Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-04
SOME LIGHT ON HYpNoTlsM.
THE FAMOUS nnIcos CASE DIS.
cUssED.
How Mabel Was brought out Of usr
hesmeric Condition and what she
said.-Dr. Herbert Flint Tells OF HIS
Experiences With the Girl.


Flint OF Chicago. the mesmerlst who
was called in by the district attorney
to investigate the Briggs case in COM
pany with the local physicians. is now
In this city giving exhibitions Of hyp-
notism. Today he told his story OF
the Briggs case for the first time. lie
said.
II responded TO call In the now
celebrated Briggs case with some re-
iuctance. ms / am opposed to sensa-
tionalism in any business. but Yield
ed to the appeals OF the family physl-
clan and the authorities on the basis
that 1 should not be held to guarantee
any results. found Mabel Briggs In
hypnotic somnambulistic state. Her VIII
was entirely abrogated. she yielding
entirely to any suggestion. no matter
by whom given. Memory and reason
were almost wholly lacking. In that
condition she was wholly defenseless.
found her one of the most suscepti-
BILE subjects ] ever saw. In two MIN
utes she was sound asleep. Some TWEEN
~ mlnutes' hard work was required
to awaken her memory 30 that she
could answer questions as to her where
abouts and treatment during the time
she was missing. Slowly. regularly, al
most automatically, came reply after
reply telling the sad story OF wrong
and suffering.
'rhe ficrcest cross-examination.-
ever witnessed was conducted by Dis
trict Attorney Frnwlcy, but IN not even
u word did she change her statements
or descriptions. She denied that young
Plckln had been anything but respect
Al httt oil Inn tsltt
gone for refreshments. two hunters
had approached her and each held her
while the other assaulted her. So care
full and unvarylng were her statements
that | became convinced that, while I
could make her talk, she was acting
upon post-hypnotc suggestions given
by the man who had first mesmerized
her.
After seeking In vain TO secure
contradictory statement. Mr.. Frawley
became satisfied, and ! awakened the
girl. Her mental faculties seemed re-
stored, and day by day carried her
back over the three weeks that she had
remained In the somnambulistlc con-
dliion, until ] reached the day after
Labor Day. she was at Little Niagara.
What happened she would not recall
until sharply told that she could
recall all that had happened. Her face
lost for a moment It's puzzled express
sion. Then look OF horror came over
her countenance. She burst into tears
and her cheeks Redeemed with shame
as she cried.
"AIy God. why did you let them do
itq"
"shc then Ned from the room. Tears
stood In the eyes of the half dozen
strong men present, and the distracted
father pei1cd shotgun and would have
wrought speedy vengeance on the sus-
pected men had he not been restrained
by cooler headB.
"For more than half an hour the girl
remained IN hysterical condition, but
finally became quiet, when we found
that she had returned to the somnam-
bullstic state, from which / could not
arouse her except for IL few moments.
Her original suggestions dominated
her conduct us soon az ceased to give
my suggestions / then informed them
that only by the releasing suggestions
OF the person who had frat hypnotized
her could she be restored to a normal
condition. understand that this
course was adopted and that she Is now
well. She has passed through a terrible
ordeal, and II really Is wonderful that
she is not insane from the repeated
hypnotizinB 20 which she has been sub
jected by the various experiments.
Many OF the phenomena recently OBJ
served In hsr case seem nttributable
10 suggestions that she has received
from time 10 time and which were not
originally meant 60 Influence her opin-
ions. Cross-hypnotism frequently pros
duceB hynterla.
There " nothing supernatural in the
clalrvoyant features that have appear
ed In the ease. They frequently occur.
but | call no special attention TO
them, since even the ordinary phe-
nomcnA OF hypnotism are too wonderful
for many 10 conceive as real.
"Dr. Howard OF Baltimore. in his
letter to Judge Bailey OF your city. says
that a subject under complete hypnotic
control never recalls while normal what
transpred under such control His
statement is Incorrect. Hypnotlsm 10
n state OF sleep. Actions and thoughts
In that state are akin to dreams. Some
people recall their dreams. some u part.
others nothing. Just 30 with the hyp-
Noticed An investigator who IL dot a
public operator has not n sufficient
number OF subjects to enable him to
d.educe general truths.
For many years 1 have tested from
1000 20 1000 subjects annually. and any
opinions | may express are founded on
testing more than 10000 people. Few
In this number are more susceptible
than Mable Briggs or more completely
at the mercy OF criminal hypnotiat.
The fact that she lis also an operator
and now understands the peril OF pri-
yate tests In hypnOtism Will probably