Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-07
UNDER HYPNOTIC SPELL
Josephine Coffin of East Orange
N. j.. Abducted by Strange
Foreign Woman
-
UNDER HYPNOTIC INFLUENCE
Unable to Resist Her captcr She Tray-
eIed With the Woman as Far as
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Where She Sue
ceeded in Throwing Of tho Spell
Daughter of Wealthy Parents.

Omaha Nov Abducted by a
strange foreign woman, whose black
eyes cast hypnotic spell, and carried
her half way across the continent be-
fore she could escape. This is the story
told by Miss Clara Josephine Coffin,
the young daughter of Il prominent
family. who disappeared from her
home in East Orange, n. j., last Tues
day. and who arrived at Omaha yester-
day.
Tire story was told by Miss Coffin
to Joseph Grow, postmaster al Omaha,
whose wife is related TO Miss Collins
father. j. Edward Coffin, a dealer in
securities, With ~ office at 70 Broad
way New York city.
Miss Coffin tells how she sometimes
met on her way to and from school,
n small. dark woman. OF foreign APP
pearanee, whose odd mannerisms and
.-~.e peculiar eyes, attracted her atten-
ton.
She says that on Tuesday she was
aceosted by this woman. and hidden to
go to her home and arrange to take
long journey. As if in trance, but
al tHe lie aware O1 Wudl SIG Na@
doing, but without the will power to
resist. the girl obeyed. The woman
had arranged to meet the girl at a
certain place, and when Miss Coffin
arrived on her return there was a
strange man in company with the
woman.
Then Miss Coffin says. she was plac-
ed in a carriage and after the man and
women had entered they were driven
at rapid rate, finally reaching New
ark, n. j. From there they We're taken
to the railroad station and. boarding a
train, they went TO New York City.
She next realized that the party was
aboard another train and on Its way
to Chicago. She was driven from one
railroad station to another. and when
they again boarded train the woman
remained with her and the man occu-
pied seat In the coach next to the
rear.
Miss Coffin says she acquiesced In
all that was suggested to her because
of the spell cast by the woman's eyes.
Miss Coffin was guarded as an Invalid
in her berth, she says, until we'll into
the middle west.
1T must have been after passing a
city, which, think. was Chicago. that
the irresistible spell commenced to lose
Its influence" she said. by preventing
the little womans eyes from meeting
mine, / gradually escaped the influence
she had over me. l retained my wits,
although still In trancelike condi-
ton, to keep UP pretense of being
completely dazed. This made the wom-
an careless and she left me. 1t hap
pened to be when the train stopped for
q moment at a depot. l managed to
slip out unnoticed among the passeng-
ers, and the fresh air revived me-
Crouching close to the train to escape
observation, from the inside, hid until
the train drew away
II found that ! was at Cedar Rapids.
I got the people at the depot to prom
ise me that they would not let them
take me again. They were kind enough
to help me reach Omaha.
Postmaster Crow was surprised to
receive a telegram signed Cousin
Clara, asking him to meet her. AS
soon as Miss Coffin saw Mr. Crow she
recognized him and fell into his arms
Frustrated. He assisted the young
lady, who is almost a complete nervous
wreck, to his home and placed her I'M
der the care of physician. Miss Cof-
fin is confined to her bed.
No trace has been found of the mys-
FERROUS man or woman.