VICTIM OF CLAIRVOYANCE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 165, 14 April 1916, Page 2

VICTIM OF CLAIRVOYANCE.

A ttrango story of a girl who indulged in amateur clairvoyance was told to Mr E. C. Cutton, S M., in the Auckland Police Court yesterday, when the youug. woman, Anna Eliza Steea (20), wholiad on Friday been arrested at Drury for theft, admitted that two days before her arrest she had stolen from j nvollory shops in Uueen Street, Aucklaud, a gold watch, a gold bangle, and three pendant*, of a total value of übout£lß.

Mr Simpson, who appeared for the girl, stated that the case was a moat peculiar aud unfortunate one, as at the time of the thefts she was in a very weak and low state of mind in consequence of a habit of indulging in trances. She used to work hers)lf into the condition called a trance and then foretell ovents for the entertainment of fiienda. It was really a kind of gift, or peculiar constitution, she possessed, and ia oae of these remarkable exhibitions she told some friends, who had encouraged her in that sort of thing, that a passenger on board a ship coming to Auckland had had her jewellery stolen by a sailor, and that she saw the sailor, after he lauded here, put the jewellery in a box and hide the box under a certain bridge near Papakura She was told of this prophecy when she came out cf the trance, and, wishing t> make goo 1 the prophecy, she stole the jewellery, Dut it in a box and put it under the bridge It was tho act of a foolish girl who was very young and in a low physical and mental condition, due to self-induced fainting turns. Previously she had beoa of unblemished character, aud tier home and parents were respectable. She had plenty of jewellery of her own, and was in comfortable circumstances, so that there was n )thing to iniluence tho theft except the foolish clairvoyancy.

Chief Detective McMahon read the girl's statement that she had come to town on Wednesday, last week, and had made a sma'l purchase of but'er knives at Davidson and Co.'s shop and stolen a gold bangle when Mr Davidson's back was turned. At Mr Silk's she lud bought a bottle of smelling salts, and stolen three pendants; at Mr Black,s she had stolen a gold watch after having made a preliminary purchas? of two salt spoons. When Mr Silk had located her in the Papakura train and accused her of the theft, she had delivered up two pendants, but when he tried to secure a look at the handbag in which she had tho other stolen articles, she pushod him off the train, then on the move, and be narrowly escaped a serious accident. Mr Silk tried later to head off the train in a motor car, but failed, and I(>3 was thus incurred iu exponsos. If tho girl were subject to these trances, mentioned by counsel, it would b3 well to have her for a time uuder some restraint outside her home.

Mr Simpson romarked that uutil this case occurred tho girl's fathor was uuaware of these traucas, which were worked when the girl was away from her home, among young friends. Now, In could keep an eyo on her to chock any further such

doings. After souio consideration, his Worship convicted the girl, aud romanded her for a week for sentence pending enquiries by the Probation Officer, tho girl t) be allowed to stay at home meantime.