Kansas City daily journal., 1895-10-05
HYPNOTIC POWER,
Account of u Strange Experience of nm
American in Paris-His Senses Stolen
AWAY.

The following curious story OF hypno-
tism was related by a well known citizen
of Washington, who was recently In Paris.
He has Travelled extensively, and devotes
much time in study of occultism and kin
dred subjects. He says
Il was In cafe situated near the Grand
opera house, a few weeks since, lunchins.
An English gentleman occupied the same
table. At the adjoining table was a lady OF
strikngly aristocratic bearing, plainly but
regular features, light olive complexion.
jet black hair, large, luminous scintillat-
ing eyes of inky darkness, and with but
a trace of white around them. The pupils
contracted and expanded like the eyes of
a cat Her eyebrows were dehcately
traced. symmetrically arched, and contin-
uous, without a break between them. Her
mouth was rather large, with tul!, RED lips,
She was tall and slender, and apparently
elegantly formed, and appeared about 90
ant in livery.
u was conversing with the English gem
tleman, who had just returned from In
dia, where he had passed several months in
investigating Eastern Occultism. During
our discussion Charcots wonderful mes
merle or hypnotic abilities and experiments
in the hospital he was connected with were
referred to, when l expressed the opinion
weak minded people were fully susceptible
TO hypnotic influence, and that no one
could hypn9tize me while in normal cond!-
The lady, who was closely observing
us and listening to our conversation with
apparent interest, in excellent English,
with slight foreign accent, addressed me.
saying in substance: Pardon me, stran-
ger, for interupttng you. but the state
ment just made by YOU is erroneous. There
are many persons who are capable of hyp-
not!zing, YOU in fact m certain that [
the opportunity l will convince you OF
your mi, misJae perceive So II THat you don6!
intentions, and entertain suspicious not
creditable to me. To prevent possible loss
ables in care of friend and submit to
test | replied. Madam, you have aroused
my interest ana eurGstty, an a9a hy oI VII az az
my hotel, where l will leave my Valuables.
"on my return ! found the lady where
had left her. The Englishmau, who had
not participated in the conversation be-
accompanied her to an elegant private car
rage with liveried driver and footman,
that was awaiting her in front of tho
minutes we reached a fine, three-stury
residence, one of row exactly alike, 10
luXuriautly furnished parlor the first
floor with a fortune IN brlc-a-brac adorn-
wrap handed them TO a female servant
and invited me to a seat on large Turk
ish ottoman, back OF the Portere, that
partially concealed one end OF parlor
II asked her II she was professional
hypnousn She replied she was not; that
She inherited the faculty from her mother,
and occasionally practiced it for amuss-
ment and pleasure / inquired wherein
the pleasure consisted. II mental or phys
ical, and she replied both, but principally
physical, and declined further exPlaua-
tion. She took a seat in front of me, att
tached metal mirror to her forehead
by rubber band passing around her head,
grasped my hands with a firm, strong
pressure, and requested me 10 remain
mentally passive, gaze steadily into the
mirror, and take slow inspirations of
breath TO the fun capacity of the lungs.
81 followed directions, and after an in
terval of perhaps ten minutes began 10
experience a calm, gentle, soothing !nnu-
produced by full opiatc. 1 was fully
tion, although dreamingly wondering il IL
was hypnotic influence that l was ex-
periencing, The mirror appeared 10 pull
safe and enlarge, and dim, shadowy
mist began 10 form over it. which geucr-
ally assumed the distinct form and feat
ures of the lady. The last ] recollert
was a clock striking three, When / re-
covered consciousness the following mOru-
ing at S o'clock, awakened by a servant
knocking at the door, l was in bed in my
room at the hotel,
Except for a dizzy feeling and tired.
followed the seventeen hours Suspension
OF my reasoning faculties. In inquired OF
the door porter The time of my return 10
the hotel the evening before, and he stated
that ] came in a private carriage a few
minutes after midnight For several DAYS
l attempted 10 locate the house without
success. ss."-Washington Post.