Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1903-11-05
HYPN01|sT UNABLE
TO AWAKEN subject
Exciting Time Experienced in
Lamont Over Failure Of
Lecturer.
TINE MAN is STILL ASLEEP
Tho Lecturer Became Frightened at
Threatened Violence, and Fled,
Leaving His Subject in
CataIeptic State.

Canton, S. D.. Oct. 3l.-An exciting
story comes here from Lamont, an in
land %postofiice 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
,Norwegians.
n few evenings a we'll dressed
young man came into the neighborhood,
engaged the most conveniently located
school house and proceeded to adver-
itise a series of three lectures on hypno-
tism. Among the different exhibits TO
he given at the lectures there was one
In which the lecturer proposed to put
Il subject to sleep, bury him in a cot
I'M SIX feet under ground, and then re-
store him to perfect consciousness in
presence of the audience the e even
ing. A u man named Ole Ras-
mussen was selected as a suitable sub
lject, and without much persuasion gave
himself up, in consideration of n 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 and ex-
citing feats that were performed young
Rasmussen was put to sleep, placed in
n 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 e evening, the hazardous
undertaking had been thoroughly adj
vertised 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
ing performance. Young Rasmussen
was resurrected from his grave, re-
turned to the school house, where he
was taken from his coffin, and placed
upon the table where he had undergone
the operation of being placed under u
hypnotic Influence the evening be-
fore.
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 thi the
lecturer began to show signs of UNI
e%asiness. but most people in the au-
dience thought nothing of his failures,
supposing them to be u part of the per-
torrance. After repeated efforts with
the same fruitless results the operator
became visibly excited. lost his self
control. tainted and fell to the plat
form In a SWoom.
Realizing h desperate situation the
audience vas instantly in u state of the
greatest excitement. The lecturer was
trampled under foot by an Infatuated
mob and would have been killed had it
not been for the timely presence OF a
few c~ool-headed men who took charge
OF him, removed him to a farm house
near by and locked him up in q bed
chamber, but in the midst Of the uproar
at the school house ne regained con-
seriousness. and realizing the situation
he was In, fed through a window.
After a o. haSty COnsUTta,
ton. physicians were sent for, but of
the half dozen or more who have thus
far visited the patient 10 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
for many days. and 1t is feared that he
Will die before any help can be pro-
made to reach hypnotic experts some
where, BIT none have SO far beer o.
Gated.
In the meantime an angry mob is out
in search of the unfortunate lecturer
who Is supposed to be hiding some
place In the vicinity. The mob at first
threatened him with instant death in
case Of his apprehension. but ply
sicians a " cautioned the people
against any ash action. because, they
say. II the lecturer is killed the sub
ject placed under hypnotic influence by
him will likewise die at the same In
slant.
The entire community is reported to
be Wild with excitement over the shock
ing affair, n yet nobody knows what
70 do to save Rasmussen.
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