The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-27
KANSAS NEWS.
Anderson Gray, Released PEN
itentiary Convict,
Dressed I'm Prison Garb Will
Wander Up and Down,
GIVING HIS STORY.
Once a Rich Farmer Near Con-
way Springs.
Convicted of Causing a Murder
by HypnOtism.
GIVING HIS STORY.

yesterday at Pond Creek, Oklahoma
| Anderson Gray retired from the man
agement Of the hotel OF which he has
been in charge since his release from
the penitentiary and from this day he
will go out and preach against what he
alleges a terrible injustice. protesting,
in the name of Heaven. his innocence
and attacking present methods OF legal
| prosecution.
He will dress himself in prison garb,
the regular striped suit, and will wan
der from place to place telling the story
of his wrongs and crying out against
the things which were done against
| him. He will be accompanied on this
queer voyage by his daughter.
In some respects Anderson Gray IS
the most notorious of kanSans and his
notoriety is almost equal to the fame
of John Brown, abroad.
ut is now some years since Gray
was tried in Sumner county. He was a
/ rich farmer near Conway Springs. He
was mixed up in several neighbOrhOOd
feudS. He had a man working for him
and this man had wife. Gray was ac-
cuSed OF working up the Jealous nature
of this husband against a neighbor and
the nelghDOr happened along one day,
the hired hand rested the barrel of a
gun in the fork of a tree and let 60
killing the neighbor.
Gray was arrested and tried
The trial was unusual in this: Gray
was tried for influencing this hired hand
to kill the neighbor, tried for murder.
This was not unknown in criminal an
nails of course, but what follows is with
out precedent:
cat that time the world was greatly
interested in hypnotism and great at
tention was given anything with a hyp-
motto vein in it.
I'm summing up the evidence to the
jury Charles Elliott of Wellington, who
was prosecuting, said to the jury:
Gentlemen OF the jury, the influence
OF this man Gray over his hired man
was great. Under his own roof, work
ing at his side, by him throughout the
day, this man Gray had over the hired
man a tremendous sway, an influence,
gentlemen, which might be called hyp-
nOtic.'
THE jury brought In verdict of
guilty and the word went out over the
country that a Kansas jury had held
that the charge of hypnotism could be
admitted as evidence. Hundreds of let
tiers poured into wellington, eventually
from Russia, Paris and South America.
THE excitement in legal circles in
creased when the hired man, who act
ually did the shooting, was acquitted.
Gray went to the penitentiary. His
great property dissipated and when
Governor Leedy pardoned him, he was
penniless.
TT is said that since then he has
been worrying over what he considers
an injustice and that he can no longer
remain silent but is impelled to forth
and reinsist upon his innocence before
the people.
"SinguIarly enough he will denounce
hypnotism. He will admit that hypno-
tism has an existence and can be used
for evil, but he will attempt to show
that he is not a master of hypnotism
and that he did not influence the hired
man to shoot the neighbor.
HE will also distribute tracts giving
q complete history of himself and the
trial and portraits of those connected
with it, including one of Charles Elliott,
the Wellington attorney"