The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-09-08

Extraordinary Effects Of Mes
mefism.
A Young Woman Repeatedly Vie
lated BY Means Of Magnetic
influence.

.-----
At the Assize court of Var last week,
(writes Paris correspondent Of the 18th
ult., } there was tried an extraordinary rape
case, which I take upon myself to SAY Is
without parallel in the history of crImi-
nal jurisprudence in the world. A man
was convicted of having repeatedly vio-
lated the person of virtuous girl Of the
ripe age of twenty-six years, not by force,
not by intimidation, not by the aid of
drinks or drugs, but by means of magnetic
influence, which rendered her, though
conscious, a mere passive instrument in
his hands, deprived of any will of her
own.
The following is an outline OF the strange
story: On March 81, 1866, the prisoner,
young man named CASTELAR,. aged
twenty-four, born at Garde Freinet, in
the department of Var, appeared in the
guise Of beggar in the hamlet of Guiols,
in the commune of Sollies- Fariede. q He
seemed in the depth of misery, was lame
in both legs and clothed in rags. His
wretched appearance so far moved the
pity of respectable farmer Of the village,
named Hughes, that he asked him into his
house and gave him supper and . bed.
CASTELAR, pretended to be deaf and dumb,
and only communicated with Hughes and
his family by signs. In the course Of the
evening he made signs that he could
write, and on pen and paper being brought
he wrote, 81 am the son of God; am
from heaven, and my name is our Lord
you now see my little miracles, but later
you shall see my great ones. Have no
fear Of me- ''The priests" he again
wrote, "are of the devil; but I am sent
by God" Several of the villagers who
had come to the farmers to look at him
were greatly moved by his looks and ges-
lures; but upon the farmers daughter
Josephene they made an extraordinary
impression. She could not get the strange
beggar out of her mind, and. slept in her .
clothes all night for fear of him. .ys
In thedmorning after taking his break
fast he went away but came back at an
hour when he ascertained that Josephine
would be alone in the house. They had
luacheon together, and while at table Jo-
sephine deposes, and the jury believed,
that he exercised such a facinatiOn over
her that when he ordered her to 20 to bed
she could not help obeying him, she being
all the while conscious, but utterly unable
to resist. Although overwhelmed with
remorse, she remained under his influence,
and at bis desire followed him away from
her fathers house. They passed the night
together at the village of Crau d,Hyeres.
and the next morning Josephine told q
witness she met in the woods what mis-
fortune had happened to her, aud said she
thought of drowning herself. Neyerthe-
less they slept together second night,
and the morning after Josephine again
made complaints to the people of the
house where they lodged of what mad
been done to her, saying at the same time.
Get the biggest and strongest woman
you CAM don't care where she comes
trom-Castellau will be her master. %, She
begged the people OF the house to take her
away, and let her sleep elsewhere but the
moment she said 80, CASTELAR,, With an
imperlous gesture ordered her to walk M
stairs, which she did instantly, in state
of magnetic sleep, and without making a
false step. He then ordered her to laugh
which she did. The bystanders were con-
WINGED that she could not help doing
whatever he told her They were suffer-
ed to -!eep together third night, and
again IA the morning she complained.
seemed like one out of her mind, and
called upon the Virgin. CASTELAR,, proud
OF his ascendency over her, ordered her
to 60 round the room on her knees. and
she at once obeyed mechanically. The
people OF the house were this time SO an
CRY with tbs sOrcerer, for such they es-
teemed him, that they turned him eat by
force, but he had scarcely gone when the
girl fell into such violent fits, that they got
frightened and called him back. He with
few passes of his hand restored and
sootisd her, and no opposition was made
to their again passing the night together.
The next day, however, while they were
~ walking in wood, CASTELAR, Jagged
heirnh to talk to some men out shooting.
aud she, when alone, recovered her viii.
ran away and got somebody to take her
home to her father Such are the facts
upon which CASTELAR, was indicted for a
rape. The girl gave evidence against him.
telling her tale as above related. and not
daring to look the prisoner in the face and
being evidently afraid of him. T. 4.
CASTELAR, boosted of his power in court.
offered to magnetic the Judge. and Looked
50 hard into the eyes of the public prose-
cutOr that the latter, evidently afraid that
ne was going to be magnetized, then and
there ordered hin severely to look anoth-
er way. Five doctors OF Toulon and the
ne!ghborhood gave evidence that in their
opinion young girl, susceptible OF being
magnetic subject, might be 90 acted on
by magnetizer as to be utterly unable tn
resist him, although not deprived of con-
seriousness. - o'"-
l 90 not know what line OF defence was
taken by the prisoners counsel bnt the
jury pronounced verdict of entity and
the Don Juan ia rage, who, / should have
stated, was really beggar and not q gen.
tleman in disguise, was sentenced to
WE'VE years imprisonment with hard
ahis case Is terrible lesson to young
ladies' who allow mesmerical experiments
to be made upon them, thus aggravating
aaturai nervous susceptibility which rem