Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-04-21
Fortune Tellers
As Crooks
Methods They Have Employed 10
Get Money From Trust
ina Victims.

~ AuHNo lhNA'' 80
o q regarded as Il compare
y lively harmless individual,
wow simply possessing himself
by trlckery Of the shilllngs
and sovereigns Of fools He Is, how
ever, generally a suggester of crime
and n blackmailer, says London An
swers. In that description ! include
the ladies' with the gentlemen who
practice the art. There are as many
women practcers of these evil meth
DDS as there are men, ana n vastly
greater number of their victims are
ladies.
In 1898 a woman was convicted OF
having stolen jewels worth $500 be-
longing to her mistress, a Liverpool
lady. The prisoner had been 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, ut
one of the chief hotels, the girl met n
woman with whom she became friend
~. The stranger narrated how she
had her fortune told by marvellous
woman, and the maid naturally longed
to have peep into her future. she
accordingly went to the fortune teller,
being introduced by her companion.
This woman was Il mere accomplish
of the seer" sharing the profits of the
business, and living at the hotel in
order 10 ,s,oet victims. The mulu, 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 n 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-
ton for the purpose of subsequent
backmAil 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 n case which came before one of
the law courts some time ago the meth
DDS Of the fashionable fortune telling
preypr We're revealed in q startling
fashion A gentleman OF very cOnsid-
cradle wealth, his Young and pretty
wife and her maid were staying Mt
MentOne. Among the persons they
met at the hotel was q very delight
FIJI lady, who, by the fascination Of
tune, qulckly won the admiration Of
the young wife. They decided Ia 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
confided them to her lady friend In
the course OF many chats-"more faults
than yOu know You might have mar
ried better. There is n gentleman here
now-rich, titled, prepossessing in ev-
cry way-who loves you passionately.
He is related to n royal family"
The young lady was startled, fat
tered and curious, but more the swim,
dler 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
sho could 90 TO drag from the fortuna
teller further particulars
In Il few days she brought the news
that the prince had dark brown hair,
was fond Of dancing, and would be
at a masked ball to be held night on
two later. So much the seer had dis
covered, but he would say no moro
than tina 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
to be resisted.
1t was a trap TO enable the fortune
teller to blaCkmail the young wife af-
terward, and the villiany was only dis.
covered when the lady was proceeded
against by a money lender for sums
l,n,mp,unI tn 81 thn hlnn1StIclynpS
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
whom it is deemed worth vIctimizing,
is a comparatively modern develop.
ment in the art of Matchmaking,
The idea that the fortune teller IL
vulgar fraud is altogether wrong, 40
swindler is possessed OF greater ability
and mscrupulOusness.
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, lie laid plan by
which each lady was persuaded TO con.
suit fortune teller, who gave her
such n description Of De Tourylle rs
her future husband, and rs the only
man with whom she had q chance Of
happiness.
Lacenare, the assassin, said he had
known for years that he should be
guillOtined rs it had been fOretOld by
fortune teller. The man he consulted
was n paImist, and. examining La
cenaire's hand, he suddenly exclaimed:
Did you kill the man you wished
to kill?"
mo, nor shrieked LecenNre, too hor-
rified TO withdraw his hand.