The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-07-21
A HYPNOTIC CRIME.

It happened In this way. We of th,
Capital Comedy company, having ont
summer a; onth'svacaEion decided Il
fllitin with d ssstoek, season. " worked
ON the joint stock system nj Heaching
ton, We extended the commonwealth
principle from the stage 30 the home
and took q furnished house, wherein We
oil resided with more comfort and al
less expense than ID possible lii seaside
lodgings Wefellows had smoking
billiard room for our amusement, the
girls had boudoir for their gossip, and
the married ladies kindly locked after
the consumable properties and the pro-
prieties And very good company we
voted ourselves.
| MY sister We're and her husband, Ed
mond Hatherleigh, were in the s'crowd, -
and their special fAvorite wns young
Spanish girl, who had taken 20 the
boards che Senorita Alcila Yelaaouez
| She was my especial favorita, 100, but
mustn't anticipate. ]
| Being seriously In love with the fair
Spaniard who was dark, by the bye.
my jealous eyes noted oil things affect
Ing her In any way, and &c ssenaed 20
| me thas my brother -inalaw admired her
tusesa little too much. Hswas raost po4
lite and attentive to his wife, hnt every
now and again I caught him looking as
Alcidawith more admiration I'm his Inn
pressive eyes than was good for him or
for the object Of IL either.
One evening after the performance ut
shs theater, the ladies having retired for
the night, we gentlemen adjourned TO
the smoking room for weeds and whis-
ky There the desultcry talk somehow
veered roupd to hypnotism and such
lphenomena, whereon most Of us, being
ignorant of the subject, expatiated with
force and yolubility.
Hatherleigh, however, who hid been
medico before he became d hummer.
spoke about it as one having authority.
and we were all astonished. though I
was by no means convinced By she ar
guments he advanced and the evidence
he adduced in support of the themys sof
hypnotic suggestion, especially in its re-
lation TO crime.
But do you mean TO say, = said In
credulously. that If you suggest 4 crime
70 q hypnotized subject he will commit
itf,' .ss - 3 81
Certainly, = Hatherieigh replied.
when In practice. I Ihypnotized several
patients and by suggestion relieved mas
Of them of diseases which had hither.
been considered incurable y
$50 you have frequently said, " / re-
turned, ''but for my part doubt If there
is any such thing as hypnotisIn 1T all.
You may possibly obtain influence over
weakminded persons and by working
on their credulous imaginations eject
cures of nervous disorders, but--well, /
should like to see the man who could
hypnotize mel''
] Would your Hatherleigh inquired.
with a smile that was half sz1eer.
What do you say4tO allowing me 60
make the experimens2's
"Oh. I'm gaanes II you're willingI''
1lretorted rather, warInly.
Very well, = said my relative coolly.
When shall we .beginys'
Now. IFauswered boldly.
Thanks eaid HakherleiRh. with
Rnosher sarcastio sanild. ssNuw, geass;
tlensn'' surningsto the othsrs- ssmay
dsaak Jon 10 leaye NJ alone fora fsws,
minutes?" Es
For answer che fellows went solemn
u ont Of the room, adjuring me to bear
mp and promising me D really hand.
sonae funeral should the experiment
prove fatal z Al for me, r now felt
pretty muab % d man feels when he's
going 20 have q tooth ont. Now, Sir
Doubtful." said my brother ~in-law,
just throw away your cigar and look
me full In the face. y
/ did so Looking mp into the mans
face, ! gan to realize that IL was q se-
rions matter for him, and that it might
be serious for me also. For moment
/ felt inclined TO withdraw. for. Hather.
leigh looked as though he really did
possess the power he claimed, but OBJ
stinscy ,ands pride ovekcazne fear, andsT
said carelessly, ''Go ON with your hyp-
notizinH =
III have already cornmenoed, 4 he re-
piled, fixing his eyes ON mime
! had expected him 10 make passes
swithshis hands and perform all that sort
cf nhssnrnery, but he md quite still;
Locking Ineaqnistiys III the faea Fm . |
time Itfearlessly returned hin gaze, bnt Il
all my surkonndines seemed 10
fade away, and \ sew nothing but o.
pair of fiery eyes which seemed to burn
into my soul. tried I'd shut my own |
eyes 70 tfs night; bus Ii vain Those
terrible eyes grew larger and latRer
until they seenzed TO fill; ths limits uf |
space. and then I .awolce 20 fnd Hather<
leigh regarding me with an anxious
tut satisfied look. The other fellows |
had returned, and they began asking
me ali sorts Of questions. But i had
nothing TO tell I had no ufiplsasans
feslings Iseemedsto have been tioxinQ
that was all. The. clock too showed
that the experiment had lasted but i |
few minutes Well. !, asked Hather.
leigh. how have yon succeededgs
Beyond my most sanguine expecfa-
items. he replied. with deep meaning