READING CUPS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1932, Page 5

READING CUPS

FINE IMPOSED

CASE' HEAI»JiiHN x W^IU.INCTOM,

■ ’ • ' • vj lipx' ' ’ (Per Press : : - July 20.' The reading of tea-cups in restaurants was again declared 'to be illegal by Mr Page, S.M., to-day. He convicted Winifred /Mary Campbell, otherwise.known at “Madame Pompadour,” and fineif Frederick Carr, the manager of the Ritz, £5 on each, of two charges of aiding and abetting, the woman being convicted and dis-

charged. , j It was stated that, following aWangunui prosecution last August, the police warned all tea-room, proprietors * , individually that cup-reading in their premises was illegal. About the begin- ' [ ning of . March this year, Carr ..return- j ed from Auckland, bringing the defendant, allso a young 'lady manager- V ess to arrange for readings. The de- j fend ant was paid £4 per j week. Sho j had attracted the public so much to ! the Rita that; quite a. nuriiber of com- j plants had reached the police. ' | '.Sehlsr»Sergeant Calswell said that j tvhefi interviewed, the , defendant told . j him that she wag not. a' c,up-reader, : • but: an entertainer. As a matter of : ; fadtushe did not read::cup*;at all;: but % merely held the<mp,t6'attfa<'t the , persons’ attention while sbo. read their faces! • She! said; '• that* she was % ~ psychologist, and. that , she really believed that she. had a gift in this / j direction. She denied 'that, she .under-j /.;; took to tell the future, but merely the past and she said that she had never told people anything serious, . ■ but tried to cheer them up. The whole business as far as she was' conoerned was merely entertainment: V ; / - Mr Page said that it seemed clear . ./;• to him. that the; defendant- did .profess 1 ;; to tell the future. ■= Constables who had'

given evidence . had,. been told the usUal sort of. thing that was got under circumstances of /that * soijfc. :He thought that it amuoqt-ed to fortunetelling.' ■, a ; „ . ‘•. /■ -