The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-07-02
A HYPNOTIC MONKEY.
Ringing Brothers Have the Most
Curious Marvel of the
Animal World,
Is A vERlTABLE slMIAN SvENGALl
Possesses Weird, Uncanny Power
Over His Companions, But Can't
Hypnotic Coon.

the trouble"
The speaker was one of the superin-
tendents in the big Ringing Brothers
show. His remark was addressed to
newspaper man who didn't appear to
believe that the Messrs. Ringing
really had a hypnotic mOnkey-a
yeritable simian Svengali.
In one of the glittering cages in the
mepagerie there is the usual happy
family. No circus menagerie would
be complete without it, for it is the
delight of the small boy as well as
many of his elders. In the cage is
long-tailed, bewhiskered monkey from
Africa, of a rare species, and with
face that possesses more strength of
character, if monkey faces may be
said to have any character, than any
of his kind. That he possesses some
strange power over the other monkeys
in the cage is plain to anyone who
stands five minutes before them. Of
course, it isn't hypnotism, as that
science is understood by man, but it
is some sort Of monkey-hypnotic in
fluence that compels the weaker and
also the larger inhabitants of the cage
to do whatever the queer, wild-look-
ing imitatOr of Lackaye wants them
to.
A photogIa ph of the alleged hypnot-
ist was made the other day and it will
be admitted by all who see it. that it
is the strongest monkey face ever pic
tured. The eyes are large, black and
piercing, and he has habit of fixing
them upon other monkeys in manner
to cause the little fellows to quail with
fear. Not that the bewhiskered gen.
tleman makes any attempt to hurt
them, for he never does. If, however
he sees one of them with peanut, or
a bit of cake crumb that may have
been thrown to him, he utters tiny
squeak that instantly attracts the
others attention. Then, with a
steady stare, Svengali looks at his
victim, never moving a muscle. His
stare at first causes uneasiness. His
victim seems lOath to move, yet ap-
pears to be impelled by an irresistible
force. His caution and better judg
ment tell him to keep away from his
master, but his will is powerless, and
slowly but steadily, he approaches the
hypnotist, holding fast, all the while,
to the coveted delicacy.
Up the sides of the iron-barred cage
he slowly climbs. AS he approaches
nearer and nearer to the fierce visage
that remains immOVably scOwling at
him the little fellows teeth began to
chatter, and he emits the most plaint-
i've whine of fear. The other mon
keys make no attempt to help him,
but retreat to the furthest corners of
the cage and huddle together, as if
seeking comfort and safety in each
others company.
Like king on his throne, Svengali
awaits the coming of his subject. If
his progress is not rapid enough he
utters another almost inaudible cluck,
| which hastens the movement of the
victim materially. The long, stiff
| bristles above Svengali's eyes are now
| working up aud down with fierce
rapidity and his little red tongue pro-
trudes spasmodically from between
his glittering array of teeth. On his
| chin, the long sparsely scattered hairs,
apparently soft and dOwny at the be-
ginning, are now erect like the hair
on an angry dogs back, and his taper
ing, black fingers reach slowly forward
| twitching nervously for the coveted
mOrsel.
Trilby has now approached to with
| in foot of her tormentOr and master.
There is quick flash of black hand,
the peanut or cake is snatched from
her quivering, trembling fingers and
she leaps to the most distant end of
| the cage, released from the power or
| whatever it was that held her, and
| free to squeal and chatter to her
hearts content. The peanut, mean
while, has disappeared, and Svengali
| is looking for other worlds to conquer.
That is just how it looks to an OBJ
server. That the wild looking simian
has some sort of power over the
others, is positive fact. That it is
hypnotism is offered simply as sug-
gestiOn and not at all seriously, al
though perhaps some learned scientist
may be able to offer an explanation.
The theory that the little fellow is
afraid of beatings is not tenable, be-
cause Svengali has never been known
to attack any Of the others, besides
which there are a dozen bigger,
stronger monkeys in the cage than he.
Almost from the day he was added to
the happy family, the strange power
he possesses was made manifest, and in
the manner described he has COM
PEELED the other monkeys to feed him
and to give every coveted mOrSel they
have managed to pick up, unless they
were able to swallow it before he got
his eyes on it. If the power he has
isn't monkey hypnotism, what is it?
All hYpnOtists admit that there are
certain subjects who are much more
susceptible to their powers than
others, and still other persons cannot
be put under their influence at all.
The simian met his Waterloo the
other day, like all performers in his
line He tackled coon. The coon
was a recent addition to the happy
family, and no sooner was he installed
within it's walls than he commenced
to forage for himself His sharp
teeth soon made name for him with
all of the monkeys except Svengali,
but he seemed to keep away from him.
Svengali seldom left his perch on a
little shelf in the end of the cage
and one morning just before the show
was ordered to move from winter
quarters, he made up his mind to
master that coon. A sharp, unmusi-
cal cluck sent every monkey in the
cage scurrying to the remotest corners
of the room and left coon in the mid
die of the floor alone. Svengali cluck-
"What-seF of a dried up mummy is
that, anyhow" mentally queried the
coon, as he started to Investigate.
Confident of his power, Svengali
clucked again and the coon came
faster. Its cinch," smiled Sven
gall to himself as he noticed the bulg-
ing pouch on the side of Mr.. Coon's
mouth where he had stored away a |
succulent carrot. But, instead of ap-