The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-20
The PARROT said HELLO
And Mabel Briggs Immediately Felt
Hypnotic Influence.
PICKIN AND SON DISCHARGED.
Theories of the Prosecution in the Eau
Claire Case Are Rejected by the Court.
llypnotism Not COunteuanccd
by Judge Bailey.

Eau Claire, Wis, March 19-One of
the famous hypnotism cases has fallen
through in the circuit court. The case
of the state against DR.. George W.
Pickin and his son, Asagail Pickin,
charged with criminally assaulting
Mabel Briggs, was nolle pressed by the
district attorney as to DR.. Pickin, and
the case as to Asagail was continued.
DR.. Pickin was in court, but none of
the Briggs family was there. District
Attorney Farr had made up his mind
not to go into court, with a line of evi-
dence which would have to be sustained
by theory of hypnotism. and that he
could not convict the doctor Asagail
is still in Jail.
For nearly six months the people of
Eau Claire have talked of little else but
the Briggs case, now frequently allud-
ed to as the Pickin case. Public knowl-
edge of the crime was first obtained
early in September. 1t was then learned
that little Edna Mabel Briggs, the pret-
ty 16-year-old daughter of Joseph NJ.
Briggs, a wealthy and respected citizen
of Eau Claire, had been criminally as
saulted, and that her health was there
by in a critical condition. The girl had
been absent from her home for thirty
four hours, and neither her father nor
mother had knowledge of her where
abouts. They were almost distracted,
The sirl was finally discovered in COM
pany of Asagail Pickin. A policeman
forcibly took her from the presence of
young Pickin, and later she was re-
moved to her home. where her sad
condition was discovered. The girl
was da@ed. and seemed to be under
some mystic spell.
Dir. Flint's Discoveries.
Nothing of a definite character could
be elected from her. A suspicion was
created that the girl was being con-
trolled by some occult power DR.. Her
bert Flint. a hypnotist, living in Chi
cago, was sent for and placed the girl.
so 1t Is alleged, under hypnotic influ-
ence. While i'm that condition she told
her story. which, short of detail. was
that for days and weeks she had been
under hypnotic influence. absolutely
without will power of her own, either
positive or negative. That while in that
condition two men had accomplished
her ruin. Further hypnotism induced
her to name them as the Pickins.
The girl Is said to have hypnotiZei
young Pickin at a test in the office Of
the attending physician-Dr. Parker.
The chief of police. Lafayette Elliott,
who was present vouches for this, and
says that while Pickin was under hyp-
motto influence Dr. Parker ran n knife
through the patients wrist; that he
gave no evidence of feeling 1t and paid
no attention to 1t, Young Pickin has
the scar on his right wrist and showed
II to the correspondent,
Another feature OF this remarkable
case brings in as principal young
girl of II years. Alma Leonard, the
daughter of Fred Leonard, a wealthy
Wisconsin lumberman.
The Misses Leonard and Briggs were
warm friends, and according to the
statements In the hands of District At
torney w. II. Frawlcy, these girls were
abducted by DR.. Pickin through hyp-
motto power and taken to Chippewa
Falls. There they We're taken to a
house of Ill repute, but We're refused
uu1nlttance on account OF tne protest
made by inmates of the house to the
proprietress. They were returned to
their homes, they claim, under the same
influence. and the doctor accompany
ing them both ways. bat keeping behind
them and holding no conversation
whatever with them.
During the taking of testimony In the
trial In the circuit court, Judge VIII
liam #. Bailey. who presided, called the
prosecution "damnable outrage on
law and Justice" and says: 81 will not
allow any hypnotlsm absurdity in the
evidence of the prosecution"
A peculiar feature of the case Is that
Mabel Briggs said she first came under
the influence of the Picklns through
the medium OF u poll parrot which call
ed hello to her as she was passing
the doctors place on her bicycle. She
returned the chat with the parrot and
claims that she then began to feel the
hypnotic power OF the doctor.