THE GIPSY'S PROPHECY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12254, 3 June 1914, Page 7

THE GIPSY'S PROPHECY.

"NEVER TO BE MARRIED." YOUNG GIRL'S TRAGIC DEATH. At an inquiry concerning the death, which occurred in tragic circumstances; of Florence Riches, aged 22 years, ahousekeeper employed in London, an extraordinary story was told about agipsy woman's prophecy. The who had' been found dead i" the Thames, was identified by her sister. The deceased, said witness, was a bright level-headed gU'l. -She hud been engaged for some years, and had never threatened to take her life. The Coroner:' Has your sister ever had her fortune told?- —"\ es, by a gipsy woman at Hampstead. I believe. Tell us about the gipsy woman— She said very little, except that my sister would never be. married. Witness said she was unable to say whether her sister was affected by what the gipsy tokl her. The Coroner read the following extract from the letter written hy the deceased to her fiancee: "Dear Love, —We could have been very happy together, you see, after all. That gipsv woman was right. We shall married, and I think that is why God meant us to have a few happy times together." , . George Sidney Worsfold, a draper s assistant, of Lavender Grove, Dalston, who was much affected wliil giving evidence, said he had known the deceased six ve'ars. and was engaged to be married to her, but had not fixed the date for the wedding. He had given her an engagement ring, and "when he last saw her alive at a meeting at Kingsway Hall one Sundav afternoon she was very happy. They had never had a lovers

nuarrel. . The Coroner: \on had never broken oil the engagement. —Only once; foui ,vears ago. . -. Continuing, witness said - that on a bank holiday two years ago he went with tlie deceased to Epning Forest, and at Chingford a real gipsy woman told Miss Riches her fortune. _ Did von hear what she said; J —blie told ns hoth together that we would never get married. Did vou pav her? —Yes; sixpence. "Was" this woman doing a goocl trade? —Yes. <-01 Plow did she tell your fortune .-—She nnsßPcl some silver oyc?r ligi* Tin no. Do vou think it affected the young woman's mind? —From that time to • this she has never said anything about it. ~ i It looks from her letter to you, than it did -affect her?— Yes it does. In summing-up. the Coroner denounced the practice of professing to tell fortunes, and said, he jvould like to see it nut down once and for all. Inis old fraud of a gipsy woman had crossec, the deceased's hand and made her believe that she would never get married. He thought it was extraordinary that some people could really believe that these "prophecies could he true, lr he were a'maker of laws he would imprison fortune-tellers without the option of a fine.