Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1888-11-10
nYpNoTIsM AND CRIME.
Suggesting Crime to q Subject
Shown 10 be- Unsafe for the
Suggester,

SHOWN I'D Dp unsafe AOE IKE
Suggester
The curious subject Of the connection
actual or possible, of hyphotism with
crime is attracting a great deal of Sc
rious investigation in France. The
latest announced results are those OBJ
tanned by NJ. Jules Liegols, professor
Of the faculty OF law ut Nancy. He
has been endeavoring to discover a way
which to compel a person who has
been hypnotized and who may have
performed some deed which has been
,uggcstsd to him while he was in a
hypnotic state, to reveal the name Of
he person suggesting the deed. II
lad bean i'm possible 10 make a subject
eveal the suggester when that person
md specifically ordered that his name
De kept secret The successful at
empts to Lring aboGt the same ex.
posurs Ey indirect means are thus DIES
cribed.
A woman who was known to be a
hypnotic subject was thrown into an
artificial sleep, and NJ. Liegols sug
gesied to her that upon awakiug the
should shoot certain Monsieur 0
Who was supposed to have insulted her
5h, was directed to say if questioned;
that NJ Liegols had never spoken TO
ner np,n the subject, and that she did
the shooting without any suggestion
from any one aud entirely of Ler own
volition. A revolver was laid near hel
md she was awakened. Monsieur 0
vas near. and the moment she saw him
she seized the revolver aud fired at
him. She was then put to sleep again
aud questioned. She admitted the
shooting but denied all suggestion,
and stoutly maintained that the deed
was done of her own free will. The
luestioner then suggested to her that
when she saw the instigator of the
crime she should go to sleep for two
minutes, then should look fxedly at
him until "that will do" was said, aud
should then stand in front of him and
hold ont her skirts as though to con.
ceal him. She was awakened, and M.
Liegols came into the room. At once
she apparently went to sleep, in short
time uwoke, and, fastening her eyes
on NJ Lingols, followed him step by
step about the room, and finally stop
plug in irons of him spread out her
skirts.
Another similar experiment was tried
ly Prof. Beinheim on a soldier who
was indnced to take 5-france piece
under hypnotic suggestion, and then
to swear that it hal never been sug.
gested TO him to take it, but that he
did it of his own free will. He also;
when again hypnotized. absolutely re
fused TO reveal the identity of the sug
gester of the theft, but when told,
upon seeing the suggester, to step mp
to him and say. II am very glad to
see YOU, please sing me the "Marseil
laisr, he did so at once upon being
reawakened. Put to sleep again. he
again 'denied that any suggestion to
steal had been made to him; but when
told. upon seeing the suggester, to go
up to him and say. II remember you
perfectly; it was you who told me to
steal, I" he followed the direction
The practical result of the expert
ments is to apparently show that, while
a person obtaining hypnotic power
over another, and directing his victim
to commit some crime, can at the same
time, by mere command, make sure
that the victim will never reveal his
name in answer to a direct question,
and will assume personal responsibility
for the crime, the suggester can never
be sure that his victim will not expose
the suggester's identity in some in.
direct way The power of the hyp.
notizer apparently extends no further
than to secure the literal obedience by
the victim to a certain categorical direc-
ton.