Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-03-03
FEAR OF HYPNOTISM
TT GIVES A SINGLE YOUNG MAN
ANXIETY.

He is Afraid He is Going to Be Mar.
ried in Spite of Himself, and SO He
Gives the License Clerk a Timely
Warning.
Lowell Putnam is in a predicament
He is afraid he Is going to be mar
ried. He doesn't want to be married
yet he Is fearful that he will awaken
| some morning and find wife among
his possessions. He believes that a
certain young woman has set her cap
for him and will carry her desire into
effect by hypnotizing him.
Putnam called at the marriage IL
cense office yesterday and explained
| matters, partially. He did not 90 in
to many details, but he wanted 1t thor
! oughly understood that If he called at
the Courthouse, and asked for a IL
cense to wed it was to be refused. He
said he did not want a license and IL
he came for one it would be evident
that he was under the hypnotic infiu-
| ence of the young woman who accom-
panied him.
| These rather peculiar remarks led
| member of the Republic staff to ask
| Mr.. Putnam for an explanation. MIR.
| Putnam was at his home, 1121 North
| Leonard avenue, and he received the
reporter In a room whose walls were
| literally covered with guitars, mando-
! Inns and violins. They were hung in
! racks which extended from the cell
| ing to the floor, and scattered about
| on tables and chairs were other instru-
ments. Piles of music lay upon the
| mantle shelf and filed the bookcase.
Mr.. Putnam explained the array with
I the remark that Ire played a little
sometimes. In the directory he IL ac-
credited with being professional mu-
| stefan. He became iii at ease when the
subject of his visit to the marriage Ii
| cense office was broached and said
that hypnotism had caused him a great
deal of trouble and notoriety which, he
said, he was anxious to avoid In the
future. After time, however. he con
scented to say little about the case.
Some time ago | met young w0-
man who has since manifested an IN
usual interest In ME. L did not mind
this at first because she is refined and
pretty. But a week or two ago l dis
covered she was in love with me and
wished to marry me. Perhaps she did
not say so in 50 many words, but l
interpreted what she did say and her
actions correctly, | know
Then | realized for the first time
the power she had over me-. followed
her merest suggestion without being
able to tell why-eXcept that ii was
hypnotism. Sometimes these sugges-
tons We're spoken, sometimes not. At
any rate, | obeyedS them"
1t was remarked that perhaps Mr.
sutnam, because Of his previous ex-
1ericnce with hypnetists, was an I'M
usually good subject, and the young
woman was simply experimenting up
on him. Mr.. Putnam shook his head.
NO; she has an object. | atn not go
ing to tell you how l found cut it was
her intention to marry me, but It was
in a way that leaves no doubt In my
mind as To her intentions Site has re-
solved upon it, and my trip ~ the IL
cense office was simply for my own
protection. have no objections TO the
young woman personally. but I do not
intend to marry her If / can help it
II know from what have done at
her suggestion that 1t would be an
easy matter for her toscome here some
mroning. place me in her power and
compel me to obtain a license, and
marry her While in n hypnotic state
my actions do not betray the fact to
any one. and. therefore. no preacher
| would refuse TO marry us. / know
what is going on, but am powerless to
break away from the influence which
this young lady eXerts over me.
81 explained matters at the license
office fully. and told the man | saw
there not to give me license under
any condition whatever. l told him
| that if | did apply | might plead ever
| so hard for the license and offer him
any reward If he would issue it. but
| he must not listen to me- as l would
be in a hypnotic state if | applied for
! the naper.
"Of course, if the girl learns of this
for | do not think she understands
| the complete control she has over me-
she will probably try and get me under
! her control and take me to some other
city for the purpose of marrying me.
For that reason have taken other pre-
cautions of which do not care to
speak"
Mr.. Putnam refused to give the
name of the pretty young woman who
is trying to hypnotic him. and his
brother Joseph, who Is employed In a
Washington avenue wholesale house,
said he could not imagine who she
might be. In fact, he was surprised to
hear Of the affair, he said. He claimed
to know of no one whose actions might
lead his brother to believe she was
trying to marry him.
Mr.. Putnam is about 30 years old
He received considerable advertising
a few years ago when a hypnotist and
spritualist left town rather suddenly
after interesting a number of young
persons in his work. The occasion of
his departure was a tragedy In which
the son of one of the best known fam
lilies in town tigured.-St, Louis Repub-
| lie.