The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-27
WITCHCRAF
Nothing New Under the Sun
After All.
'FPOst HypnOtism" No More Nor
Less Than Witchcraft.
QUEER CHICAGO CASE.
Hoffman Charged With Mes
merizing a Girl.
Who Calls On Him to Remove
the. Spell.

Chicago, Jan. 27.-Friends of Helen B.
Case. the domestic employed by r. b.
Peck, 2342 Calumet avenue, who disappear
ed from the house recently in scant at
tire, was found the high bridge in Lin
coin park, and is now at the detention hos
pital do not believe she is insane, but un-
der a spell of post-hypnotic influence.
They say that Miss Case was hypnotized
by Max Hoffman,, a spiritualistic medium
of 9SS North Western avenue. So sure are
they that occult power is the cause of the
young wonaan's condition that they yes
terday asked Mr.. Hoffman to go to the de-
tention hospital and release the patient
from the influence. This, they say, he
declined to do. The friends of the girl
now are trying to see if the Spiritualist
cannot be forced to act AS for Mr.. Hoff-
man, he denies that he is responsible for
Miss Cases peculiar plight.
Miss Case has been an attendant at the
seances of several spiritualist mediums,
and became greatly interested in Hof-
mans services A friend of hers, with
whom she occa sionaIly boarded, says that
Case Vent to the se aS of III Hoffman Sa ana
that Miss Case seemed infatuated with
him, and talked of nothing else. They
listened to his discourse, and after the
services, as they started to leave the place,
see Max She returned and went to the
front of the hall, where the medium was
Norman, Miss cases friend then declares,
placed his hand behind Miss Cases head,
made several passes in front of her face.
and Miss Case came out of the hail. and
they returned to the South side.
Since that time Miss Case acted queer
1y, until week ago Friday night, when
she made the assertion to her friend that
Hoffman holding some kind of a
service when his mind was occupied and
the P9w y he s had Placed on her &
her friend asserts, that if Hoffman did
After that came Miss Cases supposed IN.
sanity and her capture by the police in
Miss Gases friend yesterday told her
story to Mr.; Peck and went to the Deten-
ton hospital to see Miss Case, but was de-
went to the home of the medium and
asked him to go to the hospital and see if
he refused. Last night he denied ever
having hypnotized Miss Hoffman or any
Pers 3n ally , but d sent spokesman wh9
any kn OWED ee of Miss s se frdnb a a5d
that he knew her only slightly
At the Detention hospital number of
mediums have called. but yesterday none
was admitted. Mrs. Fisher, who is in
charge of the ward said Miss Case was
unlike any. insane patient and that several
times she had begged to be taken to Hoff-
If Miss Case is under hypnotic influence
she Is suffering from what is known as
dition brought about by suggestions that
Will become effective at some future time
For instance a subject NAV be fold while
in a subjective or somnanbTlisfic State
that certain thing will come to pass or
ern him at some future time and when
the subject is awakened he will not be
aware OF the suggestion until or about
the time that specified period approaches
and the mind, in obedience to the COM
n1and given when in the somnambuiistic
state, VIII carry out the suggestion After
the original suggestion is acted upon he
may return TO his natural state or pass
into the lethargic state. and when he
awakens be free from the hypnotist who
gave the suggestion, or he NAV pass hack
into the original somnambulistic State in
which the suggestion was received and
remain there until freed by the one who
brought about the condition. This is
termed the post-hypnotic state Tt is the
most dangerous known to medical science
Many cases are on record where the sub
lects reason has been completely de-
throned for some time when the original
hypnotist could not be discovered.