Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-19
THE BoMpARD CASE AND HYpNor1sM.

signify cooler IN eastern pOrLlOuS.
THE BoMPARD CASE AND HYPNoT1sM
The hypnotic theory as applied to the
Bempard case is gaining adherents. 1t is
announced that experts in animal magnet
ism assert their belief that the woman at
the time of the murder was under the in
fuence Of Eyraud, and was by him irresist-
IDLY impelled to do what he wished, re-
gardless of her own will or judgment; that
when the woman came in contact with the
man Garanger, she met a stronger in
huence and that under this she was COM
PEELED to return to Paris and give herself
up to the authorities.
While hypnotism has received recogni-
ton from the medical faculty, so far as
warnings not to dabble in it are concerned,
and so far as demand to have the law for
bid exhibitions of patients under its in
fuence goes, we do not find any action or
expression by scientific men recorded, GO
patient can be kept for many months I'M
der the influence, and all the actions of
her life meanwhile directed by their oper-
ator. This is what the hypnotists claim
In the Bompard-Eyraud case 1t must be
confessed that there are some strong evil
dences in support of the fantastic theory;
but it must remain a theory; it is not
capable of demonstration. The woman
may herself assume this defense and it will
be impossible to detect the deceit carried on
with view to maintain it. 1t would be
shrewd device of cunning criminal to
thus Eaise doubt of guilt and save her
head from the guillotine.
The theory of the hypnotic experts is
that Gabrielle Bompard, under the satanic
influence of Eyraud, whom she did not
love, lured NJ. Gouffe to the room, where
moose was thrown over his head and by
which he was strangled, he being subse-
quently choked to death by Eyraud when
the moose failed in its work. That under
the same malign influence she fled with her
principal to San Francisco, where another
victim, in the person of Garanger, was
selected, but that his influence proving
stronger than the earlier master, she was
by Garanger impelled to return to Paris,
where coolly and without any apparent
communications of ooreo;..,,oo H. ~, fo.ocJ
the crime. The other day the woman was
taken to the same room in which Goufe
met his death so horribly, and she there
dramatically recited the story of the crime
and with the officers as figures she re-
hearsed all the details of the murder in
the presence of the examining magistrate
and the medical experts who were detailed
to carefully study her manner.
The room vas restored to its original
condition, the furniture removed from it,
save the armchair in which Gouffe was
seated. A detective took his seat in this
chair and Gabrielle coolly placed herself
in his lap. Another detective arranged
the moose, and the woman then explained
how she prevented the victim from releas-
ing himself from it She claims that she
was terrified when she saw the moose de-
scending over Goufe's head, and that the
latter, noticing the expression of her coun-
tenance and not understanding it, at
tempted to calm her. A moment later
she was thrown to the floor, as the victim
was jerked out of the chair by the cord
1t is marvelously strange case, and it is
easy to understand why the French
authorities hesitate before condemning the
woman. 1t is probable, since it is the
more reasonable theory, that the woman
is playing part; that she has assumed
the hypnotic theory to save herself from
punishment, and that her return to Paris
and her cool confession are parts of
skzewd device to defeat the authorities.
# the French Courts accept the specula-
TORS of the hypHotists in this case, and
hold that Gabrielle Bompard was impelled
to the part she played in the commission
of the crime, and that she therefore had
no intent to commit the crime, and was no
more than a tool in the hands of the real
murderer, a new and dangerous doctrine
will be introduced into the French Grim
inal practice that will cause crime in
France to increase, and that will afford
convenient Avenue for the escape of French
murderers. However, what the French
Courts may unfortunately hold in this
case viii little influence English and
American tribunals. They are not given
to such dramatic methods as the first are
famous for, nor will such judgments of
French Courts be considered as valuable
precedents.