MISCHIEVOUS MASTER MINDS

NZ Truth, Issue 1191, 27 September 1928, Page 1

MISCHIEVOUS MASTER MINDS

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Whangarei Representative.)/ "A PENNY to see the grotter, guvnor," was frequently heard at Jt\ one v time from the lips of London's children of the East End, who, beneath the railway arches, solicited your patronage of their "grottos" — agglomerate collections of flowers, cigarette cards and what-nots, arranged m the form of a shrine and covered with sacking. Theirs was a simple entertainment, devoid of the instinct which persuades mischievous, mendicants to delve into the occult, and who tell, you what you want to be told for ten, twenty or thirty pence per session. £' A quasi-prophet named. "Argus" — a mere youth of 18 years, who emits a stream. of piff-paffat thirty pence the question— together with his enterprising father, was fined £5 and costs on each of four charges for undertaking to tell fortunes and pretending of . their skill to .'discover where — -or m what manner — goods supposed to be stolen might, be found. . . . . ' . Their real names are Nathaniel Julius Copeland and Charles Louis Copeland — two smart specimens, of well-conceived nomenclature. "Truth" agrees with Magistrate Luxford that the offences were serious, m that many neurotic people who sought enquiry into the future might be caused much anguish by the utterances of such persons as the self-styled "Argus," whilst many unfortunate circumstances might redound. to innocent people. ; Detective Robertson elicited some, extraordinary information from witnesses brought by the prosecution, when the case was heard at Whangarei last week. • ■ , • ■ , : One woman had wished l to know; where her son was, and received the reply from the youth with deductive powers that her son was well, but'in prison m Melbourne, from which he soon would be released! A tobacconist named Preebe had purchased one of the supposed seer's enquiry forms for two-and-six, and asked who cashed a spurious cheque at his shop! The man's name was "Wilson,"' declared the "prophet," but when the police made searching investigations they found- "Wilson" was a sheer-myth. . The precious pair pleaded not guilty, the father, stating that his son's remarkable powers. of deduction, intensified by : fatherly hypnotism, were responsible for the answers given to questions, a statement which produced several cutting remarks from the bench, particularly m relation'to the "Wilson" who could hot be ifouhd. ... "Argus" himself said he was m a state of hjgh-pitched excitement when giving his answers, some of which he felt impelled to utter with' out thinking. "You don't always have to go on. the stage to find that," commented the bench. - ... Although they were blown out, they've asked leave to appeal— in a state of high-pitched excitement,;no doubt.