New-York tribune., 1906-10-27
4 FORTUNE TELLER'S TRICK.
One Method Of Telling Patrons Name and
Desires Exposed,
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: To those who superstitious nothing
seems absurd than the influence that the pro-
fessiona fortune tellers have their victims. It
is surprising the number OF apparently intelligent
persons who visit these for advice in affairs
Of love- business, and TO pick winners in horse
races. If the future be not truly foretold they
brand that particular oracle fake" and hunt up
another, but these fortune tellers tell you what is
TO happen years away but never in the future,
so they cannot be Immediately found out Many
OF the fortune teers' supporters, and in fact.
most Of them. being from the ignorant and poorer
classes I'll afford the money they pay to these
faxrs.
It is apparent 70 the average person that the
proper place TO go for advice is to good, level
headed friend who is acquainted with all the cir
cunstances, rather than 70 some one who knows
none of the conditions
Relieving that an exposure Of their Introductory
test will do much toward disilusionizng at least
a few Of their adherents, explain the trick. as
follows: -l 5-
The fortune teller adyertises in the daily papers
that he Will tell your name. address and other IN
formation A proof Of his powers. You go to
his parlors There are others waiting and you take
sseaed seae e BY cooped boy into small room the
furnishings OF which ordnary-a table chairs.
To 6ds e ofGne Eer sa1S 9p 9 to de snd
like, and tells fortunes by correspondence You sit
Your lame the name Of some other person and
finished writing. ring a small dining table bell
which is put before you Then he leaves the
room, takes your paper. tears It UP and throws 1t
in the waste basket Then he sits directly in front
q Ba hands op dean and & ass yoS 10 wh
he writes eXcitedly on g. slate. When you nave
finished your writing he begins: Mr.. so-and-S So
toalling you by your name which you nad written
repeating your question word for word. and giving
an appropriate answer. Concluding. he asks you II
you are satisfied. and If SO. you pay a dollar and
have your told. The solution is very SIM
few days ago called on a man at q certain
number in West 44th street, near the Hotel Astor
who was recommended TO a real fortune
teller After writing my name, etc, on the sheet Of
paper and while he was out OF the room stuffed
other there. When he came in he took the
paper I had written and apparently tore it up,
but really substituted piece of blank paper he had
IN his hand. and tore that up, deposttng II in the
waste paper basket. Then, after telling to write
the names Of my five departed friends on the pad
he sat down directly in front Of and picked
in his left hand. wrote noisiy at the top with his
right
note which he did behind the slate with his left
hand while writing with his right. When he had
half completed the test he was called 10 the tele-
phone, which opportunity took 10 fish the scraps
Of what was supposed to be my from the
waste paper basket. He insisted my returning
the pieces him. which would not do. and he
purpose but I would not do so. and now have
them. They perfectly blank.
There are others IN the same locality that use
practically the same trick From the valuable
paintings IN the West 4th street house I should
Infer fortune telling is profitable. There were two
people IN the waiting room when came out, one
It is obvious that man who has 70 resort to
such tricks TO learn what IS a piece of paper
cannot foretel the future
Hoboken, Oct a. 1905