FORTUNE-TELLERS FINED.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10242, 3 September 1909, Page 4

FORTUNE-TELLERS FINED.

(Peu Press Association.) Auckland, September 2

At the Police Court to-day Elizabeth Peart was charged that, on or about 20th May, she pretended, from her knowledge of a science, to discover where .certain stolen or lost rings were to be found.

Detective Marsack, opening the case for the prosecution, said that in May last Mrs Collins' house in Ponsonby iras broken into, and .a quantity of jewellery and various articles of value ivere stolen. She communicated with the police, but unfortunately, the burglars had not been discovered, \.uor had the goods been recovered. She'Hvas advised to apply to a fortune-teller/*, more especially about one particular article — a brooch—which she was most anxious to get. Acting upon this advice, she wrote to the defendant, who traded as a fortune-teller under the name of "Madame Grant," enclosing a fee of Is, and asking her advice as to where this particular brooch could be found. She received a letter in reply, giving what purported to be information about the brooch. Mrs Collins at once took tins letter to the detectives, saying: "Here is a clue; you will be able to find my brooch now." The detectives took the letter to madams, and she admitted having written it, and afterwards gave them a lesson, in astrology. Mr Cutten, S.M.: Did you find the goods ? Detective Marsack: Unfortunately, no. The prediction is rather vague. It reads, "The brooch appears to be in possession -of a dark, thickset female, who appears to be making a change of some sort in a few days. I do not see [ that you will recover it, as there appears to_ be some mystery about the matter, or secrecy. I ,have taken the question as theft. If it should have only been mislaid it would lie found concealed under other things, such as papers, books, etc." Detective. De Norville gave evidence that he, accompanied by Detective M'llvenoy, went to defendant's establishment on the 27th May. Witness asked her whether she told fortunes, and she replied "No." She added, however; that she answered questions about future events. She said that-she liad been practising for nine 3 T ears in the same house, and that if she was prosecuted Wragge ought to be prosecuted too. The Magistrate held that the letter cleaily purported to give information as to the' whereabouts of the brooch, though that information was of a very vague kind. The defendant had herself claimed when the detectives called unon her that she discovered such information with the aid of astrology. The circumstances of the case clearly brought it witliin the scope of the Act, and it was clearly proved that defendant had been guilty of a breach of the Act. Defendant was fined £2, "and ordered to pay 14s costs. '■—