Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1918 — FORTUNE SELLING UNLAWFUL [ARTICLE]

FORTUNE SELLING UNLAWFUL

So-Called Mme. Zara Is Liable to Heavy Penalties. The Democrat notices by the Republican that “Mme. Zara, New York’s favorite palmist, has but just returned from Europe where she met with remarkable success In fortelling future events,” and that for so much per “tell” she will tell Rensselaer people anything they want to know. Now “palmists” or “fortune tellers” do not advertise in The Democrat for the simple reason that The Democrat refuses to carry ada for anything that is prohibited by law, but with the Republican's oft published slogan of “We Print Any Taing for Anyh- dy,” it is different, hence ur's advertising in its col imns. The Democrat views all this so-called palmistry and fovtune telling as the ~ veriest “rot,” and it is evident that the Indiana legislature so viewed it f when it passed the following law f-ln 1917, which, we desire to call the attention of our city mayor and prosecuting attorney to: An act to prohibit the practice- of palmistry, clarivoyancy, astology or fortune telling by cards or other livices for money or gain, and to provide a penalty for (violation of the provisions of this act. Section 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Indiana, That any person or persons, firm or corporation who shall ' pretend, for money or gain, to predict future events by cards, tokens, trances, the inspection of the hands of any person, mind reading, so-called, or by consulting the ipovements of the heavenly bodies, shall be deemed guilty of a' misdemeanor and punishable for each offense, on conviction thereof, by fine of not I°ss than ten dollars ($10) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100), or by

imprisonment for not less than five (5) days nor more than sixty (60) days, or by both fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court, and each day in which any such person shall hold a seance, give any reading by any of the means or methods above mentioned, or make any attempt to predict any future event by such means; shall coonstitute a separate offense. Section 2. Whoever shall pretend, for money or gain,, to tell ’ fortunes or foretell future events, by other means than the' aforesaid, shall be guilty of. a misdemeanor and be punished as provided in section one (1) of this act. Section 4 provides that if a card or advertisement is published or displayed, that such card or advertisement may be gi>en in evidence to sustain an indictment under this act, etc. This law in full may be found on pages 66, 67, 68, acts of 1917. This law not only convicts Zara—twho, it is alleged, has found Rensselaer particularly gullible and- has reaped in many shekels during each of her many visits here —but it closes the door to the traveling gypsy fortune tellers also.