The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-08-22
A YOUNG MAN BURIED ALIVE
Hypnotized and Buried in n Grave
for Five Days.

The Boston Giobc of the 9th inst.
says there was grim and even grew
some scene in the Bowdoin Suaaro Mu-
scum at 10 O'Clock last night, when a
young man was h>pnotizcd and then
buried alive in real grave, there to
remain, according to the promise of
the hypnotist, until Saturday night,
when he will be disintcrrcd and re-
stored to his normal condition.
The name Of the young man who
was buried IS Parker A. Johnson, an
intelligent, clcan-cut West Indian, and
he was put INTO the hypnotic state Ivy
Prof. Wilmot Barclay.
Prof. Barclay tried to get permit
from Mayor Hart to bury j rhnson in
the Common for three days and three
nights, bit the mayor wouldn't listen
80 1t, So The professor and the manager
OF the museum decided to dig a grave
in tho museum premises and bury
johnson in their own grave, an enter
prise with which the police did not in-
terfcrc.
Down in the basement OF the muse
um q part Of the flooring was taken up
and there Il grave about five feet deep
was dug. The outer covering or rough
box OF q caskct was secured, and all
the early part Of last evening the box
was by the sido of the open grave,
while crowds of patrons of the place
stood around and shivcrcd ut the suy-
gcslivc sight.
Barclay had concluded the regular per-
formancc, when he announced he was
ready to bury johnson, and that young
man came out on the stage and listened
by the side of the open caskct box,
which had hccn moved up there, while
the professor told what he was going
to do.
lie said he would hypnoLically sug-
scst to Johnson that he was going TO
sleep for live days and nights, and that
during that time he would not want to
eat or drink, but at the end of il he
would awaken and be his normal self
again.
Then the professor, standing near
the reporters, who had been specially
invited to witness the Hterment, made
some passes over johnson, and putting
his left hand behind the subj jcct's head
he smoothly strokcd HIM down the
right side OF his face with his right
hand, while he softly said IN his car in
Il tone which was both smooth and
soothing: "Now you are beginning to
feel sleepy you are growing drowsicr
and presently you will be sound asleep,
and then you will sleep, and sleep well
for five days and nights, when you will
wake up feeling fresh and strong.
Now, sleep, sLumbcr, Sleep" and John
sons eyes closed and he seemed to be
sleeping soundly, although he was
standing up. The professor made some
more passes over his face and down
the length OF his body, and Johnson's
body became absolutely rigid.
While this was being done II mat
trcss had been placed in the box, and
1T one end Of it two pillows were ar
ranged. When johnson became rigid
some employees of the house picked
him up and placed him in his rude cor-
fin. Prof. Barclay put Johnson's head
on the pillows, his face turned slightly
to the left, and then he covered him
up with big thick comforter, and told
the men who were to put the box and
man into the grave that all was ready.
They took tho box down from tha
stage and lowered it into the grave,
placing over an opening left in the
foot of tho cover Of the coffin Il pipe
about five inches in diameter, and over
The head of it u box, which had no COW
or over its lower end, 80 that peoplc
could look down into The grave after it
was filled up and sec the face Of the
man in the coffin. BY the right side
of Johnson's head there was placed an
electric light, and then, with the pipt
and the peck box in place, the eartl
was shovcllcd into the grave again, ant
johnson was buried in regular style
except that there was The pipo to CIV,
him air, and the peck box 20 prcscn
an opportunity Of seeing him in hi
colin.
The grave was rounded over, ant
then Prof. Barclay told the reporter:
he had no doubt johnson would be al
right when he is dsintcrrcd Saturday
night, for he said nc buried him in
Kingston, Jamaica, once, and kept hin
under ground for a week, and Johnson