Madame Puto - Fortune Teller

[matthewj64]

Are there court records available from 8 June 1904 that would identify the real name of "Madame Puto"? She advertises in Sydney from 1903 and before that in Tasmania from 1896.

"Police Courts.
Fortune-Telling.
At the Summons Division of the Water Police Court yesterday, before Mr. W. M. Macfarlane, S.M., "Madame Core," of 174 Riley-street, Surry Hills, and "Madame Puto," of 109 William-street, pleaded guilty to charges of fortune-telling. Both accused were sentenced to  three months' imprisonment, with hard labour. The sentences were suspended under the Crimes Act upon defendants entering into recognisances in £50 each to be of good behaviour for three months."
1904 'POLICE COURTS.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 9 June, p. 4. , viewed 24 Apr 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14660180

thanks
M

[ShaunJ]

109 William Street was a boarding house run by a Mrs Graham ( Sands, 1905)

[matthewj64]

109 William Street was a boarding house run by a Mrs Graham ( Sands, 1905)

Hi Shaun, thank you for the reply. Looking through other adverts now I see that she moved around a lot - at least seven different addresses in Sydney - so a boarding house makes sense

M

[Scribble1952]

 Hard labour for telling fortunes   

How awful.How can that be a crime surely they just wanted to put food on the table.

[majm]

Hi there,

I have always found that the staff at NSW State Archives are great at figuring out all sorts of 'interesting' matters.   I would expect their Crime Sheets would be held in those Archives, and their alias names should be part of those records.   

https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/gaol-inmates-prisoners-guide
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/criminal-depositions-deposition-books-index

https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/

JM

[matthewj64]

Hard labour for telling fortunes   

How awful.How can that be a crime surely they just wanted to put food on the table.

Yes, pretty tough. It seems that many of the sentences for fortune tellers were suspended, so it was a way of shutting them down rather than putting them away.

[cati]

Hard labour for telling fortunes   
 
How awful.How can that be a crime surely they just wanted to put food on the table.

In most cases, the fortune tellers were regarded as committing fraud.  Psychics were not regarded any more favourably in England: until 1980, they were liable to be prosecuted under the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951.

[majm]

Sands Suburban 1900 directory

174 Riley St (Surry Hills)  Mrs E L SMITHSON.
109 William St (Darlinghurst)  Mrs M STRIKE, Boarding House.


JM

[matthewj64]

Thanks majm and cati for the replies, its given me something to work with