"Seer's Humbug"

Levin Daily Chronicle, 10 March 1917, Page 4

"Seer's Humbug"

STERN LONDON MAGISTRATE,

"Professor" Morgan Melini, palmist clairvoyant and astrologer, of Edgware road, was convicted at Marylebone Police Court, London, recently, oi r.. t.m .-wiling and lined £50 with £10 10s costs by Mr Denman, the magistrate.

"i'ou are a charlatan and a humbug," said the magistrate to the professor, who stood - white and trembling in the dock. "Pretending to be something more than an ordinary human being, you take foolish people's guineas and hand out to them in' return the sort of unintelligible nonsense which lias been disclosed in this court to-day. - I really cannot sit with p itience under this sort of thing."

"I honestly believe in what I'do," : said the professor. i "i'liat's what they all eay," replied the magistrate. ; Asked why he used the name Meliui, the seer replied: "For the same reason that Saul of Tarsus used the word Paul. I got in from the spirit worid and I am not ashamed of il." Mr Muskett prosecuted on behalf of the police and the principal witness was the special correspondent of the Daily Mail who said that for some time past he had been visiting a number of "seers" in London and describing his experiences in the Daily Mail. IIT noticed "Professor" Melini's name <,a a .signboard in Edgware road and paid him a call. "J3.U you tell the prisoner the chief ol your visit?" asked Mr Muskett. "Yes," was the reply. "I said I was particularly anxious to discover the whereabouts and welfare of "George." .. A real person? Well, an individuality. I would rather not go further than that just now, as I am still collecting from psychists all over Lon- ' don descriptions and dispositions of George. I have not found liim yet. (Laughter). The witness went on to describe how he and the professor sat hand in hand by the fire for over half an hour; how the professor appeared to go into a sort of semi-trance" under which the spirits hovering round him took charge of the situation and guided his hand to write as follows.—

trousers — size— GEORGE!!! .He is in the spirit world since June 14, and so on. The magistrate asked to see this spirit writing and on the paper being handed up to him lie said: "This is all gibbersh— .absolute nonsense!" From the dock Melini de'clared passionately that it was not gibberish. "It is normal psychic writing—auto"j'tttxc spirit writing," be cried as he banged the dock ra'il in front of him. "It is all bosh," replied Mr Denman. In deciding the ease the Magistrate said: "Here we have throe most ridiculous instances of the absurd nonsense given to people who are foolish enough to pay money for ;t. I shall impose a fine of £25 in each case, five guineas costs n each case, or in default three month.-)' imprisonment." The Magistrate- added that nobody would get off with a a fine a second time.