A NEW FRAUD

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8331, 17 January 1913, Page 8

A NEW FRAUD

The great popularity of mind-reading tests and similar '‘occult" demonstrations in London during the past few months (says a London journal), has given birth to a new and very ingenious confidence trick, which has already netted a very nanilsome profit to its inventor. The victims have invariably been well-to-do clubmen with an assortment of worldly wisdom that only served to make them bite at the hate all the more readily. The plan of operation was very simple and easily worked. A correctly dressed, well-groomed young man, who talks interesting] y and has a knack of making friends, manages to get introduced at an aristocratic ciub, either by legitimate means or through a forged letter of introduction to one of the members. His first business is to make acquaintances.' Then one evening he starts a discussion on mind reading, during tho course of which he declares that while must people do not believe the mind can be read he knows it to be an exact rcience, and is prepared to prove it to the satisfaction of anyone. When asked how be proposes to do this he calls for a pack of cards, and requests one of the party t > choose a card, show it to the others, replace it in the pack, and hand it to the secretary. “I shall not touch the card at any time during the experiment," adds the demonstrator. "Moreover, the test shall be made by telephone. I have a mlnureading friend to whom you may telephone at the place where he is dining, and he will immediately read your mind and tell you tho name of the card you have chosen." In every instance so far tho sceptics have promptly responded by laying a wager with the confident visitor, seldom less than £5 and often as high as £2O. Whatever the amount it is always quickly covered by the demonstrator, and the money is deposited with the secretary, who is to decide if the, test is successful or otherwise. These preliminaries having been settled, the card is drawn and shown to the party before being replaced and deposited with tho secretary. Then the visitor anounces tho name and address of his friend, and the member who has drawn the card calls him up. Tho connection is mado without demy. "I want Mr Fred Jones," he says. "I am Mr Jones," a voice repliesj ‘‘what do you want?" "I have drawn a card from a pack in the presence of some friends, and have wagered that you can’t tell what it is without seeing it." ‘T can see that card plainly pictured in your mind," replies the voice: “it is the jack of diamonds." “Eight," said the clubman, and hangs up the receiver. The stakes are at once handed over to the winner. A few weeks later one or the losers rushed up to tho same group of men and declared that he could do the same mind-reading trick himself. Tho explanation of the trick is simple. All that is necessary is a pack of cards, a code, and a partner. Th© latter is stationed in a convenient place with a telephone. In the code every one of the fifty-two cards has a different name. For instance, the ace of diamonds is Henry Lee, the jack is Fred Jones, and so on right through the pack. The partner merely has to answer to the name by which he is addressed, and that name tells him tho card. The trick, of course, cannot be worked the second time in the gome company.