The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-18

Alma Leonard. a tail and slender girl OF
Is. whose father is wealthy lumherman
Of Eau Claire. is Miss Briggs most inti-
mate girl friend. She was frequently al
Mabefs house during the time that young
Pickin was visiting there There these
young people practiced hypuotism They
developed considerable skill al it. ana
could place one another under hypnotic in
huence, even bringing on a cataleptic con-
ditiOn Pickin was the one who began this
amusement. and he taught both the girls
One day i'm July when the two sirls were
out for a walk they met d. Pickin. He
placed them under hypnotic influence and
directed them TO go 10 the Wisconsin Cen
tral station. There they boarded train
for Chippewa Falls. He came into the car
and gave them each a ticket Neither o.
the girls wanted 10 go to Chippewa Falls.
Each earnestly desired To go 20 her home.
But they We're entirely controlled by Dr.
Pickin. and were entirely without per
sonal will. DR.. Pickin sat in the same car
with them all the way to Chippewa Falls.
but did not speak to them. At Chippewa
Falls they went still under the control Of
DR.. Pickin's Influence to a dive To which he
directed them. The doctor followed them
all the way. and part of the time two
other men followed. They were prevented
from entering the dive by the vehement
protests of the inmates. DIT. Pickin then
willed that they should return to Eau
Claire, and they did so. telling their pa
rents that they had been at dinner with
Miss Briggs Sunday school teacher. a Miss
Cady. This falsehood was discovered but
they explained il, being under Dr. Pickin's
influence
So much for the first part of Miss Briggs
story. AS TO the facts of the second part.
there is no question. on Aug 81 the en-
trance examinations of the High school
were held. Mabel Briggs dressed herself
with special care that morning, and left the
house ostensibly to take the examinations
She returned at noon and told her parents
that she had passed, and that school would
begin on Sept I. on that day she left
her home and apparently started FOR
school She returned at noon. got her din
ner, and went away. She did not return.
Her father went to the police and a gen
eral search was made. Posses Of citizens
aided the police. and all the suburbs of
Eau Claire were examined. The hunt was
kept up all night and all the next day
without success. Late that night a police
man who was watching the Pickin house
saw Mabel Briggs and Asigal Pickin com
ing up an alley in the rear He took charge
of the girl and started with her to her
fathers house Young Pickin went into
his own house
Before the policeman had gone far he
met Mr.. Briggs. The engineer spoke to
his daughter in a severe tone, and asked
her where she had been. She did not re-
ply That angered him, and he slapped
her. The girl seemed to struggle to
speak, and finally exclaimed Little Nj
agara." Her father took her home and
sent for DR.. L. II. Parker. the family
| physician. DR.. Parker thought at FIRST
that the girl had been drugged. She made
several efforts to speak, but apparently
was unable to do so. DR.. Parker knows
something about hypnotism. and when
Miss Briggs did not respond to his or
binary treatment he suspected that she
was under such influence. DR.. Herbert
Flint of Chicago, an expert in hypnotism
was sent for He came and hypnotzed
Miss Briggs, and while under his influ-
ence she told where she had been and
what had happened to her. As to these
facts there is no dispute. What Mabel
told is to be proved or disproyed at the
trial of the two men, which begins in Eau
Claire on Monday. This is her story:
When she left her home on the morn
ing of Aug 81 to take her examination
she was met by Asigal Pickin, who hyp-
Noticed her and detained her in the west
side park until noon, when he sent her
| home and told her what to say to her
| parents Again on this morning of Sept
4. when she started Ostensibly for school,
she met young Pickin. Again he hyp-
Noticed her and kept her in the park I'M
| til noon. He released her then and sent
her home. In the afternoon she wanted to
go to school, but Asigal Pickin met her
and took her to his house. She stayed at
DR.. Pickin's house until II o'clock that
night In the evening three young men
called and stayed until after 10 o'clock
She played and sang for them, and was
i there when they left. In this respect their
| story corroborates hers.
All the time these three young men were
| at Dr. Pickin's house Miss Briggs great
" desired to go home. But she was I'M
! oHIo do md oh VIZ pOmnlotelV
under the Pickin influence that she could
/ not even tell the boys of her predicament.
! After they had gone DR.. Pickin subjected
/ her to a further hypnotic test, as result
! of which she lost all desire except to
| obey his wish After that Asigal PclIin took
her to a lonely place about half a mile
from the PiclSin home, known as little Nj
| agara. There she was detained all night
/ and the following day and evening. While
! she was at Little Niagara young Pickin
went to Eau Claire and brought back
| food and brandy, of which she partook.
On the second evening they started for
home When they reached the town they
! became aware of the search that was
| going on They entered the West Side
park and were stealing along in the shad-
| ow of the trees when Miss Briggs saw
| her father She knew he was looking for
her. and tried to call him to attract his
attention. But Asigal Pickin so controlled
| her that she could not make a sound
At his command she laid herself down in
the grass with him, and she saw her father
pass within twelve feet of where she lay
and was unable to do anything TO attract
his attention. When he was out Of sight
Pickin told her to get up, and they went
on to Eau Claire
That is her story of what occurred dur
ing the time she was away from home.
It is an undisputed fact that she was in
a deplorable condition when she WAS res
cued by the policeman in the alley back
of DR.. Pickn's house. When she was
first hypnotized by Dr. Flint she refused
to give the names of the men who had de-
tanned her. Dr. Flint said she was under
hypnotic suggestion not to tell names, and
that he could not relieve her Of that sug-
gestion When she was relieved of DR..
Flint's hypnotic influence she went into
MYSTERIES, and seemed TO have for the
first time full realization of what had
happened to her.
DR. Flint went back to Chicago and DR..
Parker continued to treat Miss Briggs.
At one of his visits several days after DR..
Flint had gone, DR.. Parker became con-
;iuced that Miss Briggs was trying TO
hvpnotize him. 1t was suspected then
+b,+ tI,a mon she had refused 10 name