Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
FORTUNE TELLERS
THRIVE IN CAPITAL
Permits Prominently Display
ed to Impress Customers
With Powers.
Continued From First Page.)

Scientist" he is brought promptly to
earth with the information that no such
misgivings were entertained by Mr
Coomhs, in fact, was so impressed by the
marvellous powers of Madame-that he
issued her license so that others might
benefit by her advice on business, af-
fairs of the heart, etc. Mr.. Coombs
certainly would not sign his name to a
license for imposing on the public
would he?
TIE license list probably includes the
majority of those who commune with
the infinite as a business proposition.
It. does not include, however. the emil
nent visiting practitioners who come 10
town for few weeks, exhaust the pay
ing possibilities of their particular sec
lions of the infinite and then move to
some other city. Neither does it in
clude the large number of amateurs who
"have psychic powers" but who confine
themselves to practicing their art among
their friends without reward other than
that which comes from the satisfaction
of service.
Many Here For Years.
Many of those licensed have been in
business here for years and pay their
fees year after year, according TO the
license clerk at the District Building
Their special and extraordinary infor-
nation concerning the infinite is vouch-
ed for by the long practical test. Their
patrons return again and again and pre-
sumably are well satisfied in the value
received. For the most part they prac-
tice in the orthodox schools or COM
munication with the infinite-phrenol-
ogy. palmistry. trance mediumsnp
and clairvoyancy. They are well known
to the police.
The clairvoyant, or trance medium.
Is the trtickhorse of the occult bust
ness in Washington.
She may combine with her old-es-
tablished methods some OF the tee
nioue of numerology, aStrology, pnre-
nology or palmistry. but the basis OF
her procedure remains unchanged
through the years. She simply gets
into psychic communication with the
customer by grasping his hand, sinks
into a more or less realistic stupor,
and proceeds to read things out OF the
air. She is generally woman OF ratn-
er keen observation and has learned by
rote. without much real understanding,
the framework Of event of the average
life. advanced in an earlier article as
q partial explanation of the phenomena
she produces.
For most of them it is not even
necessary to ponder over tentative
hypothesis of mental telepathy, the
reality of which is extremely question:
able. They tell the patron nothing
which he himself couldn't have told
anybody else about themselves, working
on the framework of-eventS theory.
There is seldom closer approxima-
ton to the truth than would come from
&Ian Aff I1o Ia ~
True Prediction Good Ad.
There are, of course, clairvoyants
and clairvoyants. They range from
the grotesquely arrayed clairvoyant who
solemnly assures a trembling high
school girl with blonde hair that she
will marry a dark-haired man to- the
seeress who can produce crude but
recognizable pictures of recent events,
make tangible predictions which oc-
casionally come true and even call out
the actual names of close relatives.
Some of them have. established repu-
practice A single successful predic-
ton is invaluable advertising.
The seeresS can learn much from
close observation and doubtless much
Of what she reads from the air is de-
ouced from the appearance OF the
patron. It is not so much mind-read-
Ing as eye-and-mouth reading, which
may be the same thing.
A Star representative called on one
clairvoyant with an occult sounding
trade name, who advertises extensively
He simulated nervousness and grief
apparently rather successfully. Now
there are certain stock situations which,
might cause a man in his early thirties
- t%a - -
which probably would 1T 80 per cent
of such cases. He might be worried
over financial affairs, he might con-
template business change without
complete faith in his prospective asso-
ciates, he might be concerned over the
outcome OF some present business ven-
ture, or his mother might be sick. This
last would not be very difdcult to de-
duce. In the natural course of events
his mother would be an elderly lady.
He did not speak with the character
istics phraseology of the District OF
Columbia SO it could be assumed that
his original home was elsewhere. II
any member of his immediate family
was i'll he would be under the calming
influence Of the family physician.
So he was advised solemnly that his
present financial condition would come
out all right IL he kept stiff upper
lip. advised against making change
as he contemplated and warned not to
trust new associates. And" contin-
ued the clairvoyant, 81 hear some one
calling for you, longing for you. She
Is far, far away from you. She is an
old lady with gray hair. She is plead
ing for you to come home to her"
Fooled by Customer.
The clairvoyant did a very good job
Unfortunately, this was special case
which didn't fit into the normal frame
work of events. She had no way Of
knowing that the grief and nervous
ness were simulated for her benefit. A
q matter of fact, her customer never
was less worried over finances thar
that minute. he was contemplating ne
change whatsoever, and had no ques'
lions in his mind concerning the probity
of prospective associates. He has M
elderly female relative except hi
mother, She is in excellent health ane
has made her home with him for nv
years.
Nevertheless the clairvoyant prob
ably would have hit the nail on TIT
head and made somewhat OF an impreS
sion in rs out of 100 of such cases
This was case where the cosmic ma
chinery was all gummed up before sh
pressed the button.
The trance was quite unrealistic. tn
seeress would forget herself every nov
and then to ask pertinent question
to which she received pertinent answers
Throughout the sitting she held pen
Gil in her hand with which she mad
apparently aimless marks on a pad o
note paper. She insisted, however
that the pencil was guided by "th
spirits" The mess she produced wa
really a diagnosis out of the infinite. .
One hooked line, for instance, indi
Gated that the customer was caught 4
the vibrations of Venus" This WASH
as raw as it sounds Venus was nc
only the goddess of love, but the patro
ir.Al naltniaf 4