Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-29
HOLDING Up "A TRAIN BY MEsMERIsM
runrrrrr ROE ZEE p1srArca.i

I have known man weighing 200 pounds
to fail utterly in maintaining order among
his pupils. He could not make them mind.
There was bedlam about him constantly
AS teacher he was competent; as an ad-
ministrator he was q failure. I have
known a mere STRIPPING to take the same
school and become master of the situation
within half q day. Every pupil, from
weakliug to giant, acknowledged and re-
spected his power. How was it done?
PHYSICAL fear did not enter into the prob
lem. If this factor had been controlling |
one the big man would have had the ad-
vantage, But it was the little man III |
this case who was ruler, and his reign |
was absolute. There proceeded from him |
something that could not be weighed,
measured or seen. Every pupil felt IT.,
and it did not seem to occur to one OF
them to dispute the sway or challenge the
authority which pervaded the atmosphere.
It must have been something like mag
netism, for want of . better term. There
was certainly
AN IMPoNDERABLE AGENCY
at work that asserted itself successfully, for,
If a contest of strength had occurred, there
were dozen big fellows in the room, any
one of whom could have picked the teacher
up and thrown him out of the window.
| ANYTHING of that kind, however, was a
moral or psychological impossibillty-tn,e
reason why cannot reduce to cold
blooded, logical statement. We see some
| thing akin to the phenomenon in ministers,
public orators, animal tanners, auctl1neers'
| train robbers, swindlers and successful busl-
ness men,"
"All of which is very interesting and no
| donbt true to a considerable extent" l re-
marked as soon as the lawyer came to a
nause: sbut what has it to do with hhypnotism
and crime?"
"Perhaps branched off little," he re-
nlied smiling. s'but the connection is closer
| than YOU think. I have cited cases in
which the power of one man is felt by an
other. or others. We all speak Familiarity
of the executive ability, the persuasion OF
oratory, the art Of managing men, and the
domination of strong personality. tnese
are but other names for a force that is con-
stantly exercised in different forms and de-
qrees. but the true inwardness of which is
an unsolEed mystery. =
ssHow, for instance, do you account for 90
| able-bodied men, riding in a passenger ear,
permitting themselves to be bulldoEed and
robbed BY a stranger wh0 with nothing but
a revolver, steady eye and plentiful sup
ply of nerve, manages to convince the
whole crowd that they are at his mercy?
I suggested that the robbers gun might
have something to do with it.
HYPNoTIZING A TRAIN.
1.-THE gun no doubt plays part in the
Transaction, was the reply, "but it Is not
sufficient to account for the paralytic stroke
which projects itself into the nerves and
muscles Of the passengers. There are many
against one-notwithstanding which the
one prevails, and the many hand over their
money and Yaluables with alacrity. Com
mon sense teaches that q prompt display OF
courage and action would put the robber to
! fight, but common sense on such occasions
seems to take wings. The whole crowd is
hvppotized. A subtle influence emanates
from the quiet but determined man who has
issued the command, hold up your hands
AN influence that compels submission and
annihilates, ior the time being, all power oi
} resistance.
'iThen there is the bunco steerer What
is the secret of his success? 1 firmly believe
that it is something very closely allied to
the hypnotic power. He persuades his
: victims to do the most idiotic things. He
has. to be sure, an insinuating way glib
: tongne, and a plausible style of putting
: things; but these are not all He also has
: A personality of the most positive character
istics. and will of controlling force Aftel
: a certain point is reached the
victim is helpless. He violates every
: known rule OF prudence, enters readily int
, lottery or gambling games, pays his losse
cheerfully. and, even after his pockets have
!. been emptled, thinks his robbers are very
D good fellows, who, under no circumstances
would do dishonorable act. It generally
! takes the buncoed man from 12 to Sc hour
| to gather his scattered wits together ant
: come to the conclusion that somebody ha
: made fool of him. Then he wonders hoV
it was done, and is amazed at the temporar,
: paralysis of volition that afflicted him. ii
4 has been hypnotized, but will never reallz
: the fact.
= GOOD JUDGE OF CHARACTER.
o "Of course not everybody can be operate
|, upou. but the bunco steerer is an almost IN
: faIlible Judge Of human nature, and sci
dom makes mistake in selecting his sui
ject.
farmer. who has fought the battle of life fo
X sixtv years and been winner all through
He has his hundreds of acres, his well-aI
pointed home, comfortable balance in th
~ bank. and some outside investments. b
D. has mingled with the world, kept abreast {
it the times in reading and general informs
e, tion has an unclouded brain and kee
II. mind for business. Along comes a strangt
. who. perhaps, seeks advice regarding IL
!. purchase Of some neighboring property. IT
~ conversation runs on the value of lan'
ne quality of soil, yield of crops, and kindre
topics. It is said that an essential step
q the process of hypnotism is to fix the a
X tention of the subject on some bright objec
OF I claim that mental picture will serve 4
we'll as a material one-perhaps better und
ne some circumstances. At all events Il
d. farmer soon becomes interested-even ia
ue ciuated-and eventually loses his power, a
lr- p1rentlv, of resisting any suggestion tn
na his captor may make. Soon another strang
'et comes along who isa confederate of the fl
one. He says he is on "trip across q
ey country, but he Is in no particular hurr
ey and is companionable. He tarries, and 4
Sc. three have jolly time together. Perha
os an innocent game Of cards is played. p'
ld hans lottery scheme is exhibited; perha
ID. investments are discussed. These are me
IN matters OF detail. The usual climax of t
rs game is to induce the farmer to withdrs
re- bis money from the bank where 1t is on
posit. either to show that he isresponsibl
or for the purpose Of placing it in sol
other bank in a neighboring town. Stran
to say. he sees nothing out of the way
ed This proposition, though If in his right mi
: l.. .-...-.I1 eonut the idea that a fofal strand