Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-12
STUDY OF AESMERISM.
SOME VERY CURIOUS EXPERIMENTS
MADE At THE CAPITAL.

Journalist Cronut's Exhibition Of skill in
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Burglary Com
mitted by . .'Sensitfve'-Not So Sue
cessful with Another Subject.
". A. Cronut has recently taken up the
study Of mesmerisrn, or hypnot!sm, as the
scientists prefer 10 call it. Mr.. Croffut
has developed considerable skill in this
direction, and the other night gave an ex
hibition at his house before noteworthy
audience. Among others present were
Postmaster General Villas and his family,
Senator ingalls,, Senator Plat, Of Con-
necticut; Gen. A. W. Greedy and It's wife,
Admiral and Mrs. Russell. Mr.. Coleman,
the commissioner Of agriculture; Col.
Nicolay, marshal Of the United States SUI
prene court; Gen Bryant, assistant at
torney general: Professor Thompson. of
the geological survey, and number OF
other scientific gentlemen and physicians.
Before beginning his experiments Mr..
Croffut explained that he had been very
much interested in reading, in Paris let
ters, OF the experiments conducted by Drs-
Charcot and Luys in Europe
vIcAEIoUs cRIaIsALITT.
Mr.. Croffut remarked that the expert
mentation with dangerous drugs and
medicated compounds under scientific
conditions would be postponed to another
evening. but be would Immediately make
tests az to the vicariots commission of
crime. After performing some minor ex-
periments and getting b. subjects into
good condition, Mr. Croifut attempted the
feat Of compelling fellow being to con-
nit a crime by the force OF his own will,
all bafr
One OF the subjects, a young woman ell
ployed In the government printing office,
was told to 20 into the audience and pick
the ladies' pockets. She manifested great
horror Of the act and refused, but by an
imperative command the mesmerizer in
duced her to comply, and without much
display Of ingenuity she got phantom
purse, not real one, from Mrs. John c.
Fremont. The experiment was not salts
factory as to the practical employment OF
IN agent.
Another sensitive, a clerk in il depart
ment, was mesmerized. and Mr.. Croffut
explained to him that in IA house OF one
Of the neighbors, in an upper chamber, in
certain corner and certain drawer in
the dressing case was q pocketboOk which
contained s., 600 lie described the stu
ation Of the house infinitely, the way to
go there, the arrangement Of the DIRE ssing
case and 50 on, repeating IL over several
times until the subject had the geography
impressed upon his mind. Then handing
him two keys he said;
The larger key will open the front
door Of the house and the smaller key will
open the drawer Of the dressing case in
which the pocketbook will be found. "
He told the young man that If he would
steal that p0cketbook he would give him
the money. There was II good deal OF dis
cussion between the mesmerist and his
subject concerning the liability Of discov-
cry and arrest, but when assured that
there was not the slightest possibility of
anybody interfering with him and that
there were no dogs about the place, lie
consented to undertake the burglary.
-Four or five gentlemen in the room were
asked to follow the subject on his trip.
Due arrangements had previously been
made with Hc Shbor to place the pocket
book in the situation described. The
young man ran out into the street, turned
the corner, and when he came to the
house described by Mr.. Crotfut recognized
it at once by the description lie then
began to show the greatest degree of agi-
tatlon. looking nervously behind all the
tree boxes and around the corners, and
finally jumped over the fence, saving to
those who accompanied him as pals =
OF whose presence he seemed only half
conscious--that he did SO lest the gate
should make noise.
NERVOUS AND CAUTIOUS.
When he reached the porch his nervous
ness seemed to increase, as well as his
caution. hut he unlocked aud opened the
iDtn hallway
looked round all the corners and into all
the rooms. found his way up stairs into
the apartment described, drew out the
key, unlocked the drawer indicated and
found tine pocket book He was starting
away with it, when one of those who nc
companied him called his attention to the
fact that he had left the drawer open, and
that he had better restore things rs he
found them. He replied that that was n
good idea. and doing so, put the key in
mis- pocket He then crcpt around the
room, looking into other places. and when
asked why he did so, replied that he was
looking for something else he could steal.
One Of the party suggested to him that it
was had place to steal anything but
money, for jcwelry could be traced while
money could not. This seemed to strike
him as sensible, and he remarked that the
pocket book was full of bills, and he had
better be satisfied with what he had got.
Then he crept down stairs with great
caution. shut and locked the front door
carefully after him, and reaching the
street, started to run like n f;ighlened
deer. One of his attendants caught MIN
by the arm and asked him where he was
going lie said he was going home, but
the attendant suggested he must return
to Mr. CroTut's house and give him his
share of the money. The mesmcr zcd
thief stopped n moment and said; Yes,
it would be mean not to give him his
share; he put us on to the job; We VIII 50
back and deal square with hin.'
He returned to Mr., Crofuts house,
handed that gentleman the pocket book
and counting out So 600 in imaginary
money, divided it equally between the
two.
This experiment seemed to demonstrate
that, proper conditions existing, crime
may be committed second hand through
me neric influences.
With another subject Mr., Croffut was
NOT - successful lie convinced young
man that his brother had been killed by
an Indian. whom he was advised to mar
der 4 revenge, and vas told that he could
iinl him on the Capitol stenS- The sensi-
tive, thouct generally obedient under
mesmcric influences. refused to believe
such an absurd story, and after II long
argument with Mr. CroiIut, in which the
subject showed rs much shrewdness as
the operator, declined TO attempt the deed
he was urged to commit.-Cor. New York
Tribune.