The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-06
COULD MAKE JEWELS
BRING GOOD FORTUNE
Waved Ills Magic Wand When
Envelopes Were Brought to
Him, and When Brought
Third Time They Were
Empty and He
Was Gone.
.Lspselal to rhe .rlme..pl.pa.el,.

swindle, by which many society
IN people OF Bristol. including some
II Of the more wealthy were hum
bugged out OF large sums OF
money, diamonds and valuable jewelry
by clever young stranger, has jus:
come TO light as the result OF confes-
stons made to the police.
Ten days ago man giving his name
as zeno Miller, and claiming to be a
resident OF Georgia, came to Bristo!
and gaining the confidence OF the go
ciety set by his fascinating manner
represented himself as being an ex-
pert fortune-teller. mind-reader and
+sieight-of Off hand man. Miller was ap-
5phrently about twenty-eiGht years old
and rather handsome individual
whose manner OF dress greatly pleas
ed the society set. He procured a
license from the city authority to open
fortune-telIing and mInd-reading par
lor In Bristol. This was accepted Us
an evidence on the part OF those whose
confidence he had sought that he was
not one of the everyday fakes of mol
ern times.
Could Bring Good Fortune.
Ihe society people took to MIN
readily and he had no trouble to or
ganize large class OF patrons. He
represented himself as having charm
next to divine power to Influence
money. jewelry and diamonds to briuS
good fortune to their Eossessors.
In this way he Induced his patrons
to bring money and Jewels ~ - bin, IN :
The money he would count and seal
In envelopes in the presence of his
patrons. When he had done this he
commanded them to take the envelopes
nome. conceal them where they would
not be disturbed. and return them to
him In twenty-four hours. Upon their
return with the envelopes, Miller would
wave his wand about the packages
open them and count the money to
convince his patrons that no deception
was being practiced More money or
Jewels WAS then added and the en-
'Selopes resealed. Upon the third visit
we same experiment was repeated. and
the patrons Were advised to secrete
tnf envelopes for three days, after which
'they might return them and have the
WONDERS OF the experiment revealed
Miller Gone-nnd Money.
Upon their return to A1iller's parlor
after the third day they found that the
stranger had fled, and when the ex-
cited victims opened their envelopes
they realized for the first time that
they had been humbugged. In this way
II Is estimated the stranger succeeded
in taking his departure from Bristol
unstispected, With several thousand
dollars and much valuable jewelry in
his possession.
On account of the delicate nature of
the scheme and the embarrassment and
humiliation it brought the victims
were slow to make the matter known
to the police. Three OF the number re-
luctantly confessed to Policeman Sam
uel Odell. and called for the assistance
OF the police in an effort to locate the
stranger. One of these was a man
who had confided in NVller to the ex-
tent of trusting $1,000 in one of his
envelopes Another woman. was mi
nus s2o4.50 in cash. Another woman
placed two valuable diamond rings in
one of the ill-fatcd envelopes. Still
another woman. who had contributed
;sS5. which she had earned by hard ef-
forts as a stenographer, wrung her
hands and wept as she confessed to
the police that her money was gone.
Others have kept their humiliating se-
cret.
Made Good Haul.
The police believe, from information
Cleaned from those who have confessed
to having been victimized. that the
strangerle left Bristol with probably sew
eral thousand dollars and much valu-