Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-11-07
HYpNOTIST UNABLE
TO AWAKEN SUBJECT
Exciting Time Experienced in
Lament Over Failure Of
Lecturer.
TINE MAN Is STILL ASLEEP
The Lecturer Became Frightened at
Threatened Violence, and Fled,
Leaving His Subject in
CataIeptic State.

Canton, s. D., Oct. 31.-An exciting
story comes here from Lamont, an In
land postofice in Union county, about
forty miles south of this city, which
details an account OF probably fatal
result OF a hypnotic exhibition given In
that locality an evening or two ago by
a travelling ~hypnotist.
Lamont is fifteen miles away from
the nearest railroad point, and the set
tiers In that locality are practically all
N~orwegians.
a few evenings ago q well dressed
young man came into the n~eighborhood,
engaged the most conveniently located
school house and proceeded to adVer-
tise a series OF three lectures on hypno-
tism. Among the different exhibits to
be given at the lectures there was one
In which the lecturer proposed 10 put
q subject to sleep, bury him in q cof-
I'm six feet under ground, and then re-
store him to perfect consciousness In
presence of the audience the next even
Ing. A young man named Ole Ras-
mussen was selected as n suitable sub
ject, and without much persuasion gave
himself up, in consideration of a fee
Of SIS, to be taken through the proposed
performance.
The first evenings exhibition took
place and passed off satisfactorily, and
among other highly interesting n eX-
citing feats that were performed young
Rasmussen was put to sleep, placed In
4 coffin in the presence Of the audience
and then FASTENED off to his temporary
place Of burial.
When the time for the next lecture
arrived the mex evening, the hazardous
Undertaking had been thoroughly adj
v~ertised throughout the entire com
munity, and the little school house was
packed full Of people and scores Of
Them were standing outside at the doors
and windows to witness the approach
,ng performance. Young Rasmussen
was resurrected from his grave, re-
turned to the school house, where he
was taken from his coffin, and placed
lpon the table where he had undergone
the operation OF being placed under a
hypnotic influence the evening be-
tore.
The lecturer then proceeded to re-
store the young man to consciousness.
His first attempt failed to produce the
desired result, and so did the second,
and likewise the third. At this the
lecturer began to show signs Of I'M
saslness, but most people in the au-
lience thought nothing Of his failures,
s%upposing them to be n part of the per-
Torrance. After repeated efforts with
same fruitless results the operator
became visibly excited, lost his self
control, tainted and fell to the plat
form in a swoom.
Realizing the desperate situation the
audience was instantly in a state of the
greatest excitement. The lecturer was
trampled under foot by an Infatuated
mob and would have been killed had 1t
been for the timely presence Of a
Few ~cool-headed men who took charge
Of him, removed him to q farm house
near by and locke him up in q bed
chamber, but in the midst of the uproar.
at the school house no regained on
sciousness, and realizing the situation
ne was In, fed through "a window.
After a moment Of hasty cOnsulta,
lion, physicians were sent for, but OF
The half dozen or more who have thus
TAR visited the patient not one has been
able to do anything for him..
Rasmussen Is still alive at last ac-
counts, but the doctors say that he
cannot survive In his present condition
or many days, and IT is feared that he
will die before any help can be pro-
,ured to revive him. Efforts are being
made to reach hypnotic experts some
where, but none have so far been o.
In the meantime an angry mob is out
n search of the unfortunate lecturer
Who is supposed to be hiding some
lace In the vicinity. The mob at first
threatened him with instant death in
,ase OF his apprehension, but ply
ilcians have cautioned the people
against any rash action, because, they
If the lecturer is killed the sub
placed under hypnotic influence by
linn will likewise die at the same in
The entire community is reported to
'e wild with excitement over the shock
affair. and vet nObod knows what
o do to saw Rasmussen.