The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-22
HAS HYPNOTIC POWER.
Queer Reason for the Popularity of n
West Virginia Mayor.

Charleston Letter in Philadelphia Press.
People in this county and Fayette have
wondered for years why J. c. Montgomery,
Mayor OF the town of that same name,
located on the Chesapeake & Ohio rail-
road, in the heart OF the soft coal region.
should be the most popular man in the
whole section, and how he came to be
elected Mayor Of his home town, term
after term in succession. till no one can
remember when he was not at the head
sf the municipal government.
That Montgomery had qualities which al
ways render their possessors popular could
not be denied. To begin with. he is
giant In stature, standing over six feet,
having a splendidly proportioned body, head
and limbs. He wears heavy red beard.
and SLOUGH hat. and is quite cookbook
Ing. He Is rich. good-natured. easy-going.
knows every man, woman and child In the
valley and calls them by their first names,
and Is a good fellow in every reputable
sense Of the word The Squire is modest.
too. He Is a Democrat. and the town gives
three hundred Republican majority, but
that makes no difference in the certainty
OF Montgomery's election every time
Mayor is to be chosen. He has had oppor-
fure. but he has refused all Of them, pre-
ferring to rest content with modest honors
among his own people The Squire owns
half a dozen farms. business blocks. half
hundred cottages and property Of all
sorts. but 1t is doubtful IL 1t brings him
IN as much as half the wealth Il would
bring another person.
He has never posed as the miners friend.
but he has more influence with them than
anyone else on earth. and during difficulty
last year he dispersed a mob which even
show or bayonets would not quell His
charity Is large. and Is the sort that hunts
out the needy without the aid OF a bureau
or brass band.
But now, although these qualities are
son for Montgomery's power over his fell
lows Is coming out Montgomery Is a hvp-
notist. He did not know Il, and had never
used his force voluntarily till about a year
ago, when he became interested in a pecul-
lar case OF blindness. where a poor miner
lost his sight In the mines on account, as
the doctors said OF the degeneration of the
optic nerves. from constant work and the
dark. Montgomery tried influence upon the
and that OF the patient could be sufficiently
controlled and directed toward restoring
the lost sight 4 would be accomplished.
montgomery called at the miners home
day after day and expiated on his theory
70 the patient tin at last there was par
tial return OF the sight. The work was kept
up for fully a month"; until the miner was
very well with the aid of a pair of spec
His second case was that of a man az
dIcted with rheumatism, who had not been
Sry tried rubbing the patients legs with his
hands. and concentrating his thoughts on
9 belief that the work would be effective.
relieved so much that he could walk about
and the pain almost disappeared. A physi-
patient Is almost sound
The next person to be relieved by the
healer was Judge Brazie. OF the Fayette
County Criminal Court After the mine
riots Of last year he was completely broken
down and forced 10 take TO his bed from
nervous prostration. He had eminent medI-
trip for rest and health did not revive him.
Mr.: Montgomery, close personal friend,
ved 6 6e c6rd DO one h day yo ana said ne be
xie's head I'm his hands for half an hour,
stroking 1t gently and rubbing the back of
nearly well that ne notified the Temporary
Judge In. charge of his court that he would
esy weh he dd he has beeh
man since.
A few days after the mother of Miss Ma
mic Brown, a near neighbor OF Montgome-
rvs asked him to do something for her
daughter. who had been subject to epileptic
nts s,, constantly s for seventeen years: The
home. and Montgomery went to see her.
She was In Mt when he arrived. He took
.
and face soon had her back to her normal
condition. He called every day for a week.
and at the end Of that time, without the
use OF any remedy except his magnetism.
day Is a bright, hearty girl, having re-
covered her strength and youthful spirits.
From time TO time others came TO be
healed OF rheumatism and other common
HIS. and In nearly all cases Montgomery
was successful. However. there. We're many
cases in which he was not entirely sue
cessful. and In some no relief was given.
He made no pretensions and promised no
ore to 90 more than Try his s, power; From a
offered money he accepted IL, but he was not
making a business OF healing, and asked
that as little as possible be said about his
work. as the people calling on him seriously
fnterfered with his personal desires TO
the manner OF spending his time. However.
hundreds began TO come In. People ali over
the country asked him TO help them, and all
sorts Of anxious inquiries were made. These
letters he could not answer. but those who
came TO see him he treated with the best OF
his ability being successful Ia most cases,
and always using the same methods.
The local newspapers had been printing
news OF his work from time to time. and
quite an interest has been created among
prominent penple. At the request OF sew
newspaper men he last week consented 10
give an exhibition OF his power. provided
srhe editor OF the Evening Mail suggested
John c. HERMANN. who. as every one
about here knows, mas been conflned TO
his bed most OF the time for two years
with rheumatism. The party repaired 70
Herrmarn's house on the South Side with
out notifying him they We're coming. Herr
mann was found In bed grooming with
agony and drawn almost double. Mont
gomery. who had never met the par-en:,
went 10 the bed. threw the covers back
barred Herrmann's limbs and began rub
bling them. Hermann and his wife hard
~ knew what to think of the performance,
bat they allowed II 10 so on under assur-
ance from those present that IL was all
right After perhaps ten minutes Mont
gomery told Hermann to get up. Herr
mann smiled increduously. but made no
ef>ort 10 move. Montgomery insisted and
+ Hermann tried. He rose without difficult
~ and stood on the floor amazed. Mont
Eomery then told him TO dance. In a min
ute the invalid realized that he was no,
being trified with. and began hopping abou,
the room In ecstecy He could jump. run
and skip about like a boy. and happy
was ne that he could not control his de.
sire to use his legs and arms. and screamed
and laughed with 10Y the while. Herr
mann went TO work In three days and Ia:
had neither pains nor stiffness since. Eek
Governor f.. w. Kilson was q member Of
the party who saw this cure.