Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-27
Insane School Teacher From
Lohrville Probably Victim
of a Hypnotist
DELLA wEEMs' PlTIFuL STORY
Of a Hypnotic Influence Over
Her Used for a Wicked Purpose-one
Criminal Act Followed by Others I'm
til Girl is Ravins Maniac-Miss
Weems Taken to Cherokee Hospital.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Sioux City, Jan. 27.-Hypnotism is
believed to have been responsible for
the downfall of Miss Della Weems, the
young school teacher from Lohrville. A
brother of the girl, who was with her
here before she was taken to Cherokee,
says he is positive of this fact, and he
has determined to seek out the guilty
person and, IL possible, bring him to
Justice.
Saturday night, as the heart-broken
brother sat beside his sisters bed at st.
Joseph's hospital, listening to her
meaningless babble, her reason for a
brief period seemed to return. She be-
came quiet and her eyes, fixed on his
face, frightened with the light Of rec
ognition.
Brother" she began, do you know
anything about hypnotism?"
mo, Della, very little; why do you
ask?'
"Oh. If I'd only known" walled the
sufferer, "the knowledge would have
saved me. Can't you get some books
on hypnotism and ~theosophy?"
A moment later the girl began raving
again, and the brother was unable to
learn anything regarding her trouble.
But he believes his sister strove to
let him know she is the victim of a man
Who used his power owe her for a
wicked purpose.
MI. Weems, who lives on a farm near
Whiting, learned first OF the trouble Of
his sister last Saturday, when he read
in the Tribune of her arrival here. He
had in the meantime learned that she
stopped with q niece, Mrs. Christopher
son of Whiting, Jan. S, the day before
she came to Sioux City.
Miss Weems was ill when she arrived
at Whiting. She met a neighbor of
Weems' and sent word that she was in
town. Weems, however, was attending
court at Onawa as a juryman, and was
not at home. The girl then went to the
home of Mrs. Christopherson, where she
remained all night. She was quite Ill,
but refused to stay any longer, saying
she had made arrangements to come to
Sioux City and go to a sanitarium. She
did not tell Mrs. Christopherson what
the trouble was.
She walked a distance Of three blocks
to the depot. and upon her arrival here
remained at the depot three hours
waiting for Matron Gilbert of the Leeds
home. whom, she said, had agreed to
meet her. Finally she went to the home
of Mrs. Halliday on East Fourth street,
and remained until Tuesday, when Mrs.
Gilbert called and too her to Leeds.
Ill as she was, the girl rose from bed
and walked to the street car, a distance
of five blocks, in the biting wind. This
exposure, the brother believes. assist
ed in %dethrcning her reason.
Della Weems was educated In the
public schools of Abel. and afterward
attended a normal college. She taught
school at Lorenz for a few years, but
about four years 6 she had to qui.
because of p.ostration. When
a child. the brother says, she had an at
tack of ST. Vitus dance. n was al
ways afterward rather
Up to a year e she made her home
with her brother. Then she went to
Lohrville to live with an aunt, Mrs.
Lydia Brenton. who is the sister-in-law
" ASldyOl DkGHlobs w - = IA 1870
husband died about a year ago.
Della was a good, pure girl" said
Weems yesterday. she went in the
best society, and was well thought of by
everybody. What has happened at
Lohrville is purely conjecture, but 1
hope to sift this matter to the bottom"
Mr.. Weems. accompanied by Matron
Thurston. went to Leeds yesterday to
talk with the superintendent Of the mis-
sion home"
What is believed to be the direct
cause of the insanity of Miss Weems
has been stated by an official connected
with the case, who has examined into
1t as thoroughly as jossible.
When Miss Weems arrived in Sioux
City, and for some time previous to
that, she was suffering g~rievously.
That her condition was the result Of
a criminal operation has been fatty
stated by one official.
Miss Weems was tractable while on
the train bound for the Cherokee asy-
seeing the sign on the railroad depot,
said lightly:
Marcus. Marcus. If I had a pencil,
I'd mark us"
AT the hospital for the insane Mrs.
Thurston, police NATION, explained the
circumstances of Miss Weems' cas- to
the physician for the hospital. AT the
conclusion of her story, the physician
said:
.If your history of the case is correcs.
/ think we will be able to cure her in a
reasonably short time"