The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-17
PACE 5

iCoNTTNUEDI piece of his handwriting and I'll tell you whether he will confess or not"
 The manager was astonished and incredulous, but he willing to try Hs called the suspected clerk into his office and dictated to him few lines which he was to take down in longhand Scher- mann stood by and watched the handwriting. Sud- denly he spoke to the clerk
 You the burglar" he Said calmly. And know now that you will confess. Now, come across wont you?"
 The young man dropped his pen, stammered in- coherently, sank into a chair-and confessed.
 On that day Schermann's insurance loss appraiser ended, and his new amateur private detective began. But he is more than that Ia reader of minds, crystal gazer, soothsayer.
 The prodigious Herr Schermann is not difficult of approach. Every afternoon between and there is pilgrimage of troubled folk to his humble abode on Untere Weissgarberstrasse, where he pre- sides among his books and papers, thrown all over the place in disorder not unlike that of Sherlock Holmess celebrated apartment in Baker Street. To wealthy callers Schermann makes charge; to those without means he extends the use of his marvellous gift free if he discerns any merit in their cases.
 N NE day 1 called at his apartment and asked ( him tc explain his gift of second sight.
 T have explanation" he said. "Al I know is that my gift was born with me When ! was still baby I was irresistibly interested in anything written. I picked up thrown away veopes and searched scrapbaskets for letters. found peculiar pleasure in gazing at these things even before I could read and write. I looked at written character as a kind of mysterious image. When I was nine years old some one put slip of paper in my pocket on which was written, Teacher is an ass.' studied the writing and l decided which of the boys wrote it. When I approached him he was so perplexed that he admitted it.
 Later on, to my great astonishment, 1 dis covered that when I looked at a sample of writing, any writing, l could it's author-not only his face and figure but his whole life, his background his destiny l could not describe just exactly what form this sight took with me until I went to a motion picture theatre for the first time. Then had the term. saw the lives of people whose handwriting I studied in long reels of mental motion pictures, it But it was not neces- sary for me,>to see handwriting If person touches piece of paper before I get it, it works the way. The important thing is that this relation between me and other people a relation that cannot understand any more than you, is transmitted by paper
 "When I touch piece of paper like that 1 can tell whether the person who touched it before me was in good or bad humor. I feel what he has been doing and what he is going to do next.
 Don't ask who gave me my power. donT know. All 1 know is that have it. You may say it was bestowed On me by God, or by some myster- ious cosmic force. But there is something in mo that keeps on telling that must utilize this gift of mine for the public good"
 It is fascinating experience to talk to Scher- mann It is also rather disconcerting. For he looks into your eyes and tells you what you ara thinking More than that-he tells you all about your past-things which yon have forgotten your self and which are conjured up from oblivion by this unique magician