Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-03
HyPNOTlST JEFFREY.
The Performance He Presents on
the Stage.
The Young Soldier Sueceediaq Remarkably
Well in Mis- New Profession.

| Those who are attending the jeffrey
hypnotic performances are not only being
| highly entertained by the comic things
that are done, but by his marvellous ex-
emplification OF the power he possesses
OK mental control. He takes anyone who
wishes, and the more who wish to try
| the experiment of seeing If they can be
| hypnot.zed. the better Lieut. Jeffrey likes
II. He tries each one on the various ex-
periments of mental control, and though
some do not submit to it, he is not the
least disconnected. as he says he cannot
| hypnotize person unless the subject
| wishes it,
| The Journal has seen several who have
| mad Lieut.. Jeffrey try his experiments
upon them, and each says that the young
| soldier certainly has an immense power.
! One subject who was worked upon by
Lieut.. Jeffrey the other night, and who
refused to be hypnotized said he could
easily have been, had he wished He said
| he at first gave himself up TO see if 1t
could be accomplished. He found him
self falling into the hypnotist's arms as
| the lieutenant was trying to have him,
| and then he suddenly decided not to be
| hypnotized, as he felt rather sensitive
about doing it before an audience. and
braced himself against it. This is a case
where the man is convinced there is
great power in it. Lieut.. Jeffrey says i;
is equally hard to hypnotic a man who
is eager to be.
Lieut.. Jeffrey's power was known TO
many in Augusta before his visit here.
this week. He was the second lieutenant
of Co. G. list Maine Volunteers. and has
also been IA second lieutenant and a pri-
vatc in the National Guard for several
years. He has always amused his assoc
ciatos by his deXterity in this line. When
nj Chickamauga last summer he made
many Il hour pass brightly to his brother
officers. lie tried his power upon many
of the people of that place with great
success. and on several social occasions
amused the people present.
SLEEPY. 50 sleepy heads heavy,
breathe deeply, sleepy. awful sleepy"
says the lieutenant in his smooth voice
that is hardly audible at this stage. and
gradually the subject goes off into a
sound sleep. From this sleep he makes
them open their eyes and then perform
all sorts of queer antics. They forget
their name at his suggestion and find it
driven almost wild by fieas biting thelr
backs, but all disappear il the lieutenant
says they are gone; all are in dreadful
agony as they are attacked by an imagi-
nary swarm of hornets, but all is well
when Mr.. Jeffrey says so: boys who CAM
not dance and are self-conscious when
themselves. sing and dance and go
through a cake walk with great ease:
they walk in imaginary gardens and pick
roses; they see an orange tree grow and
pick the imaginary fruit; they act as
dentists and pull imaginary teeth; the
play ball; they are soldiers and carry
messages on "A horse, that is a broom.
to a person in another part of the hall.
running about wildly and earnestly: they
have pains and aches and sim knees:
one will be told he is a horse. a frisky
one, and another is to shoe him. as the
blacksmith: they go off into convulsive
laughter when Mr.. Jeffrey tells them to,
and cry when he suggests. Throughout
all they are as intent on what they are
doing as it is possible for one to be on
any one thing. The expressions on Their
faces are something wonderful to watch.
When they are recalled from this mes
merle trance or hypnotic state. they ex-
press surprise and laugh heartily at the
antics of the others which are perhaps
not one-half so ridiculous as they them
selves have been.
Perhaps the most wonderful part of all
is the anesthesia state into which Mr..
Myers one of the company. is placed by
Mr. Jeffrey. A physician is called from
the audience and after the subject has
been placed in this state, hat pins Dor
rowed from the audience are stuck
through his arm and through his ears. |
Not a particle of blood issues from the
wound and no pain is experienced. Mr..
Myers is also placed in a -cataleptic state
which leaves him as rigid az marble, |
when he is placed with his shoulders on
one carpenters horse and his feet on an
other, and Mr.. Jeffrey and the doctor
stand upon the rigid body
Lieut.. Jeffrey has engagements ahead
for several weeks in Maine. A repre-
sentative of the Portland theatre was
sent down, Monday night, to witness the
performance. and afterward Lieut.. JET |
frey was engaged for one week for the
Portland theatre. He will finish his Au-
gusta engagement Saturday evening, ami
he feels that thus far the Augusta people
have patroniZed him very well.
yf.r Inh