The Morris County chronicle., 1907-01-01
HYPNOTZED INTO
CONFESSING MURDER
Professor Munsterberg's Charge
Against Chicago Police.
TWO ALLEGED VICTIMS NAMED
Strange Theory About Richard G.
Ivens, Who Was Hanged For
Staying Mrs. Hollister--Nicho-
las Says He Was Under Spell.

Chicago. The theory advanced by
Professor Munsterberg that Richard
G. Ivens was hypnotized into con-
Tossing the murder Of Mrs. Hollister
for which he was hanged, is denied
by those best in a position to know
the facts. but Howard Nicholas, in
dicted for strangling to death Mrs.
Margaret Leslie, an actress, on Oc-
tober 18, and robbing her of $4,000
worth of diamonds, declares that a
confession was hypnotized out of him
by Assistant Chief of Police Schuet-
tier.
Assistant Chief of Police Schuet-
tier, who was present when Iyens'
confession was first made, said:
This charge that Ivens confessed
killing Mrs. Hollister while under
hypnotic spell is not new. 1t was
one of the points insisted on by the
defence at the time of the trial, and
whatever there might have been in
the theory was brought out as strong
ly then as Professor Munsterberg
has outlined it.
ut has come to be the fashion to
charge me with exercising hypnotic
power over accused men.
Ivens was in custody very short
time after the body of Mrs. Hollister
was found. He was taken to the
police station and was asked point
blank If he had not murdered Mrs.
Hollister. He broke down and con-
fessed then and there.
There were details in the confess
sion that the reading public never
heard of. BY no possible means
could these details have been sug-
gested to Ivens hypnotically by
another person, and yet there de-
veloped after the confession evidence
that what Ivens said was true.
don't think the man, even by So
called auto-suggestion, could have
invented these details"
''Ivens was guilty beyond any
question of doubt" said State At
torney Healy, who also heard the
confession. HE could not have made
the confession he did If he had not
been guilty"
DR.. ]. Sanderson Christison, a
specialist, prepared a long pamphlet
on the Ivens case, in which he took
the ground that the defendant was
hypnotized by police official.
Those who are familiar with the
details of the whole case are almost
unanimously If not entirely so, that
Ivens was neither hypnotized by
another nor by himself There are
many in Chicago, however, who be-
lieve others were implicated with
Ivens in the crime.
The assertions made by Nicholas
in this connection are more remark
able than those made by Ivens, and
1t was not until few days ago that
the alleged murderer of Mrs. Leslie
made to Attorney Erbstein the dec
laration that he had been hypnotized
by Schuettler.
II am innocent of the crime with
which / am charged" said the pris-
oner. II made the confession while
under hypnotic influence. When
was taken into the Office of Assistant
Chief Schuettler he fastened his eyes
upon mine. Instantly I felt a Pc
culiar sensation pass through my
body. / became absolutely helpless
and my mind became blank All
/ could see were the cold, piercing
eyes of Schuettler. l could see
twelve Schuettlers all about me- If
/ turned to the left or if turned
to the right could see nothing but
Schuettler"