Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-21
A MONTH IN JAIL FOR
TRUE FORTUNE TELLING
'ecial Correspondence of The Star.

LONDON. March j. 1908.
= EVEN months ago gypsy fortune
- teller told a maid in the employ of
- a miller in small town near Chard,
in Somersetshire. that she would some
| day elope with him. The maid told the
miller and the miller told the police, and
the gypsy got a months hard labor at the
local lookup. A few days ago both the
miller and the maid disappeared. and in
vestigation proves that the fortune teller
prediction has been verified. Under the
circumstances that month In Jail LOOKS
like a bit of Injustice toward the nomad.
but she is getting her revenge. Dozens
of serving maids in Somersetshire have
applied to her for reading, and now
every day is her busy day.
The gypsy goes by the rather pretentious
name of Britannia Manley and is we'll
known in the neighborhood. If you cross
her palm with a SiXpence she Will read
your past. foretell your future and give
you q piece of lace to boot. When the
fates are to be bought at that small figure
it is not strange that the plausible fortune
teller has many customers.
The home of the miller and the maid
who have so strikinsly indicated the
claims of Britannia Maney to prophetic
powers adioins the mill in the village Of
Forton. Walter Heller. the miller, has
two little children. and his wife being
confined in an asylum. he kept maid
The latter was a pretty girl about seven
teen years of age named F'lorrie Tyther
leigh. Seven months ago Britannia came
to the door and called to Florrie, who
was upstairs tending to her household
duties. When the girl came down she
induced her to buy some lace. and then
offered to hold uD the mirror of fate
for her. The girl refused at first but upon
the gypsy declaring that she would tell
her something nice. assented.
The fortune teller took the girls hand
and. bending her dusky head over it for
few moments. professed to draw aside
the veil shroudinG the future. Then she
told the maid that her employers wife
was never coming home. To this she add
ed the Statement that MIR. HELLER was
very fond of the maid and that the maid
was equally fond of the miller. Soon"
she said 'he will ask YOU to take a very
long journey with him. never to return,
and you will go.
This piece Of information. leaving. as it
did, the credulous little girl shaking with
nervousness. was too important to be dis
closed for the original fee of sixpenee
and before she departed Britannia de-
manded and received an extra fee of
like amount
Soon after the gypsy had taken her leave,
Heller, who had been absent returned 70
the house Whereupon Florrie, who
could not keep a secret. up and told him
what the intimate of the fates'' had
told her. He professed TO be highly indig-
nant. and immediately informed the DO
lice Britannica sojourn in jail followed
There was considerable local interest in
the affair at the time. and public opinion
sympathizad with the miller. The gypsy
served her time and went away to other
parts She is a wise fortune teller. so she
has eschewed elopements since then in
her foreca stings Now that HELLER and
the ma id have taken her hint and skipped
the public demand for the same kind Of
readings may be great that she will
have to supply them.