The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-07

"0isoh uEaE MUST serve 2 Lie sentence
Neither Took Court stock in Alleged
Hypnotic Theory Which Has Caused so
Much Talk All over the w orId--It Was
Discussed in Every Country and by the
Press and Puipit--BrIef Review of One
of the Most Celebrated Cases in Kansas
--Other Local News.
Yesterday the supreme court af-
Ermed the decision of the lower court
In the case of the state against Ander-
son Gray of Sumner county and con-
firraed the sentence Of Judge Burnett
that Gray be hanged, which means life
imprisonment according to the custom
In this state
This ends one Of the most noted cases
In the history of the southwest and
one that has attracted world wide at
tentlon on account of the hypnotic
feature alleged to have been involved
n 1T. The supreme court as well as the
lower court denies that the power
OF hypnotism did not enter into the
case at all, and they are correct. The
fact OF the matter is that the word
Hypnotism was not mentioned in the
guilty as in ordinary cases of murder.
FOR some reason all the papers in the
united States except the Eagle and
Sumner county papers discussed the
hypnotic features Of the Gray case
me hypnotic theory was advanced in
the Mcdonald case if at all. There is
some dispute even as to that Judge
burnett before whom the case was
tried said that the hypnotic theory was
n in
but it is understood that Judge Beck
man, who defended Mcdonald, claims
that ii was. From the best evidence
that could be extracted from the dis
pute II appears that Judge Woods in
stating the case to the jury suggested
hypnousm but did not advance ii as
q settled theory. Others think that
all the hyDnotism in the case was done
by Judge Beekman and that the Jurors
were ms subjects. At any rate Nc
Donald who actually committed the
murder was acquitted while Gray, who
suggested il to Mcdonald bat who took
no part IN the shooting, was convicted
OF murder in the first degree and sem
fenced TO be hanged. Whether there
was hypnotism in the case or not it is
certain That it brought bypnotism into
universal prominence and gave the
pubic an appetite for Triiby It was
discussed by newspapers, magazines.
lawyers, preachers and scientists all
over the world and miles OF literature
were written about it. Judge Burnett
before whom The case was tried was de-
iuged with letters concerning it. Some
people asked him for information and
one man in Iowa actually abused him
through the mails day after day for al
lowing such a thing as hypnotisn 10
De considered in his court in connection
With murder case. Eastern journals
COTTeEgGndanrS a
ascertain the facts, and one metropoli-
tan paper published al the evidence in
the case long after il was ended, Civ
ing the portraits of all the men con-
nected with it. The French medical
journals took it up and discussed it for
weeks pro and con. Dr.. Snyder of St
Louis made it the subject of two Sun
day morning sermons and wrote some
able articles on the subject. Even now
the county attorney OF Sumner county.
Hon. Harry l.. Woods. receives on an
average of five letters q day from all
parts Of the world soliciting Informal
ton on the subject.
The facts in the case, briefly told. are
as follows:
Mcdonald worked in restaurant in
wichita when Gray met him and hired
him to work on his farm near Conway
Springs. Mcdonald had been married
nut a very short time and his wife ac-
companied him and both lived in Grey's
home. Tom Patton was neighbor OF
Cray's and he was a very important
witness against him in a case that in
NolVed considerable property It would
be to the advantage of Gray if Patton
was dead and buried. After n short
time Gray whispered 10 Mcdonald that
J2ton WAS tTaGucing the character Of
Mrs Mcdonald, and one day McDon-
ga an3 l+lrn had i personal quarrel.
Gray told Mcdonald that when Patton
.reI Fi.s SI7iu he would Kill him. that
he was bad man. and had killed sever
al people and advised Mcdonald 10 kill
him on sight. He cleaned up his gun
and preceded to drill Mcdonald in
large; practice by putting ~ mark
and have him shoot at it. Mcdonald
knew nothing about fire arms. while
Gray was 2 dead shot. Mcdonald fired
at the target and missed il, but Gray
told him 10 try again, and in a few
moments Mcdonald was able 10 hit
the mark every time. 1t was on this
fact ttat lie hypnotic theory was based
by Judge Beekman. He recently stat
q IL a representative of the Eagle that
without the hypnotic suggestions Of
Gray. who was dead shot, Mcdonald
not having any experience in target
shooting or in the use of fire arms. could
not have developed into such a crack
shot all in moment In other words.
tDal NitI tiIN Sd4U MI TIE UldTk.
he put him under his hypnotic influence
in which condition he borrowed Gray's
skill as markSman. He was still in
this condition. ii i sthought. when Pat
ton was passing along the road and he
shot al him. striking him i'm a vital
spot at the first fire. Whether there
was hypnotism in the case or not. the
evidence indicates that Gray had a
powerful influence over Mcdonald who
did every Ching suggested 10 him by |
Gray.
All the evidence shows that il was to !
Gray's interest that Patton be ''remoV-
ed and shat Mcdonald was mis- tool
In accomplishing what he desired.
There have been some very able |
articles written on the subject in which (
aIl the evidence was reviewed and /
whose authors supported the theory
that Mcdonald was under the hypnotic /
influence OF Gray when he killed
Patton
Housekeepars who have tried one and |
all brands Of cream tartar baking pow /
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