she SAID that would
be sufficient and he Immediately made a
note which, being well Endorsed, was dis
counted by one of the banks in Lvnchburg;
and a few days afGeward he and the gypsy
woman met at his own house, where he ex
hibited the package f bank notes, which
she took into her hands, examined and
counted carefully, and returned to him
after making various nominations and
prayers over 1t. This was repeated o. sew
eral different occasions, on the last of which
she said to him that everything was work
ing right that the charm was almost ready
to be broken, and that by the next time they
met.
THE SPELL WOULD BE BROKEN
and she would be prepared to conduct him
to the silver mine, but she must have the
package of bank notes in her hand again.
Al the time appointed they met at his house
In a room where there was a large family
Bible a table and the package of bank
notes was presented and placed in the
gypSyS hands, when, after praying over it
aud getting Mr.. Trout to pray over it, she
said that everything was righs but he must
make solemn oath on the Bible that he
would not open the package for three days
after she left the house, when he
could open it and he would find
paper indicating the precise
spot where the silver mine was. Leaving
the package in her hands, he turned round
for a single moment to make oath on the
Bible, and Immediately turned to her again,
when she handed him package of exactly
the same Sze and appearance of the one he
mad moment before placed in her hands.
d ohethen eft the house, charging him not to
N open the package until the expiration of
three days, which he, not suspecUing any
trick, promised her to do, and kept his
Fl promise. But at the end of the three DAYS
ne opened the package in which he found
hotnlng but slips of brown paper resembling
osnK notes in size, but that was all, and the
whole OF his $4,000 was gone.
He DIED POOR AND HOMELESS.
Mr. Trout began a search for the woman
VINO had fled, aud it was only after three
years OF diligent inquiry and sea CHI, with
tle ald OF detective and a shrewd lawyer,
mat he traced her to tue Brooklyn jail,
wnere he fully identified her, but did not
recover d liar of his money. He began
W 20 down hill from the day he lost his
money, pecuniary troubles came upon him,
enJinS IN his mortgaging his tiae farm.
ana unaly being sold out of house and
lohe. Then his health began o fail; he
became Ig detected, care-wo.n and died on
,"eouesday last poverty and home