The evening times., 1900-04-12

NEW YORK, April IA Waterbury
Coma, despatch, published here this morn
ing, says;
secret supposed to have died with
Commodore WiIliaia X. Mayo was revealed
this evening by Miss Jennie Elton Stevens.
who asserts that she was hypnotized into
m2uving the commodore. who. in 1892. at
the sc Of sixty-two years, won her for
his second wife. They separated on the
evening of their. wedding reception and
never saw each other afterward,
The young wife was taken to a private
asylum, and for two years her reason tot
tered The commodore obtained a divorce
from her in a South Dakota court and ar
ter"ard married Mrs Hail his house
keeper. Concerning the estrangement be
tween Commodore Mayo and his second
wife Washington society and the world at
large has been curious all these years.
Miss Stevens. for she resumed her maid
en- name. has ever since her release from
the asylum been living here. Her health
has been restored and snc has taken a
deep interest in the wor.s of the church.
and has sought in every way possible TO
divert her mind from dwelling on uuplsls-
ant memories
She believes that Commodore Mayo had a
remarkable occult power. She had heard
tIgJ be had somewhere I'm his travels M
the far East. from a Yogi or from q Brain
mn. learned the secret OF exercising
strange and irresistible fascination over
his feliow-men. She and her parents Were
travelling in the White Mountains In 1851
when she first met thv commodore
His eyes seemed TO possess some strange
power she said last evening They
were great blue. fearless eyes. that seemed
TO draw one TO them. never could undo-.
stand whence came that influence which
completely took me captive"
Miss Stevens had never dreamed OF mar
rying the commodore she was only U,ycu-
ty-fye years old. She feared him and low
ed him by turns. when she was away
from him his influence over her Wauod. but
in his presence she was. poUerIess.
He actually commanded her 90 marry
him, she says. and she oUeytd Three
times before the marriage ceremony she
declared TO him that their engagement was
broken He paid no more attention TO her
than he would TO the expression of q child
ish whim.
Only few DAYS before their marriage
she told him that she dreaded that he rad
some strange influence over her. and said
that she feared he would make her subject
10 his caprice and will He told her that
he truly loved her and that her fears were
g-OuHdless.
Then there was the wedding. with its
( bridesmaids and roses and jubilatiOu Of
guests, and the drive 10 the railroad sta
I ti0u iu shower OF rice IL all seemed 10
her confused dream. She could not uu-
! derstand why she had married the Old
| Commodore, and she now attributes the
| whole affair TO hypnosis.
Miss Stevens says that she did not
! leave the Commodore Of her own free
! alleges that ne seemed TO tire Of her and
/ treated her cruelty. They went to New
[ York on their wedding journey and then
/ tiOn was held
The Young wife was disinclined TO re-
/ Cpive The guests and yaiuly begged TO be
excused Commodore Mayo commanded
[ her to descend the staircase 20 the parlOr
/ cording 90 her story. the Commodore grew
I take her home.
Miss Stevens AYERS that she would
gladly have returned to her husband after
/ her release from the sanitarium. where
she was placed by her father. but that
[ her parents would not permit her TO do
I So She -later began a suit for divorce
against the Commodore. and only last
week the case was decided against her.
Persons in Waterbury who knew Miss
Stevens at the time Of her marriage say
| they could not then understand the
strange influence which the Commodore
seemed 70 have over the young woman.
Her family is socially prominent here.