The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-18
coy VICTIM OF HYPNoTIsM
STRANGE Case in Pennsylvania Is At
tracing Attention.

Wilkesbarre Penn, May lid
win Devere. a clever and attractive
boy Of fourteen. was hypnotized near his
home in Pottsyille on April p, by an un-
known man and is now a raving maniac
In an ASYLUM If the stranger can be
found TO remove the spell the boy will
recover. If he is not found the doctors
saw that the lad viii die within three
months
Meanwhile the police and the parents
are searching far and wide for the mys-
ferrous hvpnotist They have one clue.
He is supposed to be an itinerant PED
der of .name-cards' of those TEL
lows who set up stand on the prin-
cipal streets of the town and, with a
sharp knife, carve the cards face into a
name
such man was in POttsville on the
dav Edwin Devere was hypnotized. In
his sneecb In collect crowd he called him
self a hypnotist. The crowd laughed. He
made passes with his hands The crowd
sin lauahed. lie looked at certain ones
in the crowd and pretended to hypnotise
then. The crowd grew large; then he be-
gan business.
II may Doe that he was entirely harm
less-that ne is no more hypnotist than
he is a millionaire. But in that crowd
was Edwin Devere. He STAYED watching
the man for some time. For a couple of
wears interested boylshly in hypnotism,
he was attracted 10y the mans preten-
sions. lie was a good subject easily in
auenced for his playmates had frequent
ly put him under the spell for amuse-
ncnt He liked it,
Whether the man really hypnotised the
lad. did il unconsciously and does not
know the event Of the damage he caused,
or whether the lad believed he was be-
ing hypnotized. AMI. becoming worked up
30 a high pitch of excitement, developed
self-hvpnotism. cannot be told. If the
latter theory Is correct the Lad probably
is doomed. FOR the spell he has cast upon
himself can scarcely be removed.
ON tho Monday night when he returned
home his parents noticed this h.s eyes
were very bright and that he was appar-
emily In a condition Of some excitement
but they attributed it TO some boyish play
ana Thought no more Of it. lie went ont
i'm the evening 20 play with a neighbor 5
children They report that he acted
strangely and was much excited The
next morning his condition was such that
he was kept ST home and in the after
noon DR. c.. T. Miller was sent Tor. At
that urle The hoy was on the verge Of de-
liriu-u. Tho doctor could not calm him.
ana soon he uttered those cries which
have continued since and which have
given the clue to his condition.
~ told Thar fellow not 10 hypnotic
me-. he shrieAed.
-I don't want On be hvpnotized.
Take that man away
Please. Oh please. set my mind back
for me-
Those cries continued. despite the dec
tor's enorts and the boy grcw rapidly
worse. Morphine dnaily sahdued him. and
he was put 90 steep for a few hours.
When be awoke he was violent He tore
NJ has clothes. h. aurlea anything he
cceld grasp ~ she heads II those nearest
Einl. he fonsht ana struggled until eN-
hausted throughout IL all his pitifai
cries 10 bc sawed from the hypnoust con-
ga4el
Wednesday ana Thursday he grew
worse. ana on Friday st a consultation
II physieians il was determined te send
him 10 The insane asyium az Schuylkiil
Hsveu
Worl has been ssnt u az the towns
III Che -eishborhood. hat as vet 10 trace
o. the card cutter has been found