AMAZING STORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27038, 24 March 1949, Page 8

AMAZING STORY

UNFOLDED IN COURT HYPNOTISM AND FORTUNE TELLING PA ROTORUA, Mar. 23 An amazing story of fortune telling, suggested hypnotism, money blessing and of bank notes concealed in a loaf of bread was related in the Rotorua Magistrate’s Court to-day, when Kate Williams, aged 27, and Diana Williams, 21, described as show people of mixed Greek and Syrian descent, were charged with having undertaken to tell a fortune. Each pleaded guilty. It was alleged by Detective Sergeant J B. McLean that two women called at a shop at Rotorua last Saturday and said to the shopkeeper: “ I’ll read your fortune boss.” Kate Williams then asked to see some money and was taken to the till where she leaned over and blew on to the cash. After this she asked: "Is that all you’ve got?" The shopkeeper then took her to the rear of the shop and showed her £l2 in silver in a bag. She then asked to see some notes. When the shopkeeper said he did not have any, she asked if she could see through the rooms. During this time, the other woman, Diana, was telling the shopkeeper’s wife her fortune, added the prosecutor. She asked for a present of £3 from a £5 which she was holding and a third was given. They then left the shop. Yesterday, with a third woman, Coleen Williams, they went to another store and said they wanted money to bless. The shopkeeper produced one penny. She asked for more. He then gave her sixpence. When one woman told him he would soon “receive a fortune,” he took £2O from the till. After telling him he would live to the age of 98. they left the shop. The police last night arrested and charged Kate and Diana Williams. The third woman, Coleen Williams, took ill at the police station and was taken to hospital. She was not charged. When the defendant’s motor car was examined last night, the police found a loaf of bread. Breaking it open, they discovered £l7 2s 5d in the loaf. The defendants admitted putting it there as a hiding place. “The real purpose of the visits was to steal money,” said Detective Sergeant McLean. “We do not know if the shopkeepers were hypnotised, but it seems very strange that this could have happened to normal business people. “ They may have some strange hypnotic power,” he added, saying that other people would be more cautious on nearing of this incident. Mr R. A. Potter, for the defence, said that a suspicious construction had been placed on innocent actions. " They were show people,” added Mr Potter, “ who will advertise however they can. They were considering bringing a show here soon.” The loaf of bread incident was accounted for as the best ! place to hide the money. Mr Potter asked for lenient treatment, and applied for the supression of the names from publication. The Bench of Justices fined each woman £3 and ordered the money obtained during the fortune telling to be returned to the owners. The application for the supression of the names was rejected. The maximum penalty for this offence is a £5 fine or one month’s gaol.