Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-10
UNDER BlLEFUL SPELL.
ANTICS OF A YOUNG LADY UNDER
HYPNOTIC INFLUENCE.
Possessed of the Delusion That She Was
Her Own Brother, She Took
His Place.

The Cincinnati Enquirer is authority fol
the following story relative to young lady
of high social standing in the suburb Of
Avondale: While most of the young
people were actively engaged in urging the
New Yorker to proceed, one fair girl, the
hostess of the evening, took no part in the
general hubbub. She sat passively N a
chair directly in front Of the alleged hyp.
notist. 1t was noticed that he kept his
eyes fixed upon her, while she returned his
persistent piercing look with strange
stare. She seemed entirely oblivious tc
everything around her, and her beautiful
eyes shone with an unnatural glitter as
they followed every movement of the man
who had her completely enthralled. He
had selected his victim and been practic-
ing his art, even while protesting that he
did not desire to exercise his hypnotic in
fuence. Gliding swiftly from his chair
the young man stood directly in front OF
his fair hostess. He passed his hand sew
eral times in front of her face. A precep-
tible shudder and a sort of contraction OF
the muscles indicated that the young girl
was under the spell. Although no physi-
cal manifestation had yet been made, the
little coterie gazed on with wonder mingled
with alarm. 1t was no longer laughing
matter, but reality that this young girl
was absolutely under the influence Of this
stranger, impelled by some occult and in
defnable force to do his very bidding.
snow, will show" said the young man
with a look of triumph on his face, "that
there is something in hypnotism." Turning
to Miss S. he said: "Do what your brother
does when he comes home at night"
She rose from her chair, and with the
same vacant look upon her usually bright
countenance walked across the room,
opened drawer, took out pair of slip
pers, and removing her own shoes from
her dainty feet, put on her brothers slip
pers. Then, without any further directions
from her mental master, she went to where
her brothers cigars were usually kept, and
securing one of his choice weeds, deliber-
ately lighted it and pulled away in the
most self-satis6ed manner. Stumbling
along in her brothers big slippers she
sauntered out on the portico. She sat down
in chair, tipped it back, threw her feet
up on the balustrade in most undignifed
way, Just as she had seen her brother
George do thousand times. The thor
oughly absorbed spectators followed her
every movement with breathless interest,
deeply Impressed with the awful possibili-
ties for evil this strange art of hypnotism
possessed. All sorts of foolish things were
done by the poor girl while laboring under
the peculiar delusion. She finally wan
dered into the back part of the house. be-
ing followed by two of her friends. The
most remarkable part of the afairremains
to be told. Either by accident or design
the hypnotist left the house before restor-
ing the girl to her normal condition, as he
could easily have done.
When the company had had enough of
the sport, the New York gentleman was
nowhere to be found. 1t seems that he
and the friend who had accompanied him
to the Avondale house had another en-
gagement, and departed rather hurriedly,
although the cause of their sudden leav.
ing has never been clearly explained. At
ali events, Miss S. was still possessed of the
idea that she was her own brother, and as
such it was incumbent upon her to do as
he usually did. 1t happened that he was
not at home on that particular evening, or
the subsequent Notifying events would
never have come to pass.
The hypnotic influence exerted over the
girl by the New Yorker must have been
very powerful, for she did not sleep that
night, as was afterward learned. She re-
manned awake in her brothers room, and
shortly after daylight dressed herself in a
suit of his clothes He frequently went
to his business without waiting for his
breakfast, and this peculiar phase Of con-
duct was followed by his sister. She
passed out of the house and soon boarded
a cable car. Her awkward appearance at
tracted the attention of the passengers,
and every one was nonplussed to see a
beautiful girl dressed in mems clothes.
One or two gentlemen recognized her, but
said nothing. Miss S., utterly unconscious
of the sensation she was causing, continued
on her way to the end of the cable. She
walked along Fourth to Vine, and then to
one of the largest wholesale houses not
three squares from the Burnet House
where her brother is the head bookkeeper
and has an interest in the firm. All along
the route the poor girl was the object Of
ridicule, although it was suspected she
was not in her right mind.
The curiosity and anxiety Of one Of
her Avondale friends was excited and he
followed her TO the store. She passed
back to the Office, and entering the count
ing-room opened the doors Of the safe and
took out the books which were used by
her brother in his work. The senior
member of the firm stood with open
mouthed establishment. 1t was some mo-
ments before he could speak. Then he
recognized the pretty sister of his trusted
bookkeeper attired in her brothers
clothes. He spoke to her, but she paid
no attention, but continued to pore over
the books Fortunately Mr.. S. came in a
moment later and relieved the astonishec
parter of further embarrassment. Ht
knew nothing about the previous nights
experience of his sister and was fearfully
frightened, thinking she had lost hel
mind The anxious brother ordered ;
closed carriage, and the fair girl, still
obliyious of what had occurred, was rap
idly driven to her home in Avondale
Her mother had in the meantime dis
covered her absence and had been send
ing all over the neighborhood in search
of her. 4 physician was sent for, anC
when acquainted with the circumstances
the young lady was given an opiate anC
put to sleep. She awoke after ten hours
slurnber, complaining Of feeling very veal
and tired. She has never been told wha
fool she made Of herself, as she woulC
almost die of shame. There will be NJ
more hypnotic experiments in AvondalC
for some time to come-at least in gooC
society.
FATE OF THE ECONOMICAL WIFE.
Her Search for Bargains UnappreciateC
by a self-Induigent Husband.
A young husband who knows his Owl