St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-20
PAIR OF STRANGE ERS.
Trend of the Sensational Trial
of Eyraud and Bonn
pard.
Experts Testify That the
Woman Must Be Held
Guiitless.
Crisk Sensation Caused by
the Statement Of DR..
LiegeoiS.
4 Proposition to Hypnotic
Mile. Bompard in Court
Refused.

PARIS, Dec 19.-When the court room
in which the trial of Michael Eyraud
and Gabrielle Bompard is taking place
was opened this morning the usual
crowd of eager spectators were present.
bnt they were not allowed to enter the
room, as the court had decided that the
evidence of DR.. I.iegeois, the head of
the medical faculty of the College of
Nancy, should be taken in accordance
with that section of the criminal code
which gives TO witnesses the option of
making their statements to the court
and jury alone. DR.. Liegeois, when
summoned yesterday by Maitre Henri
Robert, Mile Bompard'S counsel. had
asked to be allowed to give his testimony
with no spectators present. Accordingly
he was the first witness summoned
to-day, and he gave his evidence while
the crowd was kept waiting outside the
doors. He explained 10 the court and
jury the views of his school. He stated
that anybody who was hypnOtized be-
came in the hands OF the experiment.
er Il pure automat0n, morally and
physically. They could be made to
commit crimes. He had made one of
his subjects take
An UnlOaded Revolver
and go through the motions of firing it
vi supposititious person. The subject
afterwards believed, acting on the Sug-
gesti0n of the doctor. that he had COM
mitted murder. Another of the doc
tors subjects had unknowingly signed
promiSsory note while under hypnotic
influence. Dr.. LiegeoiS expressed sur
prise that he had not been allowed to
see Mile. Bompard for the purpose of
RScertaining to what degree she was
susceptible OF hypnotic influence.
Or. LiegeOiS said it was possible that
Nile. Bompard had received Sugges-
ton of which she retained no recollec-
tons when awake. To effect this it
would be sufficient to place the subject
in an aneSthetic condition. The pris-
oner ought again to be put to sleep by
meSmeriSm in order to revive her recol-
iectiOns of facts occurring at the mo-
ment OF the commission of the crime.
The witness pointed out that, according
to the indictment, Eyraud had not been
able TO put Mile. BOmpard asleep, yet
she had been proved amenabIe TO the
hypnotic influence of Garanger, having
revealed the crime to him while hypnG-
TIED. For his twitnessO part, if he were
the judge in this case, bearing in mind
previous miscarriageS Of Justice, he
would rather cut off his hand than pro-
nounce sentence upon Mile. Bompard.
When the sensation which this deca-
ration caused in the court room had sub
sided, the procureur asked:
BY what scientific means do you deter
mine whether hypnotic sleep is real or simu-
lated:''
DR.. Liegeois-The bjeet that is really put
10 sleep can bear, without betraying any
symptoms of sensihiliiy to pain, pin pricks
il various parts of the body.
Dir. Brouardel. being recalled, said
that he held the opinion OF the Nancy
school Of hypnotiZtrs i'll small esteem.
All hysterical patients were found To be
addicted to making assertions of pre-
tenoed facts that existed only in their
1magnations. Every possible precau-
ton to prevent a simulated trance had
10 lie taken i'll examining subjects at
the Saltpelrlere. He did not doubt the
good faith Of DR.. Lgeois, but the lat
~ y
" illness was not in favor of again
hypnotizing Mile. Bompard, as he did
not wish TO run the risk of letting the
audience hear the revelations that
might be surprised out of the accused.
Drs. Moliet and Ballet shared DIR.
BrouardePS views. Both thought the
crime so complicated that it could not
have been committed under
Hypnotic Influence.
NJ. Robert, Mile. Bompard's counsel,
here asked that his client be nypnotlzed
In open court. and Nj. Decor, counsel
for Eyraud, juiued in the request. Inc
procureur opposed the request on the
ground that the experiment would not
help TO bring out the truth. In refusing
TO accede to The prisoners demand he
defended the impreScriptible privileges
OF justice against paradoXes put before
the court. The Judges retired to con-
slider the question, Returning several
minutes later, they declared that the re-
quest was rejected. Counsel for the
relatives OF NJ. Gouffe then addressed
the court. He pictured the murdered
man as father full of tender solictude
Tor his daughters. He passed over
Eyraud as having confessed the murder.
Regarding the woman he asked the jury
not TO believe her denialS, but to punish
both prisoners alike.