AN INTERNATIONAL SWINDLER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16423, 6 May 1924, Page 2

AN INTERNATIONAL SWINDLER.

,A 7 HUGE profits from mascots. ' if: PARIS, March 26.—Professor Arianys, '•>, A' otherwise Edouard Pons, of Toulouse, is C a firm believer in charms and mascots, V Ti ns lie lias some reason to be, for they W 7 -** brought him. in the course of a few P# years, a dtelightful villa at Nice, a pros 'Ljr neVous business enterprise, and a savings : bank account of about 500,000 f. Rut V - l ie has lost these gifts of fortune now. ■■■ '■ 2 for he knew no charm which could keep u; him out of prison. The professor was no.L superstitious. He believed m mas- , cots purely as a business proposition. Cl Some vents ago lie wrote a pamphlet on " ihe art of using charms and talismans, '-•and then set up a business, with several branches, to supply talismans of which '"he had written. He had red stones -which irresistibly attracted lovers; blue : £ stones which, if worn by wives, ensured that’their husbands would not stray from :■ "*■ thestrict fidelity of their marrige vows; green stones which afforded magic pio tection against railway and motor acci ■r> dents ; purple stones which con foiled a T lasting youh upon their ( wearers; and ’ yellow stones which kept disease at bay. Z There were also in his collection small IT triangles of iron which sufficed to bring '••£flift discomfiture of the wearers’ enemies. - and chips of wood to lie worn in the ’ .7. lining of the hat. when they would have ! *7 a magical effect upon the wearer’s brain, *-• keeping his thoughts clear and: his facul--7 ties alert. These keys to health, wealth, 71 and happiness were dispensed by tbe -■ professor at prices ranging from 25f to 'Z ICOf each. That there was no lack of purchasers is shown by the fact that the ’ professor was preparing to sell his busi.<*jiess having made sufficient money to Warrant his retirement to his villa at Nice, v. £lhe great majority of his dupes, when realised their folly, were ton gradually sufficient information reached K ■

the ears of the authorities to cause them to act, and on investigating the professor’s record they recognised an old acquaintance, who had been prosecuted in many large French towns and also in South America.