Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-08-08
HYPNoTIsM N LOVE.

A strange story of two families
wrecked by alleged hypnotic influences
was developed in Manayunk before
Magistrate Thomas. Three weeks of
love in New York stolen under these
peculiar conditions ended yesterday in
the arrest of Dram Sutch, of Fleming
street, charged with q felonous assault
and administering o drug to Mrs. John
Reichert, of Belair street. Mrs. Reich.
ert was too ill to testify before the
magistrate, but last evening che relat.
cd her story. Sutch and Mrs. Reichert
were supposed to have eloped three
weeks ago.
"Two weeks before the elopement.n
said Mrs. Reichert, "Sutch, who was q
frequent visitor at our house, obtained
q strong power over my will and at last
i became unable to control my own
actions. What he wanted done an ir.
resistible force compelled me to do and
I followed him with my mind complete.
Iy hypnotized by his"
Mrs. Reichert left her home three
weeks ago, she. said, to make some pur-
chases for her sister, but meeting Sutch
at the Broad street station, she was
persuaded by his extraordinary arts TO
pass the afternoon at an Eighth street
theatre. a lunch at 8 saloon followed
and here Sutch performed the first act,
according to Mrs. Reichert, that placed
him within the pale of the law. she
says he placed 9 drug in beer. and
when the long stretch of insensibility
was over she found herself with Sutch
the next morning in q house on north
Sixth street.
He left her locked in his room, she
declares, for his powers only awaited
when he himself was present. Sutch
went back TO Manayunk and procured
q large sum of money due him for the
painting Of Councilman Adams's house.
He returned to Mrs. Reichert and com
pelied her to take the train with him
for New York, where she was kept in q
furnished room on Twenty-fourth
street. The door was securely locked
whenever Sutch went out. On last
Friday the funds gave out, and as hyp-
nOtism was not as successful in finance
as in love Sutch cent the unhappy wo>
man back to her fathers home.
On his side Sutch maintained that
the elopement was entirely voluntary
on Mrs. Reichert's part. She had
agreed, he declared, to meet aim at the
Broad Street station, and they only
visited the theatre because he had been
unable to ecure the money he had ex-
pected. He stoutly asserted that the
night spent in the Sixth street
house was due to mutual consent
and that Mrs. Reichert waited
for him in o Green street restaurant
while ne returned to Manayunk for the
money. He intended to 60 west, but
fearing apprehension, he changed the
programme and sought seclusion in the
turmoil of New York city. Mrs. Reich
ert's passion for him, he said, finally
began to diminish and tears and re-
proaches took the place of caresses.
Sutch said he finally grew tired of her
crying and, to set her right and at the
same time rid himself of an incubus, he
sent her home. On the ill.starred elope-
ment, Mrs. Reichert left q husband and
three children, and wife and one child
were forsaken by Sutch. When asked
if he possessed the power of hypnotism
Sutch replied that he wished he did, for
he would surely exert it over the magis-
trate in the morning.
The arrest of Sutch occurred yester-
day on G warrant signed by Peter Ser
waZi, tine father of Mrs. Reichert. Ow-
ing to Mrs. Reichert's illness the hear
ing was postponed, but go strong did
Magistrate Thomas consider the evil
dence that he held Sutch without bail
for a further hearing.