In 1999, “The Blair Witch Project” became the most successful independently produced film to that point in time, raking in more than $100 million in its opening weekend and grossing more than $160 million in the United States and $248 million worldwide.  A low budget horror film that cost less than $35 thousand to create, it was released following months of media hype including groundbreaking use of the Internet as a promotional tool by the studio that had purchased it from the original filmmakers.  The movie itself was promoted as a documentary about the mythical Blair Witch shot on videotape and recovered a year after its three student filmmakers disappeared and, by implication, died in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, the site originally known as the Township of Blair.  Based on the film’s Website and concurrent publicity, many moviegoers believed the story and documentary to be true, proving that the gullibility of the public cannot be overestimated.

Through the ages, man has often felt inadequate control over his life and destiny and sought assistance, whether supernatural or earthly in nature.  Many, to this day, have prayed to God, gods, saints, ancestors, and other beings not of this world for aid or guidance.  And, the simple act of praying, whether or not the appeal is actually heard or received, is often beneficial to the supplicant.  By placing the burden in other hands, figuratively speaking, the troubled individual may gain a sense of relief and, through that mechanism, the freedom and perspective necessary to summon his own internal resources in resolving his issues.

Individual problems, however, may become compounded, sometimes with serious or deadly consequences, when the aid that one seeks derives from a source with its own agenda.  Historically, this has frequently been the case when one seeks the advice of those who earn their means of subsistence as fortune tellers, mediums, and soothsayers.  Whether or not anyone has the ability to accurately predict future events is a subject of debate.  Nonetheless, one can state without equivocation that, throughout recorded history, the vast majority of those claiming these paranormal faculties have been mere charlatans.

And, this has been a harsh lesson learned to the detriment of those seeking their counsel.  Take the strange case of William and Rebecca Periggo.  In 1806, Rebecca Periggo, wife of William, began experiencing what today we would refer to as an irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations upon lying down.  Without adequate medical diagnosis, it was determined that she was the victim of an “evil wish.”  Through a third party, Rebecca was referred to Mary Bateman, renowned for her fortune-telling and healing abilities in the county of Yorkshire, England. 

Over the course of the next year, Bateman bilked the Periggo’s out of most of their savings and many items of personal property.  Fearing the consequences of her exposure as a fraud, she determined to eliminate them.  Warning the Periggo’s of an impending, dire health issue, she provided them six separate powders to be consumed on consecutive days.  The Periggo’s followed the instructions and sprinkled the powders, containing arsenic and mercury, on their food.  Apparently, Mr. Periggo applied less powder and survived.  His wife, Rebecca, however, was not so fortunate and died a painful death.

Ultimately, Mary Bateman, who became known as the Yorkshire Witch, was convicted of murder and executed by hanging.  Despite her conviction, she continued to enjoy the support and admiration of the people of the area; so much so, that when her body was taken to the morgue following her execution, a large crowd of people met the hearse to pay their respects and many made a donation in order to view her remains.  Yet again, one can never overestimate the gullibility of the public.

The Blair and Yorkshire Witches are but two examples of the veracity of the expression commonly, but erroneously attributed to P.T. Barnum that “there’s a sucker born every minute.”  And, even in the new millennium, many people continue to fall prey to a broad range of scams and other forms of fraud.  Partially due to the greed or ignorance of the victims and partially to the cunning and resourcefulness of the perpetrators, fraud will forever be, I fear, a part of the human experience.  When confronted with a potentially fraudulent situation, however, remember the story and beware the Yorkshire Witch.