The herald., 1897-05-26
FUN FOR THE AUDIENCE
HYPNOTIC SUBJECTS PLAY THE
FOOL AT MUSIC HALL
A Dozen People on the Stage Furnish
Untold Amusement for
the Rest

About 100 people, including ten China
men. experienced particular and espec-
ial joy last evening in Music hall. at the
dozen fellow-beings. Prof ]. B. Farley
had advertised that he would give a
practical demonstration of hypnotism.
ETC., and his audience was made up of
inquiring souls who were willing to see
him do what he could in that or any
other line, Prof. Farley was a trifie late
in starting. but that wasn't his fault.
and he didn't let grass grow under his
feet nor those of his subjects" once he
commenced.
He first made short speech, in which
he stated succinctly that he didn't pro-
pose to theorize on hypnotism, but to give
| an object Lesson demonstra ton of it.
He naturally expressed profound belief
in hypnotism. which he called the phil
osophy of human sympathy, and the
good it might accomplish if put to the
right use, by the right people. He said
there were some kinds of troubles it
couldn't cure any more than it could,
alone. wash dirty hands, but that 1t was
practical and useful and not by am
means necessarily harmful-the con-
trary, rather. He stated quite frankly
that he had expected larger audience.
but that he preferred small audiences
/ that were inteligent-and everybody
imm mediately assumed a conscious ex-
preston.
! Then he gave a general and cordial
invitation to the ladies and gentlemen
to come upon the stage and let him
have fun with them He said he didn't
want any strong g-minded people for sub.
i jects, only those who were willing to try
the effect of hypnotism; and at the same
time he promised to treat any lady
who should present herself as If she
were his mother, or his sister. or both.
Nevertheless. the ladies were wary,
| and even the men were reluctant.
However, one by one they drifted upon
! the stage, until there we're nine men and
| three women. A committee was next
called to be chosen by the audience, ana
/ DR.. LIE Doux, Mrs. Dye and Mrs. Judge
Hatch were appointed and took their
places as inspectors in particular and
/ detectors in general of the show.
+, Seated in a mi-circle, the twelve
initiates were requested to put their
hands on their knees and one by one the
professor made passes in front of their
faces, and with sweetly seductive tones
/ invited them to sleep. Strange as IL
may seem in view of the strong minded
reference) the three women and one Of
the men refused to succumb But the
other eight were easy prey, apparently.
and then the fun commenced. One by
ore, in pairs, any old way. they were
put through the PAGES Of trying to open
closed eyes and vice versa; of making
ireffectual muscular efforts to do what
he told them not to do; they were set
flea-hunting, mosquito and bee-killing.
boxing, hand clapping, all of which was
seemingly genuine. They were all put
ito sleep, to deep sleep" and strewn
en- the stage until it resembled nothing
So much as miniature battle-field;
he took needles and long white thread
ard sewed the arms of the sleepers as
if they were cloth, and then jabbed the
needles playfully into their heads-at
least that it is the way it looked.
There was one rebellious Dutchmar
who evinced lively disgust whenever he
was allowed a moments consciousness,
and to him the professor turned his most
marked attention. He tore off his coat
up and fondled it as if it were a tiny
babe and he the matron of an orphan
asylum, so aptly did he handle it; then
he lit candle as if it were a cigar while
another of the band munched away at
an onion with an expression of utter
content. And SO on, at his bidding,
these puppets in his hands, dressed as
a woman, showed one another, played
horse and "choo-choo" cars; went up in
balloon and swan ashore; made faces
at and love to one another and, finally
the Dutchman was presented with a.
we'll, call it cocktail-in which the ingre-
dients were cod liver and castor oil, vim
egar, kerosene, cayenne pepper and
English mustard. and he drank it down
and cried for more, and the committe.
pronounced it genuine.
AT this stage of the game one of the
Cinnamon made up his mind to take
hand. He tightened his cue. gave a
farewell look at his comrades and went
up to his doom. He. too, was promptly
quelled and subjugated, and then came
the climax of the evening, when, with
brooms, candles. old rags, brown paper
bags, two onions and the surrounding
atmosphere, the band of dupes were
turned into an orchestra, the effects of
which was irresistible and brought down
the house. The Chinaman was dis
tinctly in it, and played flute made ou7
of an old paper bag. His affectionate
manner and inspired expression as he
sat there leaning up against the end of
that bag for many minutes was touch
ing. and while the professor was ex-
planning a few last details about further
demonstrations in the future-the band
played on. Whether or not there was
anything or nothing in it, all remains