The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-04
A DEIEcTiFE BY MESNEglSM.

AeIb presented is To-
mlilar V many who have heard it from
the lips OF the gentleman who asserts
that he played the most conspicuous
part In it. He is a man more than sixty
years OF age, active in business, and of
unblelniRhed reputation wherever he is
known.
1t was in 1S47 thar my attention
was first attracted to the subject of ami
NAL magnetism, by the appearances in
the Western town in which I.then lived
OF a man named Keely, who advertised
to give public exhibitions. His meth
cd was to select ten or fifteen persons.
males and females, from the audience,
Seat them in Q half circle on the, stage,
and plaemgd piece of coin or metal an
the palm of the hand of each, request
them to- look steadily at it. While
their attention was thus concentrated
he made a few passes over each, one.
seeming to obtain control over more or
less of the group, causing them to
aid him in what is now the ia
miliar performance of a mes
merlst. -Four of us Young
fellows waited on Professor Keelv and
requested him to teach us his tricks
Tor our own amusement, he replied
that he knew very little of this strange
power; he only knew that some persons
possess a larger amount of personal
magnetism than others, and, where one
had q superabundance and another very
little, the n with the larger supply
after gaining the attention, often could
control the mind4and will of the other.
He showed us how he magnetized his
subjects, selecting those of negative
passive, temperament, and explained
that, after having magnetiZed then once
OF twice, sae had,noditiculty IN gaining
entire control by simply looking at them.
In our4experiments it soon became mp
parent that I Possessed a larger amount
OF this mysterious magnetic power than
any of the others, and [ used it in
many easesyto such effect that I began
to notice thatI was being avoided by
many ofmy oldfriends among the strict
church people, and whispers of our en-
ploying supernatural agencies and ex-
perimentins III the, black art were
abroad. More than one old acquaint-
ance whom l saw approaching turned q
convenient corner before wemet. l be-
gan to learn how difficult it was to stem
the superstitious current.
"One evening my friend Wells-my
principal assistant-and myself were sit
ting in my A tap came at the
door and there entered a man about
fifty Years old. He said he had heard
about our having a strange power over
the minds and senses of many persons,
and had called to ask our assistance in
detecting a thief. He was the owner of
a line of packet boats running between
Cincinnati and Toledo on the canal
which passed through our town. One
of his captains on his return trip had
spent the night at q tavern on the OPP
posite side of the canal much frequented
by boatmen, had slept with a roll OF
money under his pillow, had forgotten
it and left without removing it from his
bed next morning, had returned Tor ii
within an hour, but it was gone, and
nothing had been seen on heard Of it at
the hotel. Such crimes were rare in
those days, and detectives We're not at
hand on all occasions rs now. This
would be IA novel experiment, and at
least prove interesting. Hitherto the
minds of our subjects had simply fol,
1n.,,J IS, rra- u nr, avn, 41,n ,N,,~,4,,,1,4 al
ascertaining if;the mind of the subject
could lead. Z &
ct had Just been a week since the
theft was committed, which put us to
great Disadvantage. in point of time. J.
had often seen the5old tavern, but had
never entered it. / requested the pack
ct owner, Mr.. Miller to give me q de.
scription of the interior and Of the room
the captain occupied. which was sit,l.
ated. he said, at the extreme end of the
long hall. into which all the bedrooms
opened on the second floor, and close tc
the stairs leading to the third floor. 4
person passing up or down must of ne
cessity pass this door.
"Wc pledged ourselves to strict so,
crecy. Only MI. Miller, my FRIEND
Wells, my subject and myself We're tt
be present at our seances l sent for {
man of the name of Reeves, All honest
good-naturcd countryman, heavy ant
dull almost to stupidity, but II of oul
best subjects. OF course he knewnoth
ing about the robbery, and it was no
knowlI'to u dozen persons in the place
We suhdued the light in the room, drew
o table up near the window, seated my
friend Wells, at one end with writing
materials to take notes, the subject a
The other, and Mr.. Miller at the LOCKED
door to prevent intrusion. [ bandaget
my subjects eyes tightly, and, taking
one of his hands in mine, / made a few
passes before his bandaged eyes witt
my free hand, and requested him to e
with me mentally wherever l went.
said to him that it was now 6 o'clocl
Thursday morning giving the date o
the morning Of the theft, and said W,
were now going to Burns tav
ern. Immediately he seemed to con.
ceive the idea that he was leading me
We passed mentally out of my room in
to the hall keeping my mind closely
upon thestrack we must travel-dowl
the stairs, through the passage, and in
to the street. In order to reach the
bridge across the canal We must turn t.
the right, go two squares, then turn tx
the left,eand three squares further OF
cross the bridge, turn again to the RICH
and one block away reach the tavern.
observed with alarm for my experiment
that as We passed mentally into tn
street he said we are now turning to thu
left when he should have said to thu
right; hut before / could correct linn Ii
spoke of seeing old DR.. Powell, ut hi
gate as we passed, and | knew Wis resi-
dence stood at the right of my hotel
He babe the, doctor good morning as W.
passed by,
"N6w We are at the grocery "said he
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