The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-12
70 Nv 4 UR1oU Us CONDITION.
ZoeiIer Seemed to BE In . Hvpnotio Trance
Unconscious for Twenty-Five Houvs.

ZoelIer Seemed to BE In . Hvpnotio Trance
Unconscious for Twenty-Five Houvs.
The officials OF the Hudson county almshouse
on Snake Hill thought for almost twenty-four
hours yesterday that they had q full
hypnotic mystery on their hands. and although
the mystery about the case has boon cleared up.
they still believe that the young man they had
in their custody for twenty-five hours was q
victim OF self-induced hypnotism.
About half past 8 Tuesday night some of
the pauper inmates of tho almshouse who were
down near the piRpens stumbled across the
body of a young man which was lying on the
ground. at first they thought he was dead.
They discovered that he was alive. but in a
stupor from which they were unable to rouse
him. They picked him up and carried him to
the almshouse. and DIR. King, the resident
physician, was summoned. DIR. King did
not make a close examination and thought
the man was stupefied by liquor, and
cell where he could sleep the stupor on. The
well built. and res pectably dressed. When laid
on the bunk in the cell there was found clasped
were, two silver watches. a chain. some toilet
articles. and a woman's pocketbook. containing
s. in money; Nothing was found which would
came to DR.. King and told him that he could not
to wako him. but failed. Then. thinking the
man might be shammlng. he jabbed a needle
into him n few times. Tho man did not move.
Then DR.. King held n lighted match go close to
the mans hand that the skin was almost
scorched. Still he did not stir. Then the ply
sician realized that something serious was
wrong with the man. The only sign OF life ap-
parent was q nervous twitching OF the eyelids.
DR.. King tried everything possible to wake the
man. but did not succeed. For twenty-five
hours the man lay in the same comatose con-
dition.
About half past @ last evening a young man
giving the name Os William Xoeller OF $50 New
York avenue. Jersey City. came to the aims
house and asked for the man. who. he said. was
mis- brother. Henry Xoeller. William Xoeller
was taken TO where his brother lay. He put
his arms around him and spoke to him. and in
another minute Henry Zoeller was standing on
the floor very much daZed. but awake. He put
on his clothes and went away with his brother.
Before they left william Zoeller told DR..
and in the past had been subject To epileptic
fits. but TO his knowledge had not had ono for n
long time. lie said that his brother had acted
queeriy all day Tuesday and had refused to cat
ANYTHING. In the afternoon he had taken the
workbox containing the jewelry and had
wandered away. DIR. King had decided that the
case WAS not typical catRlepsy. and he leaned To
the theory of hypnotic influence. He aske cd
William II his brother had ever been m-smer-
lied or hypnotizei. and received the reply that
he had not. Henry. when questioned. said that
he had known nil that had been going on during
the day and had felt the pain of tho needle
thrusts and the scorching.
DR.. King said last night that the case WAS
either one OF epileptic stupor or ono of self
induced hypnotism. quito common among
feeble minded persons.