The Indianapolis journal., 1891-02-23
STOPPED FOR A SHORT TINE
Hypnotizers Arrested for Violating Sum
day Laws, Go ON with Their Show.
A Very Good One 1t Ia. with Professor Flint
Controlling Subjects and the DeGray
Brothers Remarkable Exhibition.

There was an exhibition of hypnotism at
the Park Theater, yesterday afternoon,
that was delayed by the appearance of Ser
geant Lowe aud several patrclmeD, who
arrested the performers-Herbert l.. Flint,
Harry De Gray, Walter j. Wright and Miss
Helen Van--on charge of desecrating the
Sabbath. They were taken to the station
house. where Manager Dickson promptly
secured their release on bail. and had
them conveyed to the theater again in
carriage. The performance was then begun.
Patrolmen Corrigan and Hyland We're told
to return TO the theater and ascertain
if the order to comply with the
law was not obeyed, so as to serve rs VIII
nesses. in the trial before the Mayor this
morning, but no further attempt was MADE
to interfere with the exhibition. 1t was de-
cided to let the matter be tested In the
courts, and for this, the officers say. the
evening performance was also al
lowed to continue without interference
1t is the expressed intention. however, TO
file against the performers also for the
night performances. Captain Quigiey was
present there and will be called as Wit
ness. Horace E. Smith has been retained
by the theater managers for the defense.
There was a crowded house ct the Park
Theater last evening at the hypnotic exhi-
bition, the opening feature of the pro-
gramme being mInd.reading test by MISS
Helen Van, who was olindfolde.i. ouo"ns
this, from dozen or more young Dhsn dnu
boys who were called to the platform, Ut.
Flint used nine or ten in a series OF exceed
ingly interesting experiments. IhTse OF
four of them did not prove good suoJects
and remained upon the stage as spectators,
the failure to bypnOtize in one case being
due to an exceedingly large and wObbiy
lag" that the young man had brought Win
him. The first tests given were physlcai,
in which the operator showed his contIoi
camplete control of the operator, and per.
formed many strange antics to the great
delight of the audience. After this he mace
the subjects forget their names, laugn,
cry. dance or to do anything he willed.
One especially amusing subject was boy,
whom the Doctor impressed with the idea
that he had a rubber nose of great clas-
ticity. The boy taking hold of this imagln-
ary member pulled it out to his arms
length. and then in dismay tumbled over
backwards.
Ibid you ever take hold of batteryS"'
inquired the Doctor as be clasped the baud
OF subject. The young man danced about
with the greatest activity. and doubled up
was pouring into him. When the subjects
came out of the hypnotic state they usu-
ally looked daZed and foolish; sometimes
they were angry and attempted to leave,
wave of the hand or . snap of the fingers
the Doctor would again bring them under
control. An illustration of this was three
young fellows who rode three brooms about
the stage under the impression that they
were horses. After caracoling about the
stage they were sent on an excursion
down All aisle through the audi
ence. When they had about made
the circuit of the house the Doctor recalled
them to themselves They were still
among the audience, and when the wizard
transformed the horses OF their imagina-
tion into broomsticks again they were
angry and ashamed and threw them away
with violence. In this case the Doctor had
some slight trouble to get their attention, but
when he did they were speedily under con-
troll and returned su ubmissively to the stage
= He placed five of the yoang fellows in
cataleptic condition, rigid as fence-posts
and, taking chairs, placed two subjects
upon them. putting the heels on one chair
and the head of a subject on the other. He
then piled the other three crosswise on top,
and tine weight was sustained without ef-
fort.
The Doctor then brought forward the
young lady who had figured In the mind
reading test, and, having hypnotiZed her,
placed her heels upon one chair and her
head upon another. her trunk being unsup-
ported. She was of o frail figure. and when
the Doctor placed pillow upon her chest,
and lay thereon q limestone slab sixteen or
eighteen inches square and four or i've
inches thick, which he broke by striking
two blows with an eleven-pound sledge-
hammer, there was from many In the audi
ence murmur of disapprOval, mingled
with disgust. 1t was shown. however, that
she was uninjured. and as the Doctor
rubbed her eyes and forehead to awaken
ha~ 20 coih h In
youngster in the gallery shouted: PUT her
in alcohol"
Following this Professor De Gray, with
the hypnotic subject whom he introduces
to his audience as his brother, gave the
series of demonstrations that be exhibited
ON Saturday night to the professors and
students of the Medical College of Indiana.
Prof. John Collett and DR.. Z. i. Fletcher
went upon the stage at the call of the audi
ence while the subject in the cataleptic
state had a number of large needles
introduced deeply INTO the muscles of the
arm without causing any flow of blood.
Following this the operator put his subject
through chest depression, elongation and
displacement OF the neck. displacement OF
right shoulder. and upward displacement of
lett shoulder with partial displacement of
collar bone. DR.. Fletcher announced to
the audience that during these experiments
rapid, while hsrespiration was exceedingly
slow and slight. The operator rubbed the
subjects body and limbs, causing complete
catelepsy with extreme rigidity. It was
his pnlse was ninety to the minute. his res
piration. which should have bcen twenty
four to tho minute. was only four
or five. As he was restored to
consciousness it was observed that his
veins and blood vessels swelled out. From
a scientific and medical point Of view the
exhibition was an instructive one.
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