The San Francisco call., 1905-04-20
POLICE SEARCH
FOR HYPNOTIST
Professor Anton Weber Is
Accused Of Fleeing an
Aged Couple Out of $4,000
TELL A STRANGE STORY
Victims Assert That Fugi-
tive Induced Them to Draw
Money From Oakland Bank

SAN JOSE, April 19.-Hypnotized
and robbed of $4,000 and with their
minds temporarily wrecked, Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank A. Drew. who recently
came to California from New Hamp-
shire, have asked the police to ar
rest Professor Anton Weber, a clair
voyant and mind reader, who for two
weeks operated in this city.
Last Monday Drew and his wife
were taken from a house on st. John
street, raving mad. They had barri-
caded themselves behind doors and
said they were the King and Queen
of Heaven. A night of detention and
rest partially brought them to their
senses and then they began unfolding
tale of robbery and control exer-
cised over them by Weber, to whom
they had gone a week before for ad-
vice. Mrs. Drew has sworn to a COM
plaint charging Weber with grand lar
ceny, in that he has 5000 of her
money, and the police throughout the
State have been asked to arrest the
clairvoyant and also take into GUS
tody his wife, who is supposed to be
with him.
Drew and his wife came here from
Oakland about two weeks ago. They
had had trouble there, and, seeing the
glaring advertisements of Professor
Weber, they consulted him. The clair
voyant learned they had considerable
money and he suggested to them that
he could aid them greatly in f1nan-
cial way if they had $4,000 to invest in
wheat, pork, lard or corn. He also
suggested he could free them from
the trouble that affected them. Ac
cording to Mrs. Drews story, Weber
clipped a lock of hair from the head
~ hnr 1,rrcT nd he
small piece from the nail of each of
their foreflngers. These he mixed with
a powder and ignited, the result was
a heavy incense, which he ordered
them to inhale. A tickling sensation
and a sense Of strangulation followed.
DIRECTED TO GET MONEY.
Weber then ordered Drew and his
wife to go home and remain in the
house without seeing any one. This
was a week ago Monday. The next
day Mrs. Weber went to the Drews'
home and treated the couple by pass
ing her hands over their foreheads,
evidently hypnotizing them. She visit
ed them the next day and on last
Thursday told the couple to accom-
pany her to her husbands Office. The
DreWs obeyed and Professor Weber
then directed them to go to Oakland
and draw $4,000 from the bank and re-
Oakland, secured the money and re-
turned at once to Professor Weber's
Office. The clairvoyant told them to
take the money home, place it under
their pillows for the night and then
bring 1t to him. This they did.
Weber then sent the couple home and
told them to remain in the house until
they had received telegram from
him directing them where to meet him
in San Francisco. That was on last
Saturday morning.
HYPNOTIST DISAPPEARS.
From last Thursday till last Monday
the Drews had practically nothing to
eat. for in their desire to obey the
clairvoyant they did not dare to go
outdoors. When arrested they had
wrecked nearly everything in the
house.
Weber and his wife left the city last
Sunday morning. When the police
went to the Angelus, where they had
rooms, last night to interview the pro-
fessor and his wife they found a notice
on the door that the parties were out
of town and would not return until
next Saturday. An investigation of
the rooms to-day shows. that every
thing had been removed by the
Webers and that they did not intend
to return. Every effort will be made
to capture them.
The Drews are from Milford, n. H.,
and evidently people of means. At the
house they occupied were found bank
books showing that they had many
thousands of dollars on deposit in
Eastern banksA Drew was formerly
engaged in the marble and stone busi-
ness. but retired few years ago.
Drew and his wife are at a sanitarium
and it is believed they will be all
right in a few days.