FORTUNE TELLING.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19971, 4 July 1930, Page 5

FORTUNE TELLING.

A CONSTABLE'S FUTURE. WOMAN FINED S5. For telling fortunes, Catherine Stanton (for whom Mr O. F. Woodhead appeared) was fined £5 and costs at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Scuior-Sergeaut J. J. O'Grady stated that a police constublo had called on accused on Juno 12th last, and that she had undertaken to tell his fortune. Constable Clements said that on Juno 12th at 8.30 p.m., he went to Mrs Stanton's house. She took him to a side room, where th<?y sat on cither side of a table, and asked him to put his hands on a cushion. She said that ho was clairvoyant; that he had had a slight accident recently; that his name coma-ned a J. and a C.; that the name of one of his relations contained a J., a G., and an E.; that he was dissatisfied with his prosent position, and that he would soon have an opportunity to change; that he would meet a fair-headed girl whose name began with M., and that he would marry her, and that ho would be going to England in February of nest year. During tho following week he would tcceivo a letter from Home telling of changes there. She also told him that the building he lived in had been altered lately; that there was a spire nearby; that he had enemies who were Jealous of his energy and initiative; that he was having some small financial trouble at the moment, but that everything would come out right in the *nd; that he was normal and moderate in his habits, and that he was ambiticu*. Mr Woodhead: Was anything you were told true!— Yes, the letters in my name, and tho initials of some of tho members of my family. Did accused know you at all? No. The constable continued that he had' watched the house for three days, and between the hours of 1 and 9 p.m. he Jiad observed a number of people, mostly women, coming and going from the house. They had been different people each time, and he had not accosted tliem. Mr Woodhead said that accused pleaded guilty. There were two previous convictions, one in 1921, .and another in February of this year. Acused was very well known in Christchurch, and had many friends of high standing. She promised to give up fortune telling, and produced a letter showing her circumstances. He asked for a light penalty in view of theso facts. The Magistrate: She showed me the latter when she came before the Court la February. The Magistrate said that aa this was accused'e third appearance on charges of fortune-telling he would impose the maximum fine of £5 and costs. If'she eame before the Court again she would go to gaol without the option. The Taw could not be set at nought, although it did not matter to him personally whether she told fortunes or not. He did not think any sensible person bolieved such tales. Accused was given seven days in which to pay the fine.