The Irish standard., 1909-01-16
HE IS NOT IRISH,

HE is NOT IRISH.
Interesting Facts in the Career Of .
Notorious SwindIer.
The Chicago dailies of Thursday
gave much space to Count" Louis
Hamon who, it appears, early this
week found it necessary suddenly 70
leave Paris for London. The Count.
ie is stated, formerly was known
throughout the length and breadth #
this country as "Cheiro, the Palnist."
Some of the dalies assert that instead
of his name being Hamon he Is. IN
reality, an Irishman.
The genial Count-for genial he .s-
certainly is not an Irishman. writes
Mr.. Charles J. O'Malley. Some years
ago the editor Of the New York World
then editor Of the much-commendcd
Midland Review" at Louisville, Ken
lucky, came to know the palmist very
we'll. Then he claimed to have been
born in New Orleans, and that his
father was German, his mother Gre
ole French. His title was derived from
his father, a wealthy Alsatian who had
been, according to his statement, en-
nobled by Plus TX. He was certainly
known to a number of New Orleans
people, and it is just as certain that
he bled his multitudinous female dupes
for every cent possible.
Here it should be stated that cnei-o
had a very distinct hatred for the gu
perstition Of his patrons. He rented
rooms in the most fashionable quarter
of the city and fitted them up with al
the mysterious gorgeousness Of an
Egyptian temple. His inner sanctum
was blaze of awesome red light and
was hung with curtains inscribed wi
cabalistic characters that would have
amazed Sesostris. A curiously carved
lamp was on his table and his own
robes Of vision, when he retired with
a victim to plunge into the past, pres
ent and future, were awe-inspirins and
truly fearsome. While the seance was
in progress some burning chemical in
an antique brass pot on the table emit
ted an odor that somewhat resembled
incense and somewhat rotten onions.
But he took; he certainly made a hit.
The owner of the house was an Irish
Catholic AMI friend 81. ours, and he was
amazed at the popularity of the palm
ist-so amazed indeed, that he fired
him bag and baggage soon as the
month expired. Cheiro frequently took
in over one hundred dollars day. AZ
ter his "hours" were over he was quite
willing to gossip about the fools WHO
came to him. laughing at their creduli-
ty. Over and over he asserted that
there was nothing in the so-callad
science" of palmistry-that it was al
a fake, but a profitable one. every
one has, had sorrow; everyone has had
somewhat spf JOY. It is easy to tell
them so.s And as to. revealing the eu-
ture? That's easy, since nobody knows
what is going to happen Neverthe-
less, usually there We're several ca.-
riages before cheiro's door and money
rained into his fist.
It should be stated that he ought to
be a. Catholic but hetwasn't and is not.
When we knew him he PROGRESSED o
believe in no religion. He claimed TO
have accumulated something like ST.
1000. then, and said he would re-
tire when he had $2,oOo,ooo in bank.
His opinion Of American women was
that they were the most creduIous fools
on earth, terribly awed and impressed
by a faker in a blue velvet robe. lie
may find it. difficult to get out of Che
Paris charge Of elnbezzlement, should
he be caught by those who seek him.
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