Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-03-30
Fortune TelIers !
As Crooks
Methods They Have Employed to
Get Money From Trust
ing Victims.
Y Y Y Y Y

SIMPLY possessing hlmselI
by trickery of the shilllngs
and sovereigns of fools. He is, how
ever. generally a suggester Of crime
and a blackmailer, says London An
swers. In that description include
the ladies' with the gentlemen who
practice the art. There are as many
women practicers of these evil meth
DDS as there are men, and a vastly
greater number of their victims are
ladies.
In 1893 a woman was convicted of
having stolen jewels worth $500 be-
longing to her mistress, a Liverpool
lady, The prisoner had been a lady's
maid for four years. She was young
only twenty-three, intelligent, honest.
In the Easter Of '9s she accompanied
her mistress to Eastbourne. where. at
one OF the chief hotels. the girl met a
woman with whom she became friend
ly. The stranger narrated how she
had her fortune told by a marvellous
woman, and the maid naturally longed
to have a peep into her future. She
accordingly went to the fortune teller,
being introduced by her companion.
This woman was a mere accomplice
of the seer" sharing the profits of the
business, and living at the hotel in
order to meet victims. The maid, after
her conviction, and while working her
sentence, confessed all, and gave an
account of what took place at the in
terview. The seer had subtly sug-
gested the robbery to her, had limited
that it would be successful, and had
pointed out that the money which
might be realized through it was sorely
needed If the girl was to make certain
of the affections of the young fellow in
love with her, who, the fortune teller
stated, was wavering beneath the
temptation of a marriage with another
girl who was better off, but who would
make him miserable. The maid fell
into the trap laid for her. She stole
the jewels and was quickly discovered.
The suggestion Of crime or indiscre-
tion for the purpose of subsequent
blackmail is part of the business OF
most fortune tellers. The chief cpl
denies of secret poisoning by women
have almost invariably been found to
have their origin in the foul den of the
pretended seer-male or female.
In case which came before one of
the law courts some time ago the meth
DDS of the fashionable fortune telling
preyer were revealed in startling
fashion. A gentleman of very consid-
erable wealth, his young and pretty
wife and her maid were staying at
Mentone. Among the persons they
met at the hotel was a very delight
full lady, who. by the fascination of
her manner and elegance of her cos
tune. quickly won the admiration of
the young wife. They decided to visit
a palmist in the town.
The delightful stranger, an accom-
plice of the fortune teller, had. Of
course, instructed him in all the infor-
nation he required respecting the vic
tim before the meeting.
You are married." he told the lady,
"and are moderately happy. Your
husband has faults"-the victim had
eontided them to her lady friend in
the course of many chats-"mOre faults
than you know. You might have mar
ried better. There is a gentleman here
now-rich. titled. prepossessing in ev-
cry way-who loves you passionately.
He is related to royal family"
The young lady was startled, fat
tered and curious, but more the swim
der pretended he could not tell her
then, and the lady and her companion
left him. She was naturally excited to
know who the royal person might be.
Her companion undertook to try what
she could do to drag from the fortune
teller further particulars.
In few days she brought the news
that the prince had dark brown hair,
was fond of dancing, and would be
at masked ball to be held a night or
two later So much the seer had dis
covered, but he would say no more
than that if the lady went to the ball
the prince would doubtless see her and
reveal himself. The temptation to
learn who he really was was too great
10 be resisted.
1t was a trap TO enable the fortune
teller to blaekmail the young wife af-
terward, and the vllliany was only dis
covered when the lady was proceeded
against by a money lender for sums
borrowed to satisfy the bloodsuckers,
when Mt last she confessed her foolish
ness TO her husband.
The system of employing as decoys
fascinating and well dressed women,
who take their places at the best no.
tells as visitors and insinuate them
selves into the confidence of ladies
whom it is deemed worth ylctimizing,
is comparatively modern develop
ment in the art of blackmailing.
The idea that the fortune teller is a
vulgar fraud is altogether wrong. No
swindler is possessed OF greater ability
and unscrupulousness.
The scoundrel De Tourville, who
murdered two of his wives for money,
had recourse to fortune tellers to per
suade the ladies whom he had marked
for his victims to accept him. In both
cases the ladies had large fortunes.
Having ascertained their wealth and
other particulars, he laid a plan by
which each lady was persuaded to con
suit fortune teller, who gave her
such a description of De Tourville as
her future husband, and as the only
man with whom she had a chance of
happiness.
Lacenaire, the assassin, said he had
known for years that he should be
guillotined, as it had been foretold by
a fortune teller. The man he consulted
was a palmist. and, examining La
eenaire's hand, he suddenly exclaimed:
Did you kill the man you wished
to kill?"
''No, noP' shrieked Leeenaire, too hor-
rified to withdraw his hand.
"You didF' declared the fortune
teller. "You will die on the scaffold."
And Lecenaire, who "believed in
nothing" believed him. What wonder
if men and woisen of ordinary ere
dulity. startled bS the revelation of