The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-05-19
From Clue to Climax.
sY WI \. H.Rsts.
roesmrhi lsh. ~ IBIisysseou Col
rHAPTER NVII-CoNrIrrrn.

several small mining ventures in Col
crado 20 years ago and seemed 20 get
along pretty well together but IL hap
Pened that just az tae time they were
trying 10 get possession Of a certain
tract OF silver mining land which ms
brother was confident would enrich
them both Tom was compelled 20 re-
t1ru to New York on important busi-
ness Of his own. Now. my brother.
Thomas Farleigh. was known 10 be an
exceptionally good Judge Of mineral in
dications. and IL often happened that
when he showed interest IN property
the owners would refuse 10 sell al any
reasonable price. so. in this case. Mr.
I Strong proposed 10 him that he b. not
known in the transfer az all. but that
BE- 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. Ny brother thought IL a
good idea and consented. leaving all his
savings. something over 5000. with
Strong, simply on the assurance that on
MS return he should have q deed 70 a
half interest in the property.
Strong no doubt meant To be honest,
and j believe only an accident TO my
brother prevented him from being 50.
On Toms way to New York he fell from
a train at Cincinnati. struck his head
against stone siid was taken insensi-
ole 20 a hospital. The doctors said his
skull was fractured and he became in
sane. From the hospital / had him
taken 10 a private asylum, where re-
mained with him as long as / could.
After left Cincinnati Mr.. Strong heard
OF the accident anG went TO see him.
Ny 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 a rich vein, and
Strong became wealthy at once.
about five years afterwards a skill
full surgeon trepanned 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
10 recover an interest in his fortune.
Mr.. Strong was not, believe, very bad
man, and ne would have been willing
10 undo what he had done, but to divide
his profits with my brother would have
been an open admission Of guilt, so be
disputed the claim.
TON told me often that Strong pri-
vately offered him at one time $4,000
as a settlement Of ell claims against
him, but that he had Indignantly re-
fused IL. Another time Strong offered
him $4,000. They were alone in my
brothers room in hotel in Denver
Tom answered the proposal by strik-
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 statement of his wrongs,
but Mr.. Strong brought proof that the
claimant had been in an insane asylum
and testified that he had never been
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 rankled in his mind and for
the past IS years he has thought of
nothing but getting even with the man
who had wronged him.
He has had no regular employment,
but has lived in a 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
as he ever wns. ! 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 II. At first did
not object, because IL seemed 10 keep
him Interested; but lately he has almost
frightened me with his wonderful skin.
lie can make people do anything he
wishes, and on Friday nights the neigh
bors come Isl this parlor TO hear him
talk and witness his experiments. They
always give him money, and so | could
not object. as il is now the only way he
has of earning anything"
You say that of late he has fright
eaed 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 il in such way that
IL makes my blood run cold. He usually
has a 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 IL thought had
suddenly come into his mind. He would
stick up knife somewhere, and make
his subject take il of his own accord
and stab the imaginary man"
Exactly"
He would, however, fail sometimes
Iaid the detectives; ''he would now and
then be unable to control a subject?"
Not II the person had ever been hyp-
notized 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-belieye victims by the name of
Strong" Hendricks remarked. 1T
would be natural. after all he has
bornaw