The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-01
A COLLEGIAN TURNS TRAMP.
The REMARKABLE STORY HE TELLS.
His Faculty OF Becoming Invisibie Paid
Well Temporarily, but It Finally Land
In sd Him In sing Sing Prison-A
Hypnotic wrook.

Inc speaker, says tue IllthDufR DtspdtcH,
was n seedy-looking tramp, unshaven and
with bleary eyes, but with an intelligent
face and soft hands which might have
been white had they been washed. flo
was an applicant for lodging at the Cen
trail station last night and was addressing
Inspector McAleese.
"My name Is James White, or rather
travel under that incognito," no con-
tinued.
"Well," said the inspector, "tell mo
something about yourself and your
hypnotic power. am rather interested
in hypnotism."
The seedy stranger pulled out package
Of rice paper and few grains OF tobacco
and deity rolled cigarette. Then he
borrowed light, and, taking seat on
the old iron safe in the corner of the sta
ton house, began his story:
81 was born in Hartford, Conn, forty
five years ago. 1t makes no difference
who my parents were; they are dead now.
My father was well-to-do, and, while he
had succeeded in building up fortune on
the foundation of n country school educa-
ton. ne was determined that / should
have all the advantages OF first-class
education. My schoolboy days were like
those OF most American youths. played
truant TO go swimming, had narrow es-
capes from drowning, participated in a
few fights with my playmates, but went to
Sabbath school, and, in fact, was no diff
ferent from my fellows, who are today mill
ionaires, mechanics, statesmen. jurists,
and perhaps few, like myself. tramps.
when eighteen years old i was sent TO
Harvard. My father was liberal in his al
lowance and got about all the fun there
was in college life. At that time l found
possessed considerable influence over
my fellow students and with the assurance
OF n cal.ow youth attributed it to my un-
deniable superiority. Just then the sub
ject OF mesmerism was agitating the
country. The od-fashioned people in the
East summed the subject, believing it was
only another machination OF his satanic
majesty to lead folks astray Perhaps
they were right, but their opinion only
lent additional charm TO il in our eyes,
who, although none of us had arrived at
mans estate, considered ourselves the
foremost thinkers OF the world.
1T soon became evident that pos
sessed to a wonderful degree the mesmeric
or hypnotic power, and my control over
some OF my fellow students was something
startling. But you have read OF the com
mOner forms Of hypnotic phenomena, and
IL is needless to 60 into detail. One day,
however, shortly before an examination,
discovered that possessed the hypnotic
power beyond all precedent We had
been having a mesmerc seance in my room
in which had shone as brightly as ever,
and at its conclusion l went to my tutors
room. l knocked at the door, was babe
to enter, and walked in. Several of the
tutors were there preparing the papers for
| the coming examination. When /
walked in noticed a startled look on the
faces of those present.
Ibid not some one knock at the door,
asked one
Eyes replied another, and the door
opened, but l saw no one enter
Perhaps some OF the students are en-
| deavoring TO make up for lack of study
| by listening to our conversation said
another.
"My tutor got up and walked toward
| the door in front of which / stood. He
did not appear to see me and had / not
moved out of the way would have
walked over me. l stepped aside; he
looked out OF the door, closed it, and,
coming back, said: 1T must have been
| the wind
IL stood in the room for few moments,
and then / suddenly realized that / was
| invisible to those present. In moment
/ was aghast. Perhaps l thought, my
| soul has left its tenement. pinched N.Y.
self with satisfactory results, and finding
that / could see my form in a mirror,
arrived at the conclusion that 1 had simply
reached an advanced stage Of hypnotism
and had hypnotized every person in the
room.
II was not slow in taking advantage Of
my invisibility and made copies of the
examination papers together with the
answers TO the problems. Then / left I'M
| seen. Tho next day l went to my class
mates and. after enjoning them to
| secrecy, gave them copies of these pa
| pers. For the time being none of us
thought OF studying; we were too sure of
our ability TO pass an examination. When
the examination day arrived the profess
ors were surprised at the perfection OF our
papers, and all would have been well had
| not the professor OF mathematics made a
discovery. When preparing his problems
he made a mistake in solving one. This
he did not discover until had copied the
paper. This mistake was 80 transparent
that the dullest scholar would have dis
covered it had he attempted to reconcile
the answer TO the question. Aninvestiga-
ton was at once commenced and the
whole class threatened with expulsion.
One OF my classmates finally confessed
that had given him the papers, and /
was called up for trial.
81 had no defense to make. IL told the
story of hypno.ism / would only be max
ing the case worse. The end of it was
that l was expelled from college. My
father was incensed at me, and. giving me
5000, cast me of. 1t was not long after
until both my parents died, my fathers
wealth being left to charitable institu-
| tions.
my tastes were expensive, and the
5000 did not last long in New York,
where went. Then used my mesmeriC
powers to borrow loans from my friends
but it was not long until they became
afraid Of me and fed from
me as II from a pestilence. One day !
became desperate, and determined to
try once more to become invisible bent
all the energies Of mind upon that one
idea. and went into several stores to ex-
pertinent. Finding the result satisfactory
summoned up courage and went into q
bank. When / came out l had $500 in
cash. This was an easy way to get money
and / repleniShed my purse every week OF