FORTUNE TELLING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 255, 20 June 1932, Page 8

FORTUNE TELLING

INDIAN FINED POLICE SEEK INFORMATION REGARDING FUTURE PROSPECTS. WHO WERE THE GIRLS ? The request by two young constables for a peep into the future resulted in an Indian named Swami Godalphas being brought up in Christchurch on a charge of fortune-telling. Senior-Sergeant Fox said accused with his friend Makam Singh arrived in New Zealand from Suva in January and had been in Christchurch for about a month. They had in their possession testimonials from highlyplaced persons outside New Zealand and from several well known persons in Wellington. They were avowed theosophists and were ;considerably skilled in the telling of matters concerning the past, present and future, Senior-Sergeant Fox went on to say that they visited the police station. The Magistrate: Did they get anything there? The Senior-Sergeant: That is one of the places where it is fairly difficult. c The Senior-Sergeant said the pair toolc a house, and it was there the two young constables visited one of them and had their futures told. Constable Hart described his visits to the house. For some time theosophy was discussed, and accused made reference to some secret power he possessed. Witness said he was told several things which were true. In 1940 he was to become very rich. Before witness was allowed to go accused slipped a piece of paper into his hand and asked for a donation to "the mission." Witness wrote 5s on the paper, but accused said. Five shilling no good; ten is your lucky number with God." The constable paid his 10s and left. Constable Stewart's Girls. Cqnstable Stewart said he was told the names of two girls who were supposed to be very fond of him. The Magistrate: Two of them? — "Yes." Senior-Sergeant Fox: Did you admit it?— "I did and I didn't." Witness was asked for a donation for "the mission to God," and he wrote 4s on a piece of paper. "That is your unlucky number," said accused; so under the 4s witness wrote 5s. Accused added the two together, and exclaimed: "What! You give me 9s!" But witness said he could not afford 9s. Accused then said he usually got 20s, so witness informed him he would get £1 in 1936, his lucky T-e?r Witness paid 5 s and left. Accused in evidence said he was a member of the Brahmin Mission and travelled to discuss the Yogi religion. To the magistrate accused said he had not sent any money to his mission from New Zealand. Genuine in Bielief. A. R. Galbraith, eity engineer, said he had spoken to the two men several times. They told him at lot about his past life, and so far as he knew they had not made a mistake. He was satisfied that they were genuine in their beliefs. "I will admit they have the ability to read the minds of their subjects and get an answer to a question," said the magistrate, "but I know it to be a fact from my own experience that as regards the future it is a different thing. I don't think any man can foretell the future." The magistrate said the testimonials were not worth anything, and added that men of high positions should be more careful in giving such references, which might be used for. an ulterior motive. Accused would be fined £3 and costs on each charge.