Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-04-23
professor GaIIy---RascaIity, HUM
bug. &c.


When we copied, the other day, a paragraph from
the Hamilton, Ohio, Telegraph, we had no intention
to aid in casting unjust censure on Professor SMITH.
So far as he is concerned, we have no reason to doubt
the honesty of his intentions. The worst that we
think of him is, that he is extremely credulous, and
is therefore much more likely to be humbugged him.
self than to attempt intentionally to humbug others.
We have no doubt, so far as Mesmerism is concerned,
especially, that he is a full believer in it. But we
always suspected the honesty of one of his subjects
here, and presuming that this was the same individual
who p~ractised the imposition upon Mr.. Smith at Ham
ilton, we thought it but right to copy the article of the
Telegraph for the benefit of the public. The follow
ing article from the Hamilton "Intelligencer" of
April 9, puts a better face on the matter for Mr..
Smith, than did that of the Telegraph"
"In the last Telegraph we notice an article on Mes
merism, in which an account is given of an affair
which the editor calls " rich." Henry Foster Smith, of
Jacksonville, a gentleman of most respectable standing
at home, and who has been well received and most
creditably noticed by the press in most of our western
towns and cities, was giving a course of lectures on
the subject of MeSmerism and kindred subjects. In
the course of his experiments he offered a valuable
gold watch to his subject, telling him that he should
have it if he could take it. After a few minutes the
subject took it and held on to it, and broke the guard
and put it in his pocket, to the surprise of the lee
turer. The subject insisted upon having it, and to
avoid a disturbance, Mr.. Smith says, they agreed to
place it in the hands of a third person. This, we be-
lieve, is about the truth of the matter; and though
we were not present, and have no interest in the
affair, more than from a disposition to see fair play,
we think it only an act of justice 10 a stranger and a
gentleman, to say that the article in the Telegraph
is at best a very ungenerous attempt to obtain sport
at the expense of the unfortunate. This, we say, is
the best construction of the article; but it is susceptl-
BILE of a much worse one-a paltry attempt to pander
to vulgar p~reiudices and unreasonable scepticism, at
at the expense of truth, as to the facts in the particu-
lar case; and a collision with a fellow, that by his
own acknowledgement, is a villain and an impostor,
against an unofending stranger, honestly engaged
in a laudable calling. TIE pretended erposs was I'M
called for, and the Telegraph's version is untrue. Mr..
Smith utterly denied the assertions made by the "sub-
lect," that they had colluded together; and the conduct
of the two, in relation to the affair has been such as
to show Mr.. Smith the gentleman and his subject"
the blackguard.
"However much the audience may have been de-
ceived in this case, the circumstances justify the
opinion that Mr.. Smith was as much deceived by his
subject. The standing of Mr.. s., and his associ-
atoms, show him to be above the charges made in
the Telegraph. He comes to this place recommended
by men of the first standing where he has been: and
is endorsed by such papers as the Louisville Journal,
Louisville Democrat, indianapolis Sentinel, Cincin-
natl Times, Cincinnati Gazette, &c. He is the
author Of a very respectable work on the subject of
his lectures; and all connected with him forbids the
CONCLUSION tnat he would StoOp 10 so mean an act as
that alluded to; and in the face of this joint attempt
of the Telegraph and a e~lf-acknowledged impostor,
Mr.. Smith has formed a large class of respectable
: citizens, who are studying his science at this time.
The whole article might be met with facts, in argu-
ment, and its charges formally disproved; but it is
unworthy of such treatment. 1t will only meet with
the contempt of the rejecting, whether Mesmerists
or not and the editors of that paper have merited
the scorn of the public"
This throws the whole burden upon the shoulders
the rascal, Gally, where it, no doubt, justly belongs.
1t only confirms the first impressions" we had of
him. If he succeeded in deceiving Smith, he never
deceived us; for when the experiments were per-
formed here, we were satisfied that he was "playing
'possum, ~ and so expressed ourselves TO our friends
present at the lectures. We have now the authority
to expose his impostures publicly, and shall do ii.
We have a letter written by Mr.. Smith to a gen.
tleman in this town, dated "Hamilton, o., April L."
-"Al Fools Day"-in which he says:
81 have something to astonish you with, and I be-
lieve the devils themselves are a~stonished at it.
Galley, you know, was such a fine Sulect-at least
you think you know, and so L thought, and so others
thought. He came down the river from indianapolis
to Louisville, and came over to see me. He and his
partner eloped. l thought they had gone South, but
was mistaken. / came up the river to pass a few
weeks In this region, and on my arrival, behold,
Gally was here. l enquired of him about his past
conduct, and his explanation was satisfactory and |
was again in his confidence. / magnetized him
night before last and last night, as 1 thought, with
some others. While trying experiments in attrac-
ton, paralyzation, &c, he took the opportunity to
show his clovcn foot. His hands were fast together,
and rms rigid, as usual. / told him to open them,
but he could not" reached my watch, and told
him to take it and he could have it. He soon grabbed
it with both hands, and held it fast. Supposing him
still to be asleep. [ excited "benevolence, but with
out success. l then Uoke up has head, and his hands
were apparently rigid. | tried again to reverse the
action, but in vain. Some one from the audience
said. sshold it." 81 intend to-" said he, and with a
violent Jerk broke the ring and thrust the watch into
his pocket; at the same time exclaiming to the audi
ence: ssThere IS your Mesmerism-I have now
proved to you that it s all a humbug-Smith has
!, magnetized me fifty to an hundred times-I have
acted my part well, and performed as many miracles
as any of his subjects, and | have been just as much
asleep as | have been tonight. and as much asleep
tonight as l am now, and no more!" &c. 1 held
him till he delivered up the watch into the hands of
a third person. To-day | took possession of it by a
writ of replevin. What do you think of thisi He
has never been put TO sleep, he says-that he has
humbugged the people, and that l that l never
put one TO sleep yet except by collision! There is
some little talk about it, of course, but I intend to
shut their mouths before l leave. You said Gally did
not leave your place with much credit. Write to me
at this place as soon as you read this, and tell me
the particulars. II. T. SMITH,"
Another letter from Mr.. Smith to the same person,
dated on the 9th, says:
al have Just taken your letter from the Office, and
read it with much interest. You are not much sur
prised at Gally's infamy; but 1 never was more de-
ceived in any man. | had placed implicit confidence
in him. l have been wofully taken in. | shall be
careful in future. The watch l had replevied the day
after his ~rascalty, fearing he would get it into his