The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-25
POLICEMEN WERE PUZZLED,
FAILED TO AROUSE THE SUB
JECT OF A HYPNoTIsT.
All Tests Usually Applied to "sleep-
ers" Have No Effect-No More
Exhibitions Will Be Permitted In
Chicago Under Any Circum-
stances.

Chicago, Aug. 24.-The Chicago police
force has pitted it's strength against
the power of hypnotism, and the result
may be termed draw. Chief Ripley
and his men, as they said, in the inter
est of humanity, sought to prevent an
exhibition of a seven days hypnotic
sleep given at north side hall and
succeeded, but not until they had called
upon the professor to release the sub
ject from his mesmeric influence.
The subject was Samuel Burg,
young Danish barber. Burg was put
to sleep on Sunday afternoon, with the
regulation passes. and it was an
nounced that he would sleep seven days
and nights.
Chief Ripley sent two detectives to
make report on the exhibition. The
sleuths found young Burg asleep in the
presence of a crowd. which included
several physicians who explained to
the detectives that they were studying
the effect of the prolonged hypnotic
sleep on the subject. The physicians
were taking the affair seriously, and
said Burg was completely under hyp-
motto influence. The detectives were
skeptical, and proceeded to apply such
gentle tests as pinehing the boys
cheeks, pulling his ears and Juggling at
his hair. But Burg did not stir. The
detectives reported to Chief Ripley,
who decided to stop the exhibition, and
sent a detail of officers for that pur-
pose. Lieutenant Zery, who had charge
of the exhibition, gave Burg a rap on
the sole of his foot with his club, but
the usual treatment prescribed by
patrolmen for sleepers was not at all
efficacious in the case of the somnolent
subject. He might as we'll have pounded
the wooden toes of a cigar sign. Then
the lieutenant proceeded TO shake Burg
and pinch his ears and slap his cheeks.
but to no avail. Then he tried the
trick that was never known to fail.
He thrust his brawny thumb up under
the arm pit and gave a series Of hearty
pinches. But the notionlesS form gave
no sign of life. and the lieutenant's eyes
bulged and his jaw dropped. All this
time the professor was lowering eX
citedly about and protesting that the
great hypnotic test was being held
solely in the interest OF science, and
that its results were being anXiously
watched by physicians and psychologists
from California to Maine. The lieut.
enant cut him short by saying: 1.-The
chief, says this exhibition has got to
stop. 1 can't wake the boy. up. and
you've got to, or I'll have to arrest the
whole outfit"
Then. with Few mysterious passes
and a snap of the fingers, the mesmer-
| list released the subject, and the two
proceeded to Chief Kipley's Office to
protest against the interruption Of their
exhibition.
In speaking of the matter, Chief Kip
ley said:
After having investigated the case.
L considered it my duty to stop the
exhibition, for the sake of humanity.
There is no telling but that the test
might have resulted in the boys death.
There IS no doubt that the boy was in
a genuine hypnotic sleep. If the boy
had died as result of the test, L would
have been blamed for allowing the ex-
Inhibition to take place. In the future
no permits for exhibits of the kind will
| be granted"