The Holly chieftain., 1898-05-20
From Clue to Climax.
BY WILL n. hARBtS.
LGOpuiGh, iags. by J. B LiPpincou Col
CHATTER xyII-CoyrrxrED.


y. Strong dII my brother a great
wrong. They were equal partners in
several small mining ventures in Col
| crldo 20 years ego and seemed to get
along pretty wei together, but it hap
peued that just at the time they were
| trying 10 get r1ss eEsion of q certniH
tract Of silver mining land which M
brother was confident would enrich
them both Tom was compelled to Te-
turn to New York on important bust
ness OF his own. Nov, my brother,
Thomas Fnr!cigh. was known to be an
exceptionally good judge of mineral in
dicatiOns, aEI % often happened that
| when he showed interest in property
the owner would refuse 10 sell at any
reasonable price. So. in this case, Mr..
Strong propose ed TO him that he be not
known in the transfer at all, but that
he leave in his hands his part of the pur-
chase money and let the property be
made over to him while Tom was in
New York. My brother thought it a
good idea and consented, leaving all his
savings, something over $1,000, VITA
| Strong. simply on the assurance thotcI
his return he should have n deed TO a
half interest in the property.
strong no doubt meant TO be honest,
! and | believe only an accident 10 my
brother prevented him from being 50.
train at Cincinnati. struck his head
uguinst stone and was taken inScnsi-
| uic 10 hospital. The doctors said his
/ skull was fractured and be became in
sane. From the hospital | had him
| taken to private asylum, where | re-
mHurd with him as long as ] could
/ After l left Cincinnati Mr. Strong heard
/ OF the accident and went 10 see him.
| NJ brother did not recognize him, and,
. believing that Tom would never be re-
stored to his right mind, Mr.. Strong
said nothing to anyone about the money
put into his hands by my brother. He
went ahead and organized big com
pany Of eastern capitalists TO operate
the mine. They struck rich vein, and
| Strong became wealthy at once.
about five years afterwards a skill
iul surgeon trcpanned my brothers
skull, relieved the pressure on the brain
and restored his reason. Tom, OF course,
remembered the last transaction with
his old partner. and, hearing of Strong's
great success, at once set about trying
TO recover an interest in his fortune.
Mr.. Strong was not, believe, q very bad
man, and he would have been willing
10 undo what he had done, bat to divide
his profits with my brother would have
i. l..
disputed the claim.
Tom told me often that Strong pri-
vatcly offered him at one time SCI. 900
as settlement of all claims against
him, but that he had Indignantly re-
fused II. Another time Strong offered
him $4,000. They were alone in my
brothers room in hotel in Denver.
Tom answered the proposal by striB-
ing Strong in the mouth and shooting
at him as he ran downstairs.
Strong escaped unhurt, but my
brother was arrested and tried for at
tempting manslaughter. At the trial
Tom made a statement of his wrongs,
but Mr.. Strong brought proof that the
claimant had been in an insane asylum
''A' ''1N4'''h Ah'AiN iiN iisii II'ftA Dt'h
wholly restored. He even pleaded for
Toms release on that score. and was
praised in the papers for so doing Ny
brother was let off with a small fine. but
the wrong ranked in his mind. and for
the past Is years he has thought of
nothing but getting even with the man
who had wronged him.
L.. l.,
but has lived in o sort of hand-to-mouth
way in several cities in the east and
west. Most people thought his mind
impaired. but believe he is as sensible
MS he ever was. | have a small income,
and for five years-since my husband
died-he has lived with me. He has
been studying lypnotism for the last
two years, and experimenting on every
one who would allow il. At first / did
not object, because it seemed to keep
him interested; but lately he has almost
frightened me with his wonderful skill.
He can make people do anything he
wishes, and on Friday nights the neigh
bors come in this parlor to hear him
talk and witness his experiments. They
always give him money, and so / could
not object, as ii is now the only way he
has Of earning anything"
"You say that of late he has fright
ened you with his experiments" said
Hendricks Would you mind telling
me the nature of some of the most OBJ
jectionable ~
"He seems very fond of making his
hypnotized subjects imagine they are
numbering some one, and they always
go through with it in such way that
it makes my blood run cold. He usually
has pillow, chair, or some piece of
furniture, to represent the man to be
killed, and then
II think know the process" inter-
rupted Hendricks. as If thought had
suddenly come into his mind. He would
stick up a knife somewhere, and make
his subject take it of his own accord
and stab the imaginary man."
Exactly"
HE would, however, fail sometimes"
said the detective; ''he would now and
then be unable to control n subject2'
Not if the person had ever been hyp-
Noticed BEFORE" replied the woman
''Those people who had been under his
influence more than once would prompt
ly do his bidding"
II presume he sometimes called his
make. believe victims by the name of
Strong" Hendricks remarked. at
would be natural, after all he has
borne" sss