MURDERER'S HAND.

Western Star, 18 October 1938, Page 2

MURDERER'S HAND.

DETECTION POSSIBLE,

CLAIM BY PALMIST. After she had been acquitted by the magistrates at Brighton, Sussex, of a charge of professing to tell fortunes, Mrs Lilian Walker —known on the West Tier as Mine, Stella —told an interviewe. that two years ago she had read the palm of a would-be murderess. "This Woman, who was aged about 32, was in love with another woman's husband," Mrs Walker said at her home at Hove. "She had the typical hand of a, murderer —purposeful, with tiie head and heart lines joined, and the fate line running up to the Mount of Saturn, with a cross. "When I detected her characteristics, I told her, 'Jealousy will be your undoing.' As the woman turned to go, her parting shot was: "Shall I ever marry that man ? I can tell you I will.'" "ALL NERVES." Mrs Walker indignantly denied allegations in court that she had told Ann Lobb, a 15-year-old waitress, that she would be accused of theft, and that she had advised her to leave her present employment. Miss Lobb said that she visited Mme Stella because "I was going home for a holiday and I wanted to know Avhat would nappen to me. She told me 1 was mixing with bad company and that J would be accused of being lazy." Mrs Ada Apfel, who keeps a seafront private hotel,' said Miss Lobb was employed by her. In July the girl was "all nerves," and told her in tears that she was frightened after a visit to the palmist. The police were then informed.

l'olice-constabla Llewellyn stated that he visited Mrs Walker Tri plain, clothes, and she told him: "I advise you to be 'careful about what you eat and drink. You will either die by your own iiand or by an accident. An early love aaair is indicated."

He said that Mrs Walker added: "The lines on each hand ore very contradictory. Perhaps you are married." When he said. "Yes, but—" she interrupted him with the remark, "I understand, you are parted. A journey is indicated, when you will meet your wife again; and will be glad to see her."

• "A SCIENCE." Mr F. H. Carpenter, defending, said that Mrs Walker professed to practise palmistry, and not to tell fortunes He submitted that what the girl alleged to be fortune telling was pure conversation. The Bench decided that the case had not been established. At'her home, without any of the atmosphere- of shaded lights and heavy curtains associated with fortune-telling, Mrs Walker emphasised .that she did not profess to tell fortunes. "You caunot foretell the -future. Palmistry is an absolute science, and a very concrete thing. But crystal-gazing and cardread : ng are not very helpful. • "1 have examined thousands ',. of hands—among them those of Merle Oberon, Eva Turner, the opera singer, Mr and Mrs Harry Roy and Anna May Wong. ( "But a hand does reveal tendencies in character. In a person 'of criminal •tendencies, for instance, I would • expect to find the middle and indexfingers equal in length, a very long fourth finger, either very long or very square nails, and a thumb very short :-nd probably clubbed."