Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1915 — Salt Did Not Make Miss Connelly’s Money Grow [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Salt Did Not Make Miss Connelly’s Money Grow

NEW YORK. —Because salt sprinkled on a $2 bill failed to make it grow to great riches. Margaret Connelly, a maid employed in the hbine of Mrs. William Strauss, on East Seventy-fourth street, pursued an alleged fortune

teller in Fifth avenue until he was arrested. In Yorkville police court Maggie told Magistrate Breen that the accused, Robert Noble, had promised marvelous alchemy in transforming her 52 bill into untold wealth by a magic process. Maggie said he offered to tell her fortune for 50 cents, and then asked her if she wished to be wealthy. Maggie did. and the man then asked her for a 510 bill. The maid related that after she

told him she nad only a $2 bill,* the “fortune teller" graciously took it, put it in an envelope and called for a salt cellar. He sprinkled the bill liberally with the salt and then handing the shaker to Maggie, ordered her to shut her eyes and shake salt on her money, while he solemnly intoned, “Abracadabra boobissimus fondoo." Having completed this magic formula, he ordered the maid to open her eyes while he was sealing the envelope. He handed* it to her and she could feel the crackling paper and the scratchy salt inside. The fortune teller told her to put the envelope under her pillow* that night, and when she opened it in the morning she would find that she was wealthy! Well, she was wealthy,> in experience, for the envelope, on examination the next day, was found to contain tissue paper- and starch grains, the fortune teller having switched the envelopes while Maggie’s eyes were shut.