The Portland daily press., 1893-10-12
TO DETECT A CRIMINAL.
Strange Use of Hypnotislm in the Case of a
Dutch Criminal.


Amsterdam, October 6.--The officials
who, are trying to unravel the mystery
surrounding the disappearance of Mrs.
De Jong have, after comforting with
several eminent physicians, decided to
place De Jong, the woman's husband,
under hypnotic influence and thus en-
| deavor to obtain information that will
clear up the mystery. De Jong could
| not be convicted upon a confession OBJ
| tanned in this manner. 1t has beensde-
cided that two eminent physicians will
| try the experiment
| The story of Mrs. De Jong's disappear
ance has excited general interest, not
only in Holland but also in England.
| Prior to her marriage she was Miss
Sarah Anna Juett, and her home was
| at Maidenhead, Berkshire. The follow
| ing romantic details of her courtship,
marriage and disappearance only serve
to add to the deep mystery surrounding
her. Last November young Dutchman,
| named De Jong, who was steward on a
vessel trading between the Holland ports
and Middlesborough, got into trouble on
| board, in connection, it is said, with
smuggling cigars, and was sentenced to
term of imprisonment. While in con-
| finement he became very ill and had to
| be removed to the infirmary at Middles-
| borough, where he had for his attendant
Miss Juett, who, though her parents
| were we'll TODD, was acting as a nurse
She was very good looking, and about
25 years of age She at once attracted
| the attention of her patient, and the
| young pair were soon apparently in love
with each other. A few days later De
Jong proposed marriage and was accept
| ed
On leaving the hospital at the end of
November, he went to Holland, and the
young lady did not see him again until
| last April, although correspondence had
passed between them. He then explained
| to her that he intended at once to marry
| her; and some time in May he put in an
appearance at Maidenhead, when he was
introduced to the girls parents. His
general behavior gave rise to no suspicion
| on the part of anyone, but although he
! indicated that he had plenty of money
and that he owned a hotel in Holland,
he was always mislaying or losing his
purse and borrowing money from the
| girls father and others.
On June Is last the young couple were
married in St. Luke's church, Northtown,
| of Maidenhead. After the ceremony,
| and just as the newly married couple
were starting for the honeymoon, De
| Jong discovered that he had lost his
| purse. His bride at once gave him five
| pounds. and her father wrote check on
| local bank for twenty pounds As
| they drove away from the parental home
! the girl called out to her father that the
| money would be returned in day or
| two; but since that time De Jong has
denied ever having the money. The
| young couple took train to Padding
ton and stayed at the Devonshire Hotel,
on the following day for Holland.
1t is known that they stopped for some
| days at d h otel at Aenhelm. They were
seen at other places in Holland subse-
| quietly. While they were away the parents
of the girl could get no answers to letters
or kilograms, and early in August the
| girl disappeared The man was at Am
sterdam on August 1, and there stayed
in some lodgings, where he speedily made
| the acquaintance of his hostess and her
sister, Miss Maria Sybilla Schmitz.
With the latter De Jong became very
| intimate and soon persuaded her to
| marry him. This is on the testimony of
London, and it is supposed that while
! Miss Schmitz was i'll London her husband
| took the opportunity of running down to
| Maidenhead. To the CONSERVATION of
everyone, De Jong walked into the Juett
home. Before he could say anything
the anxious mother expressed the great
| est surprise that he was alone, and asked
where her daughter was. De Jong, who
| spoke English inlperfectly, said: "She
has run away from me- and has gone off
with a big American"
| So great was his assumed grief that he
| was the recipient of the family's conso-
| lation, his conduct lending veracity to
| night, but absolutely declined, it being
| supposed that he wanted to get back to
| London to his second love. On August
| q couple calling themselves Mrs. and
Mrs. De Jong We're back in Ans terdam,
where they stayed in several hotels. On
| left Amsterdam for Bussum, and then
occurs blank. The woman has not
| been seen or heard Of since. Meanwhile
suspicious were excited III England, and
| the Dutch police received request from
| Scotland Yard to make inquiries as to
| the whereabouts of De Jong, and to place
| him ulder arrest. After Il great deal of
corresponding between the Dutch and
| English authorities, and the suspicion
| about his wife being strengthened by the
| disappearance o. Miss Schmitz, the Dutch
police effected the arrest of De Jong, who
| was encountered in cafe.
De Jong, it is said, was well known in
| Holland before his escapade in England
| No trace of either his wife or Miss
| Schmitz has been found, though the
police have exhausted their resources in
hunting for them. The physicians who
will try the hypnotic experiment on
| the prisoner are DR.. Renterghem, of Am
sterdam, and DR.. De Jong, Of The Hague.
The latter, though bearing the same
name as the prisoner, is no relation to
| him.