St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-31
A HYPN0TIST AT PLAY
Two st. Paul Ladies Victims
Of the Art Of a Visiting
Mesmerist.
Scandals Narrowly Averted
by the Disclosure Of the
Methods.
Fond Hearts at Minnetonka
Severed by the Hypnot-
lists Wiles.
A Minnesota Club Man by
Mistake Woos a Young
Servant.


they are very clever, but little atten-
their marvellous and mysterious char
acter. One of the most mysterious and
subtle powers known to the nineteenth
century is that of hypnotsm, or, as it is
commonly known to the masses, mes
merism. When DR.. Mesmer, in the last
years of the eighteenth century. dis
played his marvellous powers of placing
a person completely under control, both
mentally and physically, many were in
clined to believe that supernatural
power was possessed by the doctor.
Though Mesmer knew but little of the
wonderful power he possessed, he was
scientific enough to proclaim that, while
he could not explain the cause, he
could demonstrate without any posi-
BILE doubt the effect. During the pres
ent century there have been many ex-
ponents of mesmeric force, many of
whom have made capital of the peculiar
power they possess. Medical men have
practised hypnotism for the advance
ment of science, while some have used
it solely for amusement.
A gentleman from New York, who
came to ST. Paul a few months ago to
spend the summer, has been the cause
of much trouble among the fair sex of
the city, owing to his marvellous power
of hypnotism, and the manner in which
be has made use of the mysterious
force. Soon after his arrival in the city
he took up his abode in the neighbor-
hood of Laurel avenue. In the next
hon 1.-Two ftxyn Iod rIn
were very fond of music, and who
would get lip early every morning and
practice at the piano till the shades of
night fell The New Yorker was of
musical frame of mind, but the inces-
SAINT practice of scales and the Maid
ems Prayer" played with variations,
was too much for his nerves. His plan
of action was soon outlined, and it was
not long before he had secured an intro
duction to the young ladies. He culti-
waited their acquaintance, and told them
many entertaining stories of his travels
in Europe. They were completely fas-
cinated with the charming traveller, and
cruel gossip said that they were so much
taken up with HIM that they
had no time for cultivating music. They
were never seen to go near the piano,
and when mutual friends called at their
house they would always object to any
one entertaining the company with
music, unless it was of the highest
order. Last week the gentleman from
New York closed his visit to ST. Paul,
and the young artists have resumed
their daily exercise Of running the
scales. A friend of the hypnotist
learned from him that he had exercised
his powers to stop what he termed an
incessant nuisance, and the result was
only too successful. The gossipers say,
now that the fascinating gentleman
from the East has gone home. the young
ladies have lost the attraction that kept
them from the piano, but the few in the
secret know otherwise.
The Hotel Lafayette was also the
scene of the exercise of the hypnotist's
power. While on visit to the hotel he
made the acquaintance of a most charm
ing lady, who was not averse to re-
ceiving his attentions. During the
first few days of their acquaintance
they spent many hours in sailing over
the placid surface of the lake, and in
the evenings, when the fair moon shed
her silver rays over hill and dale, they
would sit side by side while he told her
that, though he had travelled far and
wide and met many charmers, not one
had made the impression she had. Now,
the lady had no right to receive the at
tentiOns of the charming stranger to
the Northwest, for she had plighted her
troth to another and the wedding bells
were to ring in the fall. On the Satur-
day after he had made the acquaintance
of the fair dweller by the lake a young
gentleman, who is well known in social
circles in st. Paul, arrived at the hotel
with the intention of spending few
days. His visit was not so much for
rest, but that he might be near the
adored one of his heart. But he was
surprised to find that his fiance spent
more time with the visitor from New
York than she did with him. The young
St. Paulite was of jealous Jempera-
ment. and on the Sunday evening of
his visit sought his fair charmer,
who was seated on the porch of
the hotel tete-a-tete with the gentle
man whom he looked upon in the light
of rival. An explanation of her con-
duct was demanded, and when the
young lBdy reminded him that he had
no right to control her actions, as they
were not yet married, he retorted by
saying that if he had no right to her So
ciety, considering they were soon to be
married, he would inform her parents
of the state of affairs, and ask their in
terceSSiOn. Now comes the best part of
the story. His fiancee had brought with
her to the hotel a maid who hailed from
the Emerald isle, who, though she was
perfect In every respect as far as her
duties to her mistress were concerned,
was not blessed by nature with those
charms of figure and features which
would entitle her TO be called beauty.
On the following day sensation was
witnessed at the hotel when the jealous
swain was seen to escort the maid to
his boat, which lay at anchor by
the pier. and utterly ignored her
beautiful mistress. More wonderful to
to relate. the young lady who should
have expressed surprise at this con-
duct. did not seem to notice it, but SIM
ply asked lady friend who was the
gentleman who was taking her maid for
| sail on the lake. When told that it
was Mr., to whom she was engaged
| to be married, she was highly indig-
nant, and professed that she had never
had the pleasure of an introduction to
| him, and was not acquainted with him
| in any manner. Her friends thought
| she had taken leave of her senses, but
| when it was seen that she found pleas
ure in the company of the entertaining
stranger from New York, concluded
that it was the old. old story: "Off
| with the old love and Oh with the new"