The record-union., 1896-06-07
PALMlSTRY ANDPHRENOLOGY
Each Tries Its Hand Upon Simon Raten,
Murderer.
One Reads From a Plaster Cast, the
Other From a Photograph
Odd Results.

A Sacramento woman has been en-
gagged for some time in making a study
of palmistry, and is convinced that
there is more in it than the world at
large is willing to concede. She pro-
cured from Sheriff Johnson plaster
cast of the palm of Raten, the murder
er, who is now confined in the insane
asylum, and below the Record Union
gives as a matter of curiosity the re-
suit of her reading of the palm of the
man who has put at least three human
beings to death, and is now in an asy-
lum either an insane man, or playing
the officials, as is not at all improbable.
Prior to reading Raten's hand, our
Sacramento student of palmistry has
this to say of the mystic art:
The greatest truth may lie in smallest
| things,
The greatest good in what we most de-
SpiSe;
The greatest light may break from dark
est skies,
The greatest chord from cen the weak
| est strings
If any science, art or work hcS for its
beginning, it's object and it's end the
improvement of humanity and the ad-
vancement of the race, then that work,
art or science deserves the encourage
ment and recognition that is it's due.
Know thyself'' is the simplest but
grandest sermon that can ring within
our ears. BY the knowledge of nature
do we honor nature. Let US, then,
consider the study that can give
such knowledge. 1t may be we'll here
to defend palmistry from the attacks
of the church. Let US examine for a
moment the right of the church to at
| tack it.
| We find that the Bible, upon which
the creeds of the modern church are
founded, is tinged with the mysticism
common to it's time; that it encourages
prophecy, and that it teaches fate,
which three things in the study of
palmistry arouse the wrath of the
church, and are denominated as sor-
Gerry, witchcraft and everything else
contrary to the teachings of God
In view Of the opposition of the
church, it is interesting to notice the
many important phrases in the Bible
in which hands are mentioned. The
most important verse used in support
of this is the seventh of the thirty
seventh chapter of Job. In the orig
inal Hebrew it appears to have very
different meaning from that given to
it in the English version. One transla-
ton of it runs: God placed signs or
seals in the hands of men that all men
might know their works." Now, let
those who feel interest, please look up
their Hebrew. 1 am open to correc-
ton.
Among other verses that seem to
bear relation to this point might be
mentioned Proverbs, ill.,, IS: Length of
days is in her right hand" ETC.; 1. Sam
uel XVI, IS: What evil is in mine
hand; Revelations, xiv, 8: "And re-
ceive his mark in his forehead or his
hand
The hand of Simon Raten is small and
of comic type, denoting impulse and
instinct The third finger Ghe finger
of the SUM is excessively long, almost
equal to the second; it denotes the ma
tCre that looks at life in the light of a
lottery; one that CANDLES with all
things-money, life and danger-but
one endowed withal with strong ar
| tiStic instinct and talents
The hand is free from lines betray-
ing mental worry or a troubled nature.
The line of life is closely connected witt
that Of head, showing that life is guided
by reason and intelligence, but ex-
tremely sensitive about everything
which affects self.
The line of head is abnormally short
it foreshadows some early death and a
nature very material. No abnormal
tendency for crime is shown. The line
of heart, rising between the first and
second fingers, gives a calm, deep ma
ture in matters Of love; quiet and sub
dued in passion. The line here is low down
on the hand, and if the line of head we're
longer, the heart would interfere with
the affairs of the head, and unhappi-
ness regarding the affections result in
early life.
There is no sign of a line Of fate or
destiny Quck). There is indicated more
a vegetable kind of existence; one not
able to feel acutely either happiness or
the reverse.
There is complete absence of the line
of sun, meaning much concerning the
artistic talent spoken Of Though he
may work hard, he will find the recog-
milton of the world difficult to gain
There are two lines of marriage. /
don't like to write it, but you will find
a square rising above the line of head
under Saturn. 1t foretells preservation
from some danger to the head The
poor fellow is bad enough off, as it is,
in lunatic asylum, nevertheless I am
honest in my delineatiOn
The line of heart also runs through a
square, denoting some heavy trouble
brought about by the affections under
Saturn. l have not the subject before
me in person, and much must there
fore be omitted, as the back of the
hand, the nails, the skin, the color. the
thumbs, etc.
To be perfectly fair testing in the
mystic reading of the hand of Raten
and the ascertainment of his traits
therefrom, the lady concluded to have
phrenologists read the mans character
from portraits. She accordingly pro-
cured from Sheriff johnson two photo
graphs of the murderer and submitted
them for chronological and physiog-
nomical reading or analysis to Dove &
Sprague, phrenologists.
1t will be found that the two readings
do not agree. The Record Union" is
BY no means approving either method
Of analyzing character, nor vet say
ing that there is nothing whatever in
either-in short, it is passing no opinion,