Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-07
THE HYPNOTIC ART.
SCHOOL CHILDREN IN STAMFORD Elk
ERCSE THE OCCULT POWER.


Under a Spell.
Stamford, Conn, is in a trance
Everybody is hypnotized Or trying to
hypnotize everybody else. The children
in the public schools are exercising the
occult power. and, to the dismay Of the
teachers, 1t is evident that several of
the schoolboys are mesmerists Of un-
doubted power.
How it began everybody knows Late
in the spring the Sages came to town
and engaged the Grand Opera House for
week. The Sages are hypnotists, and
what they did to Stamford may never
be forgotten. The town hasn't got over
their visit yet.
"Wonderfull' said everybody, and
the citizens made passes at each other
till it looked as If Stamford had become
one big secret society
The Sages departed, but the town
kept it up. 9. W. Baldy, merchant,
found that the mantle Of the Sages had
fallen upon him Since that time Mr.
Baldy has become Professor Baldy He
has given seances as good as those of
the professionals
1t was bound to get to the children,
and it did The Center school and the
Franklin street school have been the
hotbeds Of youthful hypnotism.
The teachers in the Center school,
looking into the playground saw the
boys standing around in groups and
soon noticed that several boys, under
the influence of others, stood on their
heads, went through the motions Of
swimming and acted in like irresponsi-
BILE manner
Miss Emma Baldwin, who has charge
of this school, called the children up to
her desk and said the hypnotic craze
must stop before it reached the babies
for the little ones ran around lisping
"Hypnotize me- hypnotize me!''
Miss Baldwin said that Willie Schley,
| Harold Glendining Lea Wood, Louis
Boonton, Earl Severance and William
! McDevitt were the hypnotists. 1t was
reported that some of the smaller chill
dren. put under the influence at recess
were unable to go on with their lessons
in the afternoon.
When the hypnotized pupils entered
the classrooms and stood up for recita-
tion, blank stares would be their only
reply to the teachers questions This
was not due to ignorance, as several Of
the brightest pupils were thus afflicted
Of course the other children would
laugh at their plight, and it was easy
to pick out the hypnotist, as his laugh
was the merriest and the loudest.
Punishment and detention after school
had no effect on the mechanical toy at
titudes of the children under the spell
of the stronger children. From the open.
ing hour to the close Of the school they
sat like automatons and talked just as
we'll, but no better.
"We let them out of it,, said one Of
the boy performers, latter school was
over They didn't get harmed in any
way They liked it. and it was funny to
see them sitting there just like SO many
| bumps on log. I"
Just like teachers anyway to spoil
our fun, was the verdict.
In the Franklin street school the art
/ was snipped in the bud by Principal
| Hover He said recently:
II noticed that the boys were acting
queerly and that one boy in particular
had remarkable power over his fellows
| took him aside and warned him that
he must stop instantly or he would get
into all sorts of trouble l know of three
instances where boys were hypnotized
here-or thought they were-but soon
put a stop to it, and haven't seen any
Of it for day or two and believe the
worst is over. !"
Although the school authorities have
stopped the practice Of hypnotism
+, around the schoolhouse, they cannot re-
strain the youthful Mesmers OH their
way to and from school. Citizens have
watched with interest the seances given
after school in nearby squares, and it
was mighty interesting till suddenly a
citizen darted into the charmed circle
| and brought his son and heir out Of a
trance by sound cuff alongside his ear.
| 1t is interesting to note that a Stamford
man is proud Of his son if he is able to
| put other boys into trance, but resents
it when he sees his boy acting like a
monkey at the commands Of a neigh
boris boy.
One seance was given in Gay street
the other evening, A group Of boys had
gathered there, None was more than ID
years of age The boy mentioned by
Principal Hover was the operator, and
with a. few rapid passes Of his hands
he put smaller boy under the infiu
enoe The subject yielded readily to the
superior will i'll exactly the manner the
boys father had submitted to the pow
er Of Professor Baldy.
What is your name?" asked the
operator in stage voice
No answer
why, you cannot speak, . continued
the operator, and sure enough the boy
under the spell tried to talk, but could
not His mouth worked convulsively,
but his countenanoe was as blank rs an
unwritten page The other boys gather
ed around the operator, anxious to feel
the power. Many OF them were easily
hypnotized, but the hypnotizers were
not so numerous Those under the pow
er gave up their tops, marbles, string
and knives SO 1t paid better to be a
hypnotizer
The matter became so serious that the
board Of education had several serious
conferences over the spread Of the evil
Strangely enough, the little girls have
not yet been affected by the craze, and
they look on the boys as silly
Principal Hover said the matter call
ed for legislation at the hands Of the
| COnnccticut legislature. and it Is not