The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-05
THE MESMERIST.


Soon loud talking was heard in the COW
cred wagon and the two or three men who
were standing near listened closely. The
nlesmerist and his servant were Quarreling
at high rate, and both were evidently in
a great rage. Creeping up to the wagon,
the outsiders peered through a crack, and
by the light that burned within they saw
the professor seated in one end of the place
and the negro standing at the door in the
other end. They were quarreling about
the negro's brother, whom, it seems, he
accused the professor of killing. In an
other moment the climax came, and the
negro, suddenly drawing a knife, started
toward the mesmerist. His eyes flashed
as he exclaimed:
"You killed my brother and"--
But he did not finish the sentence.
BY this time he was half way across the
wagon, but he stopped suddenly as if
shot. The uplifted knife fell from his
hand, his arm dropped nervously to his
side, and his face relaxed from its fury
and looked wild and frightened.
Those who were on the outside looked
at the professor. He was still sitting, and
his eyes, which were fastened on the eyes
of the negro, glowed like two Goals of liv-
ing fire. He had caught the negro's eye
and held him there as if he was chained.
The professor arose slowly, all the time
looking his servant in the eyes, and adj
vanced toward him. He then muttered
some unintelligible words, stroked him
on the head several times and told him to
laugh and say it was all right.
The negro, obedient to orders, threw up
his hands and clapped them together, and
then laughed loud and long.
''Oh, it's all rightI' he said. TITS all
rightr' And then he would break out in
loud laugh again.
After he got him we'll under the infu-
ence of the spell the professor said:
Nov, Joe, since it's all right, I want
you to go down the road and stop at the
house we saw today Indicating it by
name) and stay there till 1 come"
cts all right-it's all right said the
negro as be went off laughing.
The men outside saw him start down
the road, and, curious to know what he
would d. followed him. He went direct
ly to the house mentioned, about a mile
from the village, and sat down by the
gate.
The men watched him for several hours,
but he did not STIR and it was about day.
light when they got back to town. They
looked for the professors vehicle, but in
vain. He was gone. While they were
away he had harnessed up his two horses
and departed in the darkness. No one saw
him leave, or knew which direction he
went. The men who had witnessed the
ARRAY between him and Joe came to the
conclusion that he was afraid when the
negro recovered from the effects of the
spell he might thirst for vengeance, and
not wishing to run the risk again of being
killed be had left for parts unknown.
The next day the negro was still laugh
ing and saying, TITS all right-it's ell
right but he had lost all reason and
sense. Various plans were tried to bring
him out from under the influence of the
strange power. But in vain. For several
weeks the physicians worked with him, but
nothing could bring back the light of rea-
son that was SO mysteriously obscured.
At last he was taken before the court, ad
judged insane-as he verify was-and sent
to the asylum. He went off, chuckling to
himself, and saying, cts all right-it's
all right
About three years after the occurrence
related above one of the young men who
had been all eyewitness of it, and who was
one of the sheriff. deputies in the county,
went up to the insane asylum to carry an
insane woman. While there, among other
visitors to the institution, he saw Pro-
fessor Mario Sevole. The professor, of
course, did not remember who the young
man was, or that he was from the town of
S., but there was no mistaking the
pale face and dark, piercing eyes of the
mesmerist. Whether he had heard that
Joe was there, an inmate of the asylum,
or had only happened there incidentally,
the deputy never knew. But anyhow he
was there and heard the superintendent
tell the visitors, among other things, of
the negro man who had been hypnotized
and had never come out from under the
spell.
Sevole was Immediately interested and
acI-pd no inf ondpr1t RI him n
the negro's ward. The young deputy
went with them. AS soon as the professor
put eyes on the darky he recognized him
as joe The negro was still laughing at
times and saying cts all right"
After hurried conversation the keeper
consented to let Sevo1e make trial on the
negro, as he felt it could do no harm.
Sevole went up to the darby and NUT
tered few words, at the same time strok
ing him on the forehead At first the me-
gro only said, cts all right, " but as Sevole
muttered the words again he seemed to
listen; then, as the strokes were kept up,
his face grew interested and serious. He
no longer muttered or laughed.
Sevole stroked him harder, and as he
gave last pass and then ceased, the negro,
who was standing in the center of the
room, raised his head, rubbed his eyes and
looked all around like one just awaken
ing from sleep.
At first he did not seem to realize what
1t all meant Then his eyes lighted on
the professor, who stood, with pale face,
before him. AS soon as he saw Sevole his
eyes seemed to flash fire. The keeper and
deputy were standing in another part of
the room and were not prepared for what
happened, for it was totally unexpected by
them all.
AS soon as the negro saw the professor
and recognized him his anger was some
thing fearful On table by his side there
was, unfortunately, an open knife He
seized it, and before the other two knew
what had occurred he sprang like tiger
at the professors throat and stabbed him.
As he sprang toward him he shouted,
with demoniaeal fury, "I'll kill you'll
He did not try to hurt the keeper and
deputy, but talked sensibly and sanely.
He said the professor had killed his BROTH