The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-07
HYPNOTIC EXAMINATION.
A Test to Which a Man Suspected OF
Murder Was Subjected.


From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
INSTRUMENTATION Hanson, who was
arrested recently on suspicion of having
murdered Samue, Martin, a labor leader.
whose body was found in the bay with 100
pounds of iron tied about the neck, was
hypnotized to-day, and questioned in de-
tail about the crime, While in the leth-
argic state he confessed that Martin had
reason to be jealous of him; that Mrs.
Martin intended to get a divorce and be-
come Mrs. Hanson, but he denied all
knowledge of how the murder was COM
mitted, and repeated the story he told the
police when arrested.
Hanson was hypnotized by Prof Laska,
peripatetic lecturer who came to GAL
weston a few days ago to give exhibitions
of his proficiency in hypnotsm. Laska
was sent for by the chief of police this
morning He had never seen Hanson. He
said he would be gald 10 try his hand on
the suspected man. Then Hanson was
asked If he would agree to the arrange
ment He expressed willingness to be
put to any test. The professor and the
prisoner were then introduced. Laska
said he would like to see what sort of a
subject Hanson was. He began work on
him, and in few minutes Hanson seemed
to be wholly under the professors control
To prove the suspected man was not sham
ming womans hat pin was jabbed into
Hansons cheek The subject did not
finch, and when the hat pin was pulled
out of the flesh no blood flowed from the
wound. Then the mans arms was put in
a cata!epuc state, and the most powerful
detective on the force was asked to bend
1t. He did not succeed. Then Laska
awakened Hanson, told him he was a fine
subject, and, after consulting Chief Jones
and learning that the police wanted the
test made at noon in the presence of more
witnesses the professor said:
MIR. Hanson, I'm going away; you win
be asleep when I return at y O'clock"
The chief of police and half a dozen de-
tectives and reporters remained in the
room with the prisoner after the hypnotst
departed. Shortly before noon Hanson
seemed to become drowsy. He lay down
and apparently was in a deep slumber
in a few moments. Laska returning, the
detectives were told to awaken the pris-
oner. They tried to do so by shaking and
slapping him and shouting i'm his ears,
but without avail. The hypnotst rubbed
the prisoners face many times, instruct
ing him to sleep soundly, and then said:
when you open your eyes you will see
Sam dhe murdered NAM standing before
you. open your eyes"
Hanson's eyes opened. Chief of Police
subject.
do you remember the quarrel we had
William" the chief asked.
I'VE had no quarrel, Sam Hanson re.
Piled
Eyes, we did"
mo, Sam, we never had but one quarrel
and that did not amount to anything"
Didn't l tell you that if 1 caught you
around my house l would kill you?"
mo, Sam, you never told me anything
Of the kind"
did we not have a quarrel?'
Yes, but you said you did not mean me
when you said you would kill him."
Who him is could not be ascertained.
Then the professor showed how he could
make the subject believe the chief of po-
lice was Mrs. Martin. The chief, posing
as Mrs Martin, put new set of questions
to the recumbent man. Hanson adj essed
the chief famiiiarly as Clara" and when
asked to tell what he knew about the muir
der he repeated the story he told the po-
lice when arrested.
For nearly an hour the prisoner was sub
jected to every sort of question the spec
tators suggested. To the question as to
whether he thought Martin was murdered
he replied afirmatively, saying he believed
the wound in the head was made with an
ak.
When released from the hypnotic state
Hanson did not show any undue desire TO
learn what he had said. The police said
they were fully satisfied with the tests
made, but latter in the afternoon Hanson
was again hypnotized, in order that some
further questions might be propounded
to him. A spectator asked the privilege
of interrogating the suspected man. Han
son was told the spectator was Mrs. Mar
tin. Again he addressed the supposed Mrs.
Martin Familiarity.
william" said the questioner, 'I'vc
turned states evidence and confessed how
we murdered Sam"
IF you say murdered Sam you lie,
said Hanson.
At this Juncture Chief of Police Jones
stopped the seance. He said he did not
consider it fair to the prisoner to subject
him to any further Interrogation, and the
professor awakened the subject. Han
son was told that among the many ques-
lions put to him during the long test at
noon were some about his relations with
Mrs. Martin He burst into tears and
cried. "Oh, what have / done; what have
1 done?" He was informed what he had
said.
The police say he has acknowledged the
, truth of the agreement existing between
him and Mrs. Martin for their marriage
as soon as she got divorce, but they de-
clare they are perfectly satisfied he had
nothing to do with the murder, and that
he will be released II few facts that bear
against him are satisfactorily accounted
for.