The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-18
WAS THE DANCER HYPNOTIzEDs
The Farmers Daughter EcIipsed So
ciety Folk at RichneId.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
Richfield Springs. Aug. 15.-At the first
grand ball of the season in the Earring
ton hotel here tonight Miss Abigail
Spates, the daughter of a wealthy farm
er of East Springfield Township, had an
experience which illustrates the folly of
the hypnotic craze. Since Miss Jennie
Louise Howard daughter of Vice Pres
ident Howard of the Fourteenth Street
Bank of New York city, was accidentally
hypnotized in an amateur performance
of 'Trilby," the young people of the en-
tire countryside and the hotel guests
have talked of little else. Tonight the
Three Hundred OF Richfield assembled
at a ball in the Darlington hotel, the
first general entertainment of the sea-
son. Only guests of the hotels and well
known cottagers were invited.
Nobody recognized the exceedingly bea-
tiful girl who walked into the ballroom,
soon after the music began, on the arm
of Starr Keller, a handsome young Rich
fielder. James Gascoine president of the
Peoples Bank of Brooklyn; +. ]. Ken
nedy, a New York publisher; George w.
Smith. adopted son of George L. Gilman,
the millionaire tea importer of New York;
ex-Judge A. b. Woodward, Charles Nor
ris Smith and Vice president L. Beer
of the Peoples Bank, who were mem
identity of this lady who entered the
main dining-room and promenaded slow
ly around through the arcades of smilax
and roses, but received no satisfaction.
The wealth and fashion of half a dozen
great American cities were represented,
but matrons and debutantes were all
eclipsed by the unknown guest, whose
deep blue eyes wore a strange look of
abstraction as she walked without speak
ing or turning to the right or left
Mr.. Keller. who was smiling when he
brought his beautiful companion into the
hail. looked worried as they passed the
orchestra As they turned the band struck
up Ben Bolt" set to waltz time, and in
the dance, in which 200 couples joined, the
fair unknown was conspicuous for her
grace and abandon. The merriment was
at its hight, when. as the music fell into
a minor key and the strains of "Au
Claire de la Lune" echoed plaintiveIy
down the hall. the unknown guest uttered
a piercing Shrek and fell full length on
confusion. Her apparently lifeless body
was borne speedily out of the crowd Dr.
Borland. the postmaster, who is also a
physician, was hurriedly called In, and
diagnosed the case as catalepsy. The
girls form was rigid and her pupils set
Inquiry developed the fact that the
young girl was the victim OF hypnotic sug-
gestion. that she had never read "TriIby. -
and never been to ball before and actu-
ally had never waltzed before in her life;
that her father. Joshua Spates, Is one
Of the richest farmers OF East Springfield
and that she had been persuaded TO come
to the Darlington ball, although she had
not been out in evening dress before in
her life. by "a man VINO went of on a fish
Ing excursion IN that vicinity recently,
and whose name Is not now given be-
cause criminal proceedings are 10 be begun
against him. II was be who introduced
the farmers daughter. who turned out
% be- The belle 81 the Darlington BAH. 20
Starr Keller, her escort. ana who. having
hypnotized the girl early in the evening
drove 20 the hotel IN closed carriage and
borrowed the Emery b. which she was
dressed.
When the facts became known iu the
ballroom great Indignation was express
ed.ofherNfse fhe entertainment was un-
usually brilliant and successful.