SERVICEMEN ROBBED BY GIPSIES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 5, 1 October 1943, Page 6

SERVICEMEN ROBBED BY GIPSIES

SYDNEY, Sep! ember 22. . Two American soldiers who had their fortunes told by gipsies in Sydney, and then handed over their wallets to be blessed, later found £3O missing from one and £lO from the other. At the Sydney Police Court, the gipsies Helen Sterio, aged 24, and Elizabeth Sterio, aged 25, were each fined £lO lor stealing £3O from Lawrence York ,and £lO from Henry Scott Denniston, American servicemen. Fining the defendants, the magistrate, Mr. Farrington, said : “It passes my comprehension how people supposed to be intelligent go to persons who offer to tell their fortunes and when asked to bring out their money hand it over. It. seems to me they should have nursemaids to look after them." Private York said Elizabeth Sterio. asked to be allowed to tell bis fottune and told him to remove everything from liis pockets. He handed tier his billfold, Containing £9O. She took the money out and held it close to his body with part of her hand concealed under a handkerchief. She then handed the notes back to him and he gave her 2/- for telling his fortune. Later be missed £3O from his notes. He traced the ginsies and demanded his money back. Elizabeth Sterio put two £lO notes inside his shirt.

Constable Bushell said that, when questioned about taking the money, the woman said to York: “Maybe, boy, you have spent the money,” and York replied, “I have not had time to spend it. I have only been on leave 24 hours.”