Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-15
FORTUNE-TELLING FRAUDS
The Future Revealed for the
Sum of SO Cents.
WHERE PEOPLE ARE GULLED
Fortunes Told by a Greasy
Deck of Cards.
The Familiar Old Fraud Again Appears
in Wilmington. in the Guise of IA Won
derful FOrtune-teller How Gullible
People Waste a Great Deal of Money.

Fifty cents seems to be comparative
small sum to have ones future pre-
dicted from the cradle to the grave; to
have it predicted in marriage, love,
business, courtship and lawsuits. Yet
this is just what Madame Merrill, "the
worlds greatest fOrtune.teller," promises
to do for each and every person who
happens to have the dust on his
clothes which is SO essential TO the
average fortune.teller and astrologcr
To the average reader such person as
Madame Merrill would seem to be en-
dowed with rare supernatural gifts.
For surely any one claiming to have
direct communication with spirit.
dom must be far above the ordinary
mortal. Notwithstanding these marvel
Gus supernatural gifts "the worlds
greatest fortune-teller" charges but 90
cents in lawful American money.
While Madame Merrill has been
luxuIating at No. BIS King street, en-
tlcing weak and unfortunate persons u
have their fortunes told her victims
being confined exclusively to the
poorer Glasses, Mrs. Purrie, an even
greater impostor than the first, has been
| gathering money from the weak and
credulous at No. SO Market street
The pretensicns of Mrs Purrie, "the
greatest known and natural gifted
astrOluger and forlune-teller," are more
colossal than those Of Madame Merrill
| The former claims to convince the most
Skeptical by consulting the planets and
stars, as she says, "uli past, present. and
| future life, giving initials OF those you
| have or will marry, bringing the sepa-
! tp1 foo tlf.p
| riageS, and giving advice on all troubles
| misfortunes, love, cOurtships and law
suits"
| This worthy person goes on to say
that she possesses the power to break up
"spells," whatever that may mean to the
| intelligent mind, and claims to have the
| Conjuring power and to be able to locate
| diseases one Is subject to III life. She
goes on % say: People after years Of
| unforeseen revCrsGs, after trying every
means for gain and advancement, which
! may have offered seeming Inducements
/ to them, find themselves in the even.
| ing of life with wasted energy and in
poverty. Why Simply because they,
III their self-reliancc, neglected to avail
themselves Of the advice which may he
had. The astrologer thoroughly under
.
and mysteries of Egyptian philosophers
who accomplish the most wonderful re
suits which have never before been at.
tempted nor attained by any one else"
Madame Merrill, still continues to do
rushing business at No. 5l3 King
street, where the writer saw her yestel-
day, Although her violation of the
statute is obvious, and her quarters
. ,,, : 4
hull, she has not been mOlcsted by the
police or city officers.
The reporter found the clairyoyant
actively engaged in business yesterday
a tall, middle.agcd man, evidently tic
woman's husband, answered the bell
and ushered the newspaper man into
the presence of wonderful Madame
Merrill. The visitor soon stated the
object of his call and terms were
speedily agreed upon in the sum of 80
cents. Madame Merrill produced pack
OF cards from the drawer of an old crazy
stand and asked the reporter TO shuttle
them. The cards, old and worn,
did not seem 70 possess any extra
ordinary charm, but led the reporter to
wonder whether or not they had been
taken from the JOhnstown Hood.
/ u
she placed the cards on the table as one
would do in a game of faro, "Iou have
u long journey before you. You will
cross the ocean soon. There is some
thing awaiting you there Hero is a
card which indicates that there are some
papers which you are anxious to get,
and then again there seems to be "a letter
for you. can't tell you what il con.
| Yli It1t | bn ~,
will get it, 1t is very important. Here
/ is a card which says you are inclined 10
, speculate in stocks. You are undecided
whether to venture in stocks or not
can assure you that your money will
he we'll invested there. | have been
under the effects of the medium for over
30 years" said Madame Merrill, looking
up from her cards, land during this
time have told the fortunes Of score.
OF the spectators in Wall street
f have never had - single casc in which
my predictions were not fulfilled.
; predicted the great Cook failure several
years ago, and was called Ia BY Mr. JAY
Cook at his residence, in Ogontz.
! told him he would meet VITA heavy
) financial reyerscs, which proved only
too true.
| Then the Clairyoyant tOld Tie usual
story Of tho iight-huircd man and the
! part he was playing in the game; anJ
the wcli-wOn story Of the woman il
the case prevailed. At the conclusion
: Of the narration tie reporter desired L
|, know whether or not the medium callC
> locate for him a friend which he lac
been cndcayoring 10 lind ana whom he
= had not heard from in Yeas The
medium ualp some niVstprioI, luIiinn.