Witches of New York — 18 - Chapter 18: Conclusion

CONCLUSION.

It has been already mentioned that there are a number of persons in the city who do more or less in the fortune-telling way, who never advertise for customers.

These we must leave to their own seclusion; as our business has been with those who make a business of this species of swindling, and who use all manner of arts to entice the curious, or the credulous, into their dens, there not only robbing them of their money, but often putting them in the way to be injured much more deeply.

This, of course, is especially the case with young girls.

In order to give the readers of this book an idea of the part taken by these fortune-telling women in many of the terrible dramas of crime constantly enacting in city life, an extract showing the _modus operandi_ is here inserted.

It is from one of a series of very useful little books published in this city, and entitled, "Tricks and Traps of New York."

Speaking of New York fortune-tellers, the author says, having previously indulged in some severe remarks about "yellow-covered" novels: "To see how the fortune-teller performs her part, let us suppose a case: "A young, credulous girl, whose mind has been poisoned by the class of fictions above referred to, is induced to visit a modern witch, for the purpose of having her 'fortune told.'

The woman is very shrewd, and perceives, in a moment, the kind of customer she has to deal with.

Understanding her business well, she is perfectly aware that love and marriage--courtship, lovers, and wedded bliss--are the subjects which are most agreeable.

"She begins by complimenting her customer: 'such beautiful eyes, such elegant hair, such a charming form, and graceful manners, are altogether too fine for a servant or working girl.'

She must surely be intended for a higher station in life, and she will certainly attain it.

She will rise in the world, by marriage, and will one day be one of the finest ladies in the land.

Her husband will be the handsomest man she has ever seen, and her children will be the most beautiful in the world.

Fortune-tellers always foretell many children to their female customers; for the instinct of maternity, the yearning desire for offspring, is one of the strongest feelings of human nature.

"Much more of this sort is said; and if the witch finds her talk eagerly listened to, she knows exactly how to proceed.

She appoints days for other visits; for she desires to get as many half-dollars out of her dupe as she can.

Meantime, the girl has been thinking of what she has heard, has pictured to herself a brilliant future--a rich husband--every luxury and enjoyment--and, upon the whole, has built so many castles in the air, that her brain is half-bewildered.

Even though she may not believe a tittle of what is said to her, feminine curiosity will generally lead her to make a second visit; and when the fortune-teller sees her come upon a like errand a second time, she sets down her prey as tolerably sure and lays her plans accordingly.

"She goes on to state to the girl, in her usual rigmarole style, that she will, in a few weeks, meet with a lover; and perhaps she may receive a present of jewelry; and by that she will know that the 'handsome young man' has seen, and been smitten by her many charms.

"When the half-believing girl has gone, the scheming sorceress calls to her aid her confederate in the game--the party who is to personate 'the handsome young man.'

This is usually a spruce-looking fellow, who makes this particular kind of work his regular business;

or it may be some rich debauchee, who is seeking another victim, will come and lie in wait, either behind the curtain or in the next room, where, through some well-contrived crevice, he can see and hear all that is going on.

One or the other of these men it is that is to assist the witch in fulfilling her prophecies; who is, at the proper time, to be in the way to personate the 'young beau,' or 'rich southerner,' and to induce her to visit a house of assignation, or, in some way, accomplish her ruin.

"Persons who have been puzzled to know how many of the young fellows get their living who are seen about town, always well dressed, and with plenty of cash, and yet having no apparently respectable means of living, will find a future solution of their questions in this explanation.

Many of these men are 'kept' by their mistresses, or by the proprietors of houses of ill-fame; in the latter case, to make acquaintance with strangers, and to bring business to those houses.

They are often very fine-looking and well-appearing men, and possessed of good natural abilities;

but, from laziness or crime, or some other cause, adopt the meanest possible business a man can stoop to.

Humiliating as this may seem, and degrading as it is to poor human nature, what we state is, nevertheless, the literal truth.

"But, to come back to our supposed case.

A few days after her visit to the witch, the girl actually does, perhaps, receive a present, as the witch predicted; this not only pleases her vanity and love of admiration, but disposes her to put confidence in the powers of the fortune-teller to read coming events.

Straightway the deluded girl goes again to the witch, to tell how things have fallen out, as she foretold, and to seek further light upon the subject.

It is now the cue of the prophetess to describe the young man.

This she does in glowing terms; never failing to endow him with a large fortune; and the poor girl goes away with her head more turned than ever."

* * * * * "Enraptured with a description, or sight of the picture of her fond love, the deluded girl is now all anxiety to see him in person.

The witch accordingly gives her some magical powder (price one dollar), which she is to put under her pillow every night for seven nights, or wear next her heart for nine days, or some other nonsense of that kind, at the end of which time, she is told to take the ferry-boat to Hoboken or some such place, at a certain hour in the afternoon, and somewhere on her route she will have a sight of the gentleman she is almost crazed to see.

The result is plain, the 'gentleman' is there as foretold, an acquaintance is commenced, and the girl is ultimately ruined.

"We have been thus particular to give, step by step, the details of the mode of management pursued in these cases.

There are, of course, many varieties, dictated by the circumstances of each case, but the general features and the _result_, are the same.

"The incidents above given are the outlines of a real case in which the end of the conspirators was accomplished; the girl, however, was rescued by the Managers of the Magdalen Asylum, and is now leading a blameless life."

The "Individual" has now concluded his labors, and he hopes not without profit to the community at large.

He has heard it urged that this book will merely advertise the fortune-tellers, and that they will go on driving a more flourishing trade than ever.

He cannot think that this will be the case; he cannot believe that any persons who read in this book the candid exposition of the style of necromancy dealt out by the modern Circes, will be willing to pay money for any personal experience of them, and he respectfully submits that although they have heretofore been consulted by many ladies of respectability, from motives of mere curiosity, those ladies will risk no further visits when they learn that they may with as much propriety visit any other assignation house, as a fortune-teller's den.

A recapitulation of the various prophecies made to the Cash Customer would show that he has been promised thirty-three wives, and something over ninety children--that he was brought into the world on various occasions between 1820 and 1833--that he was born under nearly all the planets known to astronomers--that he has more birth-places than he has fingers and toes--that he has passed through so many scenes of unexpected happiness and complicated misfortune in his past life, that he must have lived fifty hours to the day and been wide awake all the time--and he has so many future fortunes marked out for him that at three hundred and fifty years old his work will not be half done, and when at last all _is_ finally accomplished, a minute dissection of his aged corpus will be necessary, that his earthly remains may be buried in all the places set down for him by these prophets.

But aside from a humorous contemplation of the subjects, he trusts he has done his work well; he is sure he has done it faithfully, and he honestly hopes that some good may come of his labors to write down here honestly the ignorance and imbecility of The Witches of New York.

THE END.

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