Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-01
Woman in Trance Tells How
Husband Met Death.
ACCUSED OF HIS MURDER
Recital Shows That Slain Man Com
mitted Suicide.
COURT ACCEPTS TESTIMONY
Woman Was in State of Submerged
Consciousness When Shot, DR..
Van Giesen Declares.

NEW YORK. September 1.-Hypnotism
has been invoked in the effort to save
from the electric chair Mrs. Charlotte
Hitchcock. accused of having murdered
her husband. Robert, November 20 last.
at their home. 7J6 East 156th street.
This is the only case known in court
history where such means have been
resorted to.
An extraordinary story Of hypnotic
test successfully conducted on Mrs. Hitch
cock was told yesterday before the comis-
sion investigating her mental state by
DIR. Ira Van Giesen. an expert of the
health department and the Willard Par
ker Hospital.
Gets Details by Hypnosis.
DR.. Van Giesen. by hypnosis. ATTAINED
detailed statement from the woman,
which he set forth. and which proved. he
said, that her husband. after shooting
her. killed himself.
In open court the expert would not tell
how he brought the woman under control.
but Lawyer John l.. Linehan. of her
counsel. at the night session said that
he had been present. and that DR.. Van
Giesen had done it by holding a lighted
candle before her face.
Late last night, before the members of
the commission. Messrs. Macdonald.
Hamilton and Robertson, the physician
repeated his experiment on the woman.
They were intensely interested, but re-
fused to make any comment.
The testimony of DIR. Van Giesen was
given as an expert for the defense. He
declared that after several examinations
Of Mrs. Hitchcock he was of the opn-
ion that the woman was insane Novem-
Der 20 and not responsible.
When questioned by Assistant District
Attorney Du Vivier to find out the facts
upon which DIR. Van Giesen based his
opinion. the witness said:
"As result of one of my experiments /
obtained from her while she was in a con-
dition known as submerged conscious
ness a statement which 1 believe is the
actual truth of the killing of Hitch
cock and the way in which the several
bullet wounds in different parts of the
woman's body were inflicted
Commissioners Macdonald. Hamilton
and Robertson, all old men and experience
ed aliensts. rather resented the employ
ment of hypnotism in an inquiry of the
kind before them, but allowed the testi-
mony to go on the record.
First Trial a Failure.
81 visited the defendant in the Tombs,"
testified DR.. Won Giesen. land the first
time I tried the experiment it was fall
ure; but later. in the presence of Mr..
Linehan, in the woman's cell, hypnotized
her and obtained an account Of the Incl
dents which led to the death Of Hitch
cock"
II presume" said Commissioner Nc
Donald. that you made suggestions to
her which she accepted and followed"
ION the contrary replied DR.. Won
Giesen, Il refrained from making any
suggestions, but allowed the woman's
mind to operate freely and give the i'm
pressions made upon her as they would
be recalled while in the state of SUBJ
merged consciousness.
while Mrs. Hitchcock was reclining on
a pillow in chair stood behind her and
in a few moments ! said:
Now. Mrs. Hitchcock. you have a pic
ture in your mind as to what happened
when your husband was shot. Will you
kindly tell the doctor what you see and
KNOW
did you give the defendant any NOR
phine?' said Commissioner Mcdonald.
mo"
Or any other drug?"
Il gave her drachm of formalde-
hyde, and repeated several times the
statement to tell the doctor just what she
knew Of the occurrence. Then she went
tive:
"I went out of the house and got a
steak. l cooked it and Bob Cher husband)
came in with a bag of twelve apples
DOO dtc lhc StCdh du0 WdS WoiIIC0 ITCH
he read magazine. Suddenly he said
to me:
"'"Lottie, I am in a dreadful hole.
There is only one way out OF it. You and
must take long journey together. We
must go over the river Jordan together"
Then he read the Bible and said that
had ruined our lives and brought all the
trouble. He got a piece Of paper, gave
me a pencil and told me to write that
was to blame. I followed his command.
"He Fired Three Shots at Me-"
"'Then he fired three shots at me and
set my waist on fire. I crawled to the
Kitchen and we put out the fire. 1 went
to where Bob was and tried to get the
gun. 1t went off and he filled the pistol
with cartridges. |
Then Bob shot himself twice. Later |
a dark man came in who could not speak |
English we'll. He said:
'''"Who did this?" 1 said that did
g Then policeman came into the house |
and 1 told him I had fired all the Shots |
as Bob had said I was to blame
Go on and tell the DOCTOR DR.. Won |
Giesen said he told the defendant, amy
thing else that happened
According to Dr. Van Giesen the wom- |
ans voice became fainter and fainter un-
til it ceased and the language in whispers
could not be determined.
Mrs. Hitchcock" continued Dr. Van /
Giesen, was restored to consciousness in /
a few moments, and when asked her to
recall anything that she had told me she |
said in dazed manner that she had not |
told me anything"
p You are certain you were not deceived /
by the wOmans shamming?
''If she had been shamming I would
have been able to detect 1t, for /
shamming will not stand the tests of one |
experienced in mental disorders.
Not Conscious Of Shooting.
at is my opinion that Mrs. Hitchcock
suffered from amnesia for several days
before November 20, and was not con-
scious Of anything that transpired at the
shooting or of anything until she was re-
stored to a practically normal state sew
eral weeks later in the Lebanon Hospi-
tai"
do you believe" said Commissioner
Mcdonald. that the statement made 10
you by Mrs. Hitchcock Is true?"
II thought at first that it might be
but subsequent experiments
have convinced me that all she tells
when in the state of submerged con-
sciousness,' which corresponds with the
condition she was in at the time OF the
is the truth
DIR. Van Giesen offered to give a practi-
cal demonstration before the lunacy COM
mission in the presence of Mrs. Hitch
cock, but Assistant District Attorney Du
Viyier protested. and the commissioners
SAID that they might later view the ex-
pertinent In a semi-tu judicial capacity.