Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-01-30

noHy as ITUS, duu promptly Ao-
quilted Her-A Strange Case.
Hackensack, n. j., January %
Did Algy w. Humphrey live for siv
years with John G. Smith, of White
Port, N. Y, under hypnotic infuence?p
She says that for that length of time
her mind is blank; that she never re-
members having been the wife Of
Smith, and is unable to say whether
she was his wife or not 1t is on the
claim for that length of time she was
under hypnotic influence that her law
yer will ask the jury to acQuiC her.
The men to whom Miss Humphrey
was married, according to the State
were Smith, of White Port, and Dr.. d
w Piper, of the Hotel Minot, of New
York. There was another, but that
was years ago, when she was only a
child. Dr. Piper met her in 1898, and
after brief courtship, married her ID
Rutherford, N. Y. She told him that
she was the widow of a physician Last
July he heard that she had been mar
ried to Smith and commenced an in
vestigation without telling her what
he had learned In November last he
learned the truth and at once left her.
She was arrested.
SMITH AS A HYPNOTIST.
Smith said that she was married to
him in 1887, and lived with him until
1898, and then left him. Previous to
her marriage to him she had told him
oh odnntld ionubtAr IF q
Russian count and had been married
when a child in Russia and her hus-
band had died
The defendant took the stand. She
created a favorable impression by the
way in which she answered questions
about herself until the marriage with
Smith was taken up. She at once al
most tainted, grew pale while looking
at the man who says he is her legal
husband and grasped the chair for sup !
port.
She said that she remembered meet
ing Smith and his court3hip, but that
shortly afterward her mind became a
blank. She remeaat -poihip q Of Der
marriage to him o1sJl}Ssa1se SIX years she
lived with him, where she wasNor what
she did
Don't you remembetF anything"
asked her counsel.
Nothing about it," was the reply.
DENIES OLD NEIGHBORS.
Neighbors at White Port identified
her as the wife of Smith She said She
had never seen them so far as she
could recollect.
Don't you remember any Of those
women who say you are Mrs. Smith!
she was asked.
mo" was the reply. at seems like
I may have seen them, but l do not re-
collect it." ~,
do you remember White Port!
mo" was the reply.
By a strange coincidence both the
ministers who married her are dead
The record of the marriages we're SUD
mitted to the court.
Mrs. Smith was acquitted. Her de-
Tense that Smith hypnotized her anu
that she knew nothing of the marri-
age was successful When she lelC
Smith she was married to DR., PIPER
The charge of Justice Van Vaieh
was considered to be unfayorapks "
Mrs. Smith. He said that the cyl a
showed there were two marrlagesN
there were two persons concerned III
these marriages who remembered thehI
and on the other hand one person VINO
did not remember The witness lor
the defense happened to be the party
who forgot.
After the announcement of the YER
dict the spectators cheered, despite
Judge Van Valen, Mrs. Humphrey
shook hands with the jurors.
Mrs. Humphrey, after the trial, salo
she was born in st. Petersburg. her
father was a wealthy mill builder,
When she was or 6 years old she was
adopted by Baron Scheiling, OF 81. re-
tersburg, and was to have been care caIet
for in his will, but he died without
making any provision for her. ohe
left st. Petersburg and went 70 Lon
rev. He died. She came to America
and visited White Port. she me-
smith. He invited her to his mouse
She knew nothing more of What nap nap.
pened during the six years sne 4pg Thon
to have remained at White Port ! men
eho married Dr Piper.