[Wanted Poster] $100 REWARD WANTED IN ROBINSON, ILL.,FOR WORKING CONFIDENCE GAME NAME,- Prof. H. C. Belmont. Aliases:--Prof. Credo, Prof. Amand, Prof. King, Prof. Raphael, Count P. A. Pulaski, John Schiller, Dr. Alvina and Paul Thomas, but his original and correct name is Paul Thomasky. born in Poland, occupation accountant, stenographer, clairvoyant, palmist, (and while here advertised as the World's Greatest Seer, Clairvoyant, Palmist-Healer.) This man is a Jew by birth, but was educated for a Catholic priest. Has a fine Polish and German education, and speaks seven different languages fluently -Polish, German, Flemish, English and three other languages that I do not recall. He has had experience in the general mercantile business. . .

. . . suite of rooms at the finest local hotel, and purchase advertisements in local newspapers. He branded himself as an aristocratic European seer - sometimes claiming to be a Polish "Count" (Count P. A. Pulaski) or a highly credentialed mystic academic (Prof. Belmont). The "Hot" and "Cold" Readings: His background as an educated clerk, accountant, and stenographer meant he was very organized and hyper-observant. Before staging readings, he would review local newspapers and hear gossip at hotel bars to gather intelligence on wealthy, grieving, or desperate residents. He combined standard "cold reading" techniques (making high-probability guesses based on body language. . .

Edité par Police Department Robinsnon, Illinois, Robinson, Illinois, 1909

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Wanted Poster 284 x 170 mm. In acid free Mylar sleeve. Will be shipped flat between heavy cardboard layers. [Transcription:]?$100 REWARD! [Photograph 1] Snap Shot on street 1908 [Photograph 2] P. A. Pulaski 4807 While in Penitentiary 1903 WANTED IN ROBINSON, ILL., FOR WORKING CONFIDENCE GAME NAME,- Prof. H. C. Belmont. Aliases:--Prof. Credo, Prof. Amand, Prof. King, Prof. Raphael, Count P. A. Pulaski, John Schiller, Dr. Alvina and Paul Thomas, but his original and correct name is Paul Thomasky. .DESCRIPTION. Age, 45, height 5. ft. 8 in., weight 145 to 155, build medium, hair brown and curley, eyes brown, complexion dark, usually shaves smooth, born in Poland, occupation accountant, stenographer, clairvoyant, palmist, (and while here advertised as the World's Greatest Seer, Clairvoyant, Palmist-Healer.) Mark scars and cut, scar left side top of head; pit scar just above right ear; cut scar outer corner right eye; Several scars index finger left hand; cut scar left elbow. Measurements: Breast 36 1-2, hips, 35, neck 15 1-2, arms 34 1-2, leg 32 3-4, head 23 1-4, waist 32, foot 7 1-2, (these measurements were taken five years ago.) This man is a Jew by birth, but was educated for a Catholic priest. Has a fine Polish and German education, and speaks seven different languages fluently--Polish, German, Flemish, English and three other languages that I do not recall. He has had experience in the general mercantile business, and as a clothier, he drinks excessively, and is a professional gambler; is a pretty good mixer but talks a little too much for the close observer. His wife and family reside at Ogden, Utah, and are passing under the name of Thomas; his wife's given name is Mary. He will probably address her as such, and she will probably address him as Paul Thomas. I hold a warrant for him, charging him with a confidence game. He was arrested on this charge and delivered to me in Butte, Mont., March 23rd by the officers there, and escaped custody by jumping from a toilet window of a fast moving train, near the city limits of Denver, Colo., on my return home two days later. It will require the greatest skill to find and apprehend this man as I am sure he is working under cover, and will use every precaution to keep in the clear. I ask the co-operation of every brother officer in apprehending and bringing him to justice. I will pay ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS reward for his arrest and detention in ANY jail until I can come or send after him. Wire all information to me at my expense. C. V. COULTER, Sheriff Crawford County, Illinois. Robinson, Illinois, July 31, 1909.? Handwritten on verso: "Belmont case / $33 Evans" indicates the poster was likely a file copy used by a law enforcement agency or detective agency - "Belmont" referring to Thomasky's most prominent alias, Prof. H. C. Belmont, and "$33 Evans" tracking an expense or fee related to the case. Newspaper accounts from late 1909 relate that Thomasky was born in Poland, was highly educated and exceptionally charming. He used his linguistic talents and alleged psychic abilities to target communities across the United States. Posing as "Prof. Belmont" or "Count Pulaski," he would set up shop in local hotels as a "Palmist-Healer" and "World's Greatest Seer", conning wealthy or desperate locals out of thousands of dollars before vanishing. Following his leap from the moving train toilet window in March 1909, he fled east. In September 1909, just over a month after the poster was printed, he was recognized and arrested in Augusta, Maine, was extradited back to Illinois to face trial for his extensive confidence games. Paul Thomasky (operating under the alias Prof. H. C. Belmont) ran what was known in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a "Clairvoyant-Healer" or "Fortune Telling" confidence game. His operations were meticulously planned to exploit small-town midwestern communities: he would arrive in a new town, rent an expensive suite of rooms. . .

N° de réf. du vendeur 017819

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• Titre: [Wanted Poster] $100 REWARD WANTED IN ROBINSON, ILL.,FOR WORKING CONFIDENCE GAME NAME,- Prof. H. C. Belmont. Aliases:--Prof. Credo, Prof. Amand, Prof. King, Prof. Raphael, Count P. A. Pulaski, John Schiller, Dr. Alvina and Paul Thomas, but his original and correct name is Paul Thomasky. born in Poland, occupation accountant, stenographer, clairvoyant, palmist, (and while here advertised as the World's Greatest Seer, Clairvoyant, Palmist-Healer.) This man is a Jew by birth, but was educated for ...
• Éditeur: Police Department Robinsnon, Illinois, Robinson, Illinois
• Date de parution: 1909
• Langue: anglais
• Reliure: No Binding
• Illustrateur: body language and age) with "hot reading" (using pre-gathered local facts) to convince marks of his supernatural powers. Once he gained a client's absolute trust by "proving" his psychic sight, he would claim to see a curse on their money, predict a. . .
• État de l'article: Very Good