Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-05
MANAGER WAS HYpNoTIzEo.
Australian Hypnotlst Then Skipped
Out With the Receipts.

Out WIN the receipts.
New Orleans Times-Democrat: my
experience with an Australian hynotist,"
said a theatrical man, Stands out in my
career as the most striking experience l
have ever had. There was an element OF
tragedy. and 1t came. very near switching
me from the theatrical business. I had
nothing to do at the time, and was on
the lookout for something in Philadelphia.
A friend of mine told me of a clever Aus
tralian hypnotist, said he wanted a man
ager and he thought i would be the very
fellow for the work. He knew the hyp-
notist and introduced me to him. / made
an effort to put the Australian to work
In Philadelphia, but / was told II would
be OF no use, as the people there would
not take to II. Even the Young Mems
Christian association declined TO take to
my plan.
MY friend suggested some summer re-
sort not 1000 miles from Philadelphia. L
wrote TO a number of hotel managers and
they told me to come on with my man,
and declared / could make good money
out OF It. i made the leap. We began TO
coin money. We had absolutely no trou-
bile i'm getting audiences at 30 cents and
VI a head. We were having a great time,
and We had so much money that we never
thought about keeping an account OF the
income. ] bought a great big tin box, and
we would Just drop the money In the slot
when the patrons paid up. Both OF us
had a key, and whenever we wanted a
few dollars TO spend we would unlock the
box, make out a due bill and drop II In the
box with the cash. The hypnotist occu-
pied a room with me at a big hotel at one
OF the resorts. l was in the habit OF
getting up rather early In the morning.
The hypnotist would sleep until late I'm
the day. One morning when l awoke l
had the strangest feeling imaginable, and
when l glanced over toward the bed oc-
cupled by the hYpnotist he was not there.
My head was heavy, and l had a dazed
sort of feeling. / looked at my watch. 1t
was IL o'clock. l had retired at the
usual hour. / was sober at bedtime and
did not recall any trouble In falling
asleep. Something had happened to me-
l got downstairs as soon as possible.
walked around for a short while and then
went into the hotel office. 1 asked the
clerk to give me the tin box, as l needed
Il few dollars. He gave II to me. / I'M
locked II. Cold chills began to chase w
and down my Vertebrae and frosty
globules began to accumulate on my
forehead. There was nothing In the box
but a few scraps OF paper. / was sim
ply p~aralyZed. | asked the clerk where
my Australian friend was. Don't know,
he said indifferently, but / think he has
gone to Philadelphia l sought the man
ager. 1 owed him for my board and
lodging for three weeks, n at the rate
OF So a day. l didn't ave a cent and told
him what had happened to me, He
laughed at me and told me hat game was
too old to be worked on him, and he
wanted the money. To end the story, ]
unf fhn nYn hv xVrlf,~r fn- a. IT, q,
this good day I don't know why II was
that | slept so late. Did the Australian
hypnotic meH Or did he drug me?
am sure / can't say. But whatever he
did was enough, and while / have nothing
to say against hynotists generally, / don't
care to manage any Of them, and l have
steered clear of them since that time"