ASTROLOGY AND A LOST BROOCH

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 603, 3 September 1909, Page 6

ASTROLOGY AND A LOST BROOCH

i ;.•. "MADAMEURANIA" ; FINED. '. ';'-.',.: ~, (By' Toleif raph:—Pr«Ba Atsaclmttoo.l -r-.' : ]', '"•".'.'••■;. '■- Auckland; Sepember.2.; ; At : the 'Police Court 'to-day,', Elizabeth Peart was. charged,; that on;orabqut;May.;2o, : sho\ pretended from her;': knowledge, ,of a science : .to disoover where certain-, stolen or lost, rings .'were to. be.-found.;," r, \ i-; 1 .,; • Detective. Mar-sack, in: opening the case .for .the prosecution, 1 said, that in May last Mrs. Collins's,house in Ponsonby was broken into,' land: a-;quantity: ..of;-: jeweUcrj'and;, various' articles, of,',value! were stolen.-'. ; Sho-comnVuni-; cated'with;', tho .pojico,': but,; unfortunately;'' the ,burglars had not been discovered,- nor,' had..the goods• been.'recovered, S/ho -was ad- , vised to apply : to. a forturio-teller.,.. more. cs-< pecially about one.particular articlo, a brooch, ;which •.she'was'.moßt'.ansious. i to''get... Acting upon-this advioej .she'wrote' '% .the defend-' : aut,,who traded as a fortune-teller under the name of "Madame'' Urania," enclosing' a fee of ' t 15.,, ;.and,'-asking her "apviceVas.-to ..where this -particular ': brooch ;cojiid ; ; be ! - fouri<|; /"She. received -a- letter' in '. reply'..' giving whatx'pur'ported. to'i'be- information: about the .'hrpochV, Mrs.'Gollins. at'onoe' tobk.-this ■ bo :bhd. detectives',- sayirigl -''Here, is-a: clue.'. You will be ,able to find, my brooch- 'now;".; The detectives 1 took the letter to-.-madame,; and' she admitted ..'having.'written it.''and' after-; wards gave them-a losspn in astrology.': .'■ .';' Mr. Cutten.S.M.: -Didyou'.find the goods? ; Detectives; Maraack:,. Unfortunately, no. The ,'is. rather vague. It. read:— ."The. brooch appears to bo in the'possession of a dark,'thick-set'female, who appears to :bo-making: a "change of 'some I 'sort in-a .few.days. .I do not see that yon will recover ;it, as.'tnere appears.te;be'somo:mystery.;ato'ut tho matter, or isecreey.:~. I;' have ;-taken?.the, qngstion.'.'as .theft; if it. should .'.have only ; been : mislaid'; !it .would," be. found concealed ■under other-things' 'such as • papers, books, ■ .etc.'-'.;, '-' •■'. ■'.- .... '.', , .-.' . ■.-;". .■.'-. .-■ • ,

; , Detective Dendrvillc'gave evidence that he, .accompanied by-Detective M'llveney,' went'to defendant's'establishraent on May 27.' Witness asked her whether she told fortunes, and' ■sho'replied'.'j'Nb."'. She added;' however,; that' she' answered.questions 'about, future'events. She. said .'that she', had; been practising fpr .nine years in. the sa'mo.hpus'e,'and that if she iwas prosecuted, ..Wraggo ought .to' be. prose-outod-.t00.; ■>~...; -•.•■ .■..■;•/•■'•■■'.'. '':...•■'.:•. ;:.-;.;.'

; .The magistrate held'that the'lettef.'clearly: purported' to give- information .as 'to the whereabouts of the. brooch, though 'that in- : formation was' of. a' very vagno kind.'. Defondant had :herself .claimed when the: : dete'e■tivescalled,upon, her, thatisbo discovered such 'information with-the. aid fit astrology. TJbe c| rp u .W ta nces. of '.thelease, clearly'* brought it within-the scope <of'the Act, and it-was clearly proved thatdofehdant hadbeen'guilty of,a.breac.h..6f:tho'Act. ;... j'.y. : ..." .-:.'.. Defendant.,was-fined-£2, and ordered to ■pay,l4s..costs.: . ; • ....,"