The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-11-27
HE FINALLY GIVES HIS CON.
SENT TO THIS.
Harlow Gale, Professor of Expert.
mental Psychology in the State
University, Makes the Test-FlaII
Was Guarded in His Answers and
Practically Nothing Was Accom-
piished-PrOf. Gales Views on
This Strange Case.

consented to be hypnOtized, and the
experiment was made Friday after
noon and repeated last evening, but
without satisfactory results. The
tests were made by Harlow Gale, pro-
lessor of experimental psychology in
the state university at Minneapolis
When Rev. Geo. III. Davis was in
Minneapolis week ago, he inciden-
tally mentioned Halls case to Prof.
Gale, and the latter agreed to come
to Mankato and make hypnotic ex-
pertinent upon the man. Prof. Gale
the more readily consented, as he had
| been reading the articles which have
appeared in the FREE PRESS anent
Hall, one of the students having sup
piled him with the paper. He had
also read the dispatches in the twin
| city papers.
Prof. Gale arrived in the city YES.
terday, and Mr.. Hall consented to al
low himself to become a subject for
experiment, after the matter had
ben fully explained to him by Gale.
| The first test was made yesterday af-
| ternOOn ia DR.. Andrews operating
| room. Those present were Drs. An
drews and Wood, Rev. Mr.. Davis,
| and PrOfs. Soaring and Kehler. Hall
lay upon a couch and fully half ali
hour was required to get him fully
under the influence of hypnotism.
He appeared to be quite nervous, and
Prof. Gale was unable to know how
far under the influence he became.
He remained apparently asleep and
susceptible to suggestions for an
hour or an hour and half. Dr. Gale
attempted to lead his memory by
means of suggestive questions.
A thorough attempt was made to
retrace his movements backward from
the time that he came to Mankato,
but he was only able to tell that he
had come to Mankato from ST. Peter,
and TO St. Peter from ST. Paul. Every
thing with him was inference, and he
could not locate boarding places or re-
member what became of his satchel.
He had been in Winnipeg and from
there went Portage la Prairie, and
then back to Winnipeg. He remem-
bered coming into Mankato over
bridge, after passing bluffs on the
road; sleeping in an engine house at
ST. Peter; and attending church some
where, by inference in st. Paul He
descibed the sermon so well that
Rev. Davis knew that he had heard
the same sermon there, but the minis
ter has given the sermon elsewhere,
also.
Prof. Gale started with Hall at
Fruitdale, and tried to lead him for
ward during the intervening time,
but with no better success, and was
finally abliged to give it up.
Nothing more developed at the ex-
pertinent last night, at the same
place, while under hypnotic influence.
Hall spoke in muffied tones, in a
halting way, and whenever asked
question would give nervous muscu-
lar movement.
This forenoon, Hall recOunted his
life to Prof. Gale, giving about the
same account as already published,
except that his business misfortuneS
began in England, and that his wife
lost her money in some way.
Prof. Gale hardly knows what to
make of the case, but believes that
Hall is mentally unbalanced to some
extent, and that his acts ought not TO
be judged by the same standard as
those of perfecalY sane mind. He
thinks that Hall may be afflicted
with the mental disease whereby he
believes that great miSfortunes are
always Detailing him and that he has
played greater parts in these matters
than has really been the case. A
good many circumstances lead Prof.
Gale to believe that Hall is not
entirely honest in his statements, and
brings forward only the good and con-
ceals the bad.
Prof. Gale returned to Minneapolis
this afternoon, having given up his
classes two days to come here. He
intends TO write to some of the places
where Hall claims to have been and
ascertain more about him. and ex-
poets to write report of the case for
a scientific purpose. He relates one
or two cases with some similarity.
Prof. Koehler recently wrote to
Prof. James, of Harvard university,
about the case, and was advised that
hypnotism was proper means to
stimulate Hairs memory. Prof. James
had known Of similar case, where a
minister had lost his memory cover
ing period Of three months wherein
he went off and started a store Two
or three years later, repeated hypnotic
tests restored the minister's memory
of the happenings during the three
months that were blank to him.
Thursday Hall claimed that his
memory was restored to him, but this
does not seem TO be the case entirely.
He is to be removed from the hospital
and taken TO the poor farm unless
work can be found for him in the CITY,