The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-01
HYPNOTlSM In SCHOOL.
Teacher of the Mysterious Dark Art
Forced to Resign.

SHEBOYGAN Wis, Nov. 9O-Professor
George w. Ferguson, the instructor in
drawing in the public schools who intro
duced hypnotism among the pupils, re-
signed last night at special meeting OF
the School Board The commissioners had
already held a secret meeting and decided
to ask Professor Ferguson to retire. Hyp-
notism, however, has spread throughout the
four thousand children, and as result
one-third of the pupils of the Cheboygan
schools hypnotizing the other two-thirds is
the spectacle revealed by the developments
in the exposure of the science of sugges-
ton" in the educational institutions in this
city. The practical demonstrations of the
science made in the presence of pupils, with
other pupils as subjects, coupled with dis
courses on the subject and hints on how
to place persons in a state of hypnosis, nave
developed many amateurs in the art They
include the larger boys and many girls
numbered among the students. How sue
cessful any of these young Svengalis may
have become is not known, but it has come
to the knowledge of the school authorities
and many parents that the children are
practicing hypnotism upon ore another.
A special meeting OF the School Board
was held last night to investigate the mat
ter. The complaint is made by Adolph
Kuehlmann, superintendent of the Mattoon
Manufacturing Company, and is against
George w. erguSon, instructor in draw
ing, who has found many subjects for hyp-
motto experiments among public school pu-
pills. 1t is charged that on an afternoon
few days ago Mr.. Ferguson was at the
Fourth Ward School, and on leaving asked
eight or ten of the pupils to accompany him
to the home of Mr.. and Mrs b. Bowmann
1927 South Eighth street, where he save a
demonstration in hypnosis. Some of the
children were not susceptible to suggestion
and could not be placed in Il state of hyp-
nosis. Others We're hypnotized. They were
made to do various things under sugges-
ton, and were brought out of hypnosis in
the usual manner.
When the children went to their homes
they told where they had been and what
facts aroused the feelings of the parents.
Among the children experimental on were
those of AdOlph Kuehlmann. superintend-
ent of the Mattoon Manufacturing Com
pany. He laid the facts before School Com
missioner koepsell and asked that they be
submitted to the board. One instance in
which Mr. Ferguson is alleged to have
practiced hypnotism in the Schoolroom is
reported from the Second Ward School. 1t
is asserted that he used three or four pu-
pills in a demonstration of his powers. An
other instance outside the school when a
pupil of the public schools was q subject
occurred at his residence it is asserted. 1t
is said by the mother of a little girl attend
ing the First Ward School that while she
was at Mr.. Ferguson's home playing with
his children she and the artists children
were hypnotized. The mother was informed
that while in hypnosis the little girl was
told that dogs were chasing her and that
accepting the suggestion the child was
greatly alarmed
Professor Ferguson is an artist of un-
usual talent and spent some time in Paris
in pursuing his art studies He became a
student OF hypnotiSm and has made q study
OF the science as an amateur and has be-
come an expert III suggestion