The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-10
MILLER IN A TRANCE
WHEN HYPNoTIzED ESCAPED CON-
VICT TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY.
DID NOT KILL BoURQUIN.
REMARKABLE TALE TOLD UNDER
EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

anu my anu AfAh we
Even See the shots Fired-CIaims
However, to Have Played IA Minor
Pnrt in the Double Tragedy.
Threatened With Death If He Told
and Made to Promise He Would
Confess If Arrested-Statemen Is
Not Credited Mystery Grows
Darker and Plot Thickens in Dean
Forest Tragedy-NO stock Taken
in Tales Told by the Mysterious
Miller and Officers Are StiH PuH-
Hope, However.
In a hypnotic condition and oblivious
of his surroundings, Joe Miller, the
escaped convict, who since his arrest
has persistently branded himself as
the murderer of Gugie Bourquin and
the old negro, Fred Taylor. admits
that he is not only not the murderer,
but that he didn't even see the fatal
shots fired
On Friday morning and again in the
afternoon the negro was hypnotized by
a physician in the office of Supt. owen
Reilly at police headquarters. On both
occasions he told the same story, but
one entirely different from the con-
fession that he sticks to when his con-
dition is normal. The occult influences
that are at work in the case makes the
mystery darker, and as each step is
taken the plot thickens. The confess
sion that Miller makes when he is in
trance is no more credited than the
one he gives out when ne realizes and
understands what he is doing.
The hypnotizing of Miller and the
seance that followed went towards
making up the most mystifying and
bewildering performance ever seen in
Savannah. Curious and marvellous,
those who were present stood SPELL
bound for almost an hour as the words
fell from the lips of the subject. Cues
tons were asked and answered with
out hesitation, and in voice that was
heard distinctly by every person in the
large room. 1t was probably the most
remarkable and most mysterious scene
ENGI ClldClcu III OdN dlllldIls
MiIIer's First Seance.
Only three persons were present when
Miller first felt the influence of the
hypnotist. The prisoner was suffering
with a headache and the physician had
little difficulty in obtaining the negro's
consent to cure his ailment. Without
the consent of Miller nothing could
have been accomplished and he did not
for an instant suspect what was to
happen after he lost control of him
self.
He does not even now know what
was done to him. and since the first
exhibition he has been zealously guard
ed in his cell at the police station
house. Only the physician in whose
power he is has talked with him, and
he has not been permitted to know of
his sensational utterances during his
unnatural sleep. When perfectly con-
with feeling that he committed the
brutal murder. This declaration, too,
he makes in the face of the fact that
he is fully aware that no credence at
all is placed in his statement.
On the occasion of the prisoners
second occult confession a representa-
tive of the Morning News was per-
mitted to be present and see and hear
things that few people who were not
there will care to believe Astonish-
ing and strange as it all seemed it
really happened, and, too, in the pres
ence of skeptics to the number of at
least half dozen. Miller appeared to
be in a natural sleep and it was de-
clared that his arm might have been
cut off without his knowing it.
From elementary tests that were
made this assertion, strange as it SEEM
ed, could unquestionably have been
proven. There was a peculiar witch
ing of the fingers and the veins in
the subjects hands looked as if they
would burst. His breathing was regu-
lar and in every other way his appear
ance was that of a sleeping man.
Hypnotized. He Talks.
Simple questions were asked the hyp-
Noticed prisoner to start and at first
his voice was husky. 1t grew stronger
and clearer and when the real test was
begun he could be heard distinctly.
Every question was answered without
an effort, and without the slightest
hesitation. Those in the room were as
fnrYndaA Of he
ment. Miller declared that he had not
fired the shots that killed Bourquin
and the aged negro, and that he was
not present at the time. He insisted,
however, that he played a minor part
in the tragedy and even heard the
shots fired. In measure his occult
confession was disjointed, but in the
main the facts that were sought were
obtained.
1.-THE detectives know I didn't kill
the two men. Mr.. Sapp," declared Mil
Ter. land they told me 1 was lying. ]
took them to the place where I met you
and showed them little road a piece
off, and told them the men in the bug
gy came down that road. 1 couldn't
fool them, though, and they told me
lied They just knew it didn't hap
pen that way and that / didn't do it.
They suspect you all and won't be-
lieve me. They know you did it. and
I've done all 1 could to help you gen.
tlemen."
In this part of the supernatural story
the negro was mace to believe he was