The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-03-10
NO. 48
Mesmerized In Court.

tace. \ young man named D4iier Was lately
arrested for an otfense in the Camp Elysees
and sentenced to three months imprisonment.
In prison he was examined by Drs. Mottet
and Mesnet, two well-known specialists in
mental diseases, who report that he lived in
state ofconstant somnambullsm and attacks of
which can be provoked at will The case was
heard on appeal, and tie judges we're about to
withdraw to consider their verdict when the
doctors offered to confirm the statement made
in their report by practical experiments on the
spot. The Bench consented, and then occurred
the following painful scene described by the
Paris correspondent of the London Standard.
DR.. ,Mottet, followed by the magistrates and
the prisoner, retired into side ROOM Here,
by the usual means of rapid passes of his
hands before his eyes and strong fixed gaze,
the unhappy subject was mesmerized. Didier
was them eft IN charge of two of the Munich
pal Guards on service the doctors and the
judges returned to the court and the door of
the room was shut. DR.. Mottet now called
the prisoner by his name. The next second
a fearful noise was heard. 1t came from the
sick young man. A few minutes before
touch of the finger would almost have knocked
him down, SO emaciated was he. Now, under
the influence of magnetism, he was like a
raging lion. Upsetting the guards who held
him by the wrists, he rushed to the door.
broke it open, and knocking down everybody
in his path, ran up to DR.. Mottet Here he
stopped, and, fixing his eyes on his
mesmerizer, trembled from head to foot in q
manner terrible to see. Shrieks of horror then
ran through the court. The doctor then set
to work. "Undress yourself" said he to the
prisoner. In few minutes Didier stripped
himself of nearly all his garments. 'Dress
yourself again" said the doctor, and again the
prisoner obeyed with the same lightning ra-
oidity. The experiment appeared conclusive.
DR.. Mottet then awoke his subject by blow
ng in his face. Didier fell to the ground as
f shot. The doctor, however, soon brought
linn round again. "Why did you undress
Yourself before these gentlemen ?" asked DR..
hottet; ''that was very improper" Didier
,azing with vacant establishment, replied,
What undress myself; impossible" And
he young man chung to the doctor for pro-
ection like child. The Bench, however,
vas not convinced and appeared to look upon
he whole affair as a comedy. DR.. Mesnet, in
lis turn, now operated on the prisoner. Hav-
ng mesmerized him he ordered him to write
rom memory letter addressed to him while
n prison" Didier replied, Cannot, because
m in prison" The doctor insisted ,whereupon !.
he prisoner sat down to table, and wrote
yoro for word, the letter in question without
single mistake. While he WAS writing it,
Or. Mottet took needle out of his instrument
ase, and plunged it into the young mans
leck but he felt nothing. By this time the
Bench had seen enough of these painful ex-
and some of the audience cried out
Assez !assez !" the sitting came to an end
The Court, considering the prisoner was net
esponsible for his acts, quashed the verdict of
he lower court and the unhappy man was
discharged.