The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-01
SHE WAS HYPNOTIZED
CLAIM OF MRS. MYER, WIFE OF THE
CONVICTED POISONER.
She Will Make the Plea that She As
sisted the Doctor While Under
His Hypnotic Influence.

NEW YORK, Sept. 3O.-When the mys-
FERROUS woman now confined in the Tombs,
known to the public as the wife of DR..
Henry c.. +. Myer, who is serving a life
sentence for the murder of Ludwig Brandt,
alias Gustave H. NJ. j. Baum, and indicted
as a codefendant to that charge, is brought
to trial. the eyes of the legal, medical and
scientific world will be turned to New York.
Hypnotism is to be set up as the burden
of the defense, and its success would be
of almost incalculable Importance to the
medical and scientific world, as well as to
the law. Assistant District Attorney Me-
Intyre, who conducted the case against
DIR Myer, has been studying up on hypno-
tism for the past three months. He learned
just after the conviction of the "poisoner"
that Mrs. Myer would attempt TO prove
that she was under the hypnotic influence
of DR.. Myer during their married life. Mr..
Mcintyre, when asked when the trial of
Mrs. Myer would begin, said: Il can't say
just how soon it will be. You see this is
a very big case, and requires an untold
amount of preparation. The defense is TO
be that the woman was hypnotized by DIR.
Myer, and that is a defense hitherto I'M
known to the law, in this country, at least.
In fact, / think there is only one case on
record where hypnotism was advanced as
a defense, and that was In France in the
case of Eyraud, the Partisan stranger.
A woman. jointly indicted with him. turned
States evidence and Eyraud was captured
in Cuba, / believe. She claimed she was
forced to assist him in his crimes because
of the hypnotic influences he possessed over
her. AS We have an entirely new science
to cOmbat-at least as far as a defense TO
a charge of crime is concerned-you can
readily see that we require a great deal
of time to prepare ourselves to meet il.
1 have been studying the matter very close
iy and have devoted 2 great deal of time to
IL, and am not ready even yet. | wish sin
cerely that il was over and finished, as,
like the trial Of Myer himself, it will prove
a thankless task at best"
Granting that hypnotism will be Mrs.
Myers plea, the question arises, will the
court accept such a defense? And If so,
can twelve men be found to-day even in
place sufficient belief in mystic power as to
consider it seriously in a matter of life and
death? These questions were put to a gen.
tleman who is a thorough believer in hyp-
notism, and who claims to know something
about the present case. He answered both
questions as follows: "The law is bound
to accept proof, is it not? Men are bound
to believe their senses, are they not? Sup
pose. then, that you select twelve iptelli-
gent men and prove to them by their sense
OF sight and by their sense of hearing that
these are the facts; what then?'
DO you mean that by placing Mrs. Myer
under a hypnotic spell she could be made
TO tell the story and enact over again the
scenes and incidents that occurred in that
fiat on Thirteenth street, where Brandt is
supposed TO have died?" he was asked.
why notg' was the reply.