The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-02
BROKE THE BANK.
The Simple Countryman With Bright
Ewes Hypnotized the Dealer.

Eyes Hypn0tized the Dealer.
"Hypnotism is "a mysterious thing
that is now claimed to be used by
swindlers and charlatans in their
devilish work as we'll az by repu-
table men of science, but have often
wondered why some shrewd gam
bier has not turned his attention to
hypnotism and used it as means of
making easy winnings, said M. 0.
Burrill of Chicago, who was discuss
ing "ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain" with a party of trav
cling men at the Planters.
"The nearest thing to hypnotism
in gambling that l ever saw was five
OF six years ago at Grand Forks, N.
D. Quite a commotion was caused
by a stranger, dressed in the garb of
a country merchant, winning at a
single sitting So, 300 in Charley Mar
tin gambling rooms. This stranger
in the guise of a country merchant
dropped into Martins place and
gazed around at the gamblers. He
appeared to be greatly surprised at
the extent of the gambling that was
going on. remember him we'll.
"He was slim, of medium height,
high forehead and bald head. He
was smooth shayen, with eyes deep
Iy set and which shone with won
drous brightness. He tried his luck
at various games, with varying sue
cess. Finally he stopped at the rou-
lette table and placed 81 on II. The
little ivory ball spun around a few
times and dropped into 3S. He did
not appear to care about gambling
any more and went into the saloon
adjoining. Soon the gamblers began
to go out for lunch, and he returned
to the wheel, where he sat down and
began to play light. The room was
soon cleared of all gamblers except
the man at the wheel The player
glanced into the mans face, and his
eyes fairly glistened as meanwhile
he placed money on different num-
bers. A few men who had either
gambled their money away OF were
out of luck came in and gathered
around the player, seeing that he
was beginning to play high.
"All noticed that the man at the
wheel seemed to be under somo
strange influence and appeared to be
acting contrary to his desire. He
would whirl the little ivory marble,
and, regardless of the fact that the
player was losing, he would pay the
bet in the same ratio as if he had
won. The on lockers, of course, had
GO sympathy with the gambler, and
they watched in silence. When the
last dollar had been taken from the
drawer, the player thrust the money
before him into his pocket, never
taking his eyes from the whoelman's
face, and vanished through the door.
That was tho last seen of the sup.
posedly country merchant.
1.-The instant the stranger was out
of the room the man who manipu-
lated the wheel reached his hands to
his head and shuddered. When he
discovered that the till was empty,
he swore that he had been knocked
down and robbed, but he was in
formed by the bystanders, among
whom were several we'll known citi-
zens of the town, that such was not
the case. He was told that he had
been paying off bets for 20 minutes
in reckless manner and that he
had not been robbed, but cheated.
"'I don't know how it was done!'
I was hypnotizedl' exclaimed the
man at the wheel.
"He could not be made to believe
that he was so careless as to give up
about So, 300 unless he had been put
under some magic spell, and many
of those present were firm in the be-
lief that the man at the wheel had
really leen hypnotized. Anyhow the
man declared he would thereafter
be chary Of all men with bright
eyes. st. Louis Globe Democrat