The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-17
A HYPNOTIC CRIME.


Capital Comedy company, having one
summer months vacation, decided to
I'LL 1t Ill with stock season. - worked
on the joint stool, system at Beaching-
ton We extended tho commonwealth
principle from the stage to the home
Aid took furnished house, wherein we
all resided with more comfort and Mt
less expense than is possible in seaside
lodgings We fellows had smoking
billiard room for our amusement, the
girls had boudoir for their gossip, and
the married ladies kindly looked after
the consumable properties and the pro.
prietics And very good company we
voted ourselves.
My sister We're and her husband, Ed
mond Hatherleigh, were in the ''crowd,"
and their special favoritc was q young
Spanish girl, who had taken to the
boards-the Senorita Alcida Velasquez.
She WAS my especial favorite, too, but
l muslin anticipate.
Being seriously i'll love with tho fair
Spaniard-who was dark, by the bye
my jealous eyes noted all things affect
ing her Ill any way, and it seemed to
me that my brother in law admired her
just little too much. He was most 20
lite and attentive to his wife, but every
now and again caught him looking mt
Alclda with more admiration i'll his i'm
prcssivc eyes than was good for him or
for the object of it either.
One evening after the performance at
the thc;lter, the ladies having retired for
the night, we gentlemen adjourned to
the smoking room for weeds and whis-
ky. There the desultory talk somehow
vccrcd round to hypnotism and such
phenomena, whcreon most of us, being
ignorant of the subject, expatiated with
force and volubility.
Hathcrlcigh, however who had been
mcdico before he became a hummer.
spoke about it rs one having authority,
and we We're all astonished, though I
was by 10 means convinced by tho ar
guments he advanced and the evidence
he adduced i'll support of tho theory of
hypnotic suggestion, especially i'll its ro-
lation to crime.
But do you moan to say" said Kin
credulously, THAT if you suggest crimo
to Il hypnotiZed subject he will commit
it?'
Certainly" Hatherleigh replied.
when i'll practice. hypnotized several
patients and by suggestion relieved many
OF them OF diseases which had hitherto
been considered incurable.
so you have frequently said" 1 re.
turned, "but for my part doubt if there
is any such thing as hypnotism at oil.
You may possibly obtain influence over
weakminded persons and by working
OH their credulous i1naginations effect
cures OF nervous disorders, but-well, I
should like to see the man who could
hypnotize me!'
Would your" Hatherleigh inquired,
with smile that was half O sneer.
what do you say to allowing mo to
make the experiment."
ION, I'm game, if you're willingl'
retortcd rather warmly.
Very well. "said my relative coolly.
"Whcn shall we bcgin:'
"Now," answered boldly.
Thanks" said Hatherleigh, with
another sarcastic smile. Now, gen.
tlemen to the others-"may
ask you to leave us alone for a few
minutes?''
For answer the fellows went solemn
ly out of the room, adjuring me to bear
up and promising me really hand
some funeral should the experiment
prove fatal. AS for me, I now felt
pretty much as u man feels when he's
going to have q tooth out. Nov. Sir
Doubtful said my brother-in-law,
Just throw away your cigar and look
me full i'll the face
did So Looking up into the mans
k<N, IL. -
rious matter for him, and that it might
be serious for mo also. For q moment
felt inclined to withdraw, for Hathcr-
leigh looked as though he really did
possess tho power he claimed, but OBJ
stinucy and pride oyercame fear, and
said carelessly, go on with your hyp-
nothing"
Il have already commenced, he re-
piled, fixing his eyes on mine.
l had expected him to make passes
with his hands and perform all that sort
of mummcry, but he sat quite still,
looking me quietly in the face For a
time I fearlessly returned his gaze, but
suddenly all NY surroundings seemed to
fade away, and saw nothing but o
pair of fiery eyes which seemed to burn
into my soul. l tried to shut nv own
eyes to the sight, but in vain. Those
terrible eyes grew larger and larger
until they seemed to fill the limits of
space, and then awoke to find Hathcr
leigh regarding me with an anxious
but satisfied look. The other fellows
had returned, and they began asking
me all sorts of questions. But 1 had
nothing to tell. had no unpleasant
feeling. Isecmed to have been dozing-
that was all. The clock, too, showed
that the 6xncrimcnt had lastod I'm. N