The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-01
.HYPNOTISM In HDRDER CASE
EXPECT SAYS HE cor Mrs.
HITCHC0CK,S REAL STORY.
Or. Ven Gies0n Repeats to Lunacy Com
missieh Her Narration. While In Q Sub
meFsed Uneonsciousr Condition. or
How Husband shot Her and Himself.

How eliot Her ana himself
Hypnotism was injected yesterday
into the testimony, which is being taken
by the commission In lunacy appointed
by Judge Foster Of General Sessions to
determine whether Mrs. Charlotte Hitch
cock wss sane or insane when she killed
her husband and whether she 10 sane or
insane now. While in a Submerged I'M
conscious condition brought about by
hypnotic suggestion, according to tho
testimony. Mrs, Hitchcock told the real
story Of the shooting. 1t was that her
husband had shot her and that he shot
himself.
This testimony. which was given by
DR.. Ira Van Gieson Of ls& East Fifty
seventh street, who is connected with
the frerearoh laboratory Of the Health
Department. was listened to with interest
by the commission-Drs. Carlos Mao
Donald. Allan McLane Hamilton and
Frank Robertson, all alienists. The COM
missioners questioned DR.. Van Gieson
and said that they would scrutinize the
story. DR.. Hamilton remarking that Of
courset they would look for deceit or sham
ming on the part Of the subject for the
purpose Of getting at the truth and not
with any view OF imputing dishonesty
to any one
DR.. Van Gieson stuck to his guns. He
was willing for the benefit OF the CON-
mission to try the experiment again.
He did no know It would be successful.
but he had an air. Of confidence. The
commission didn't seem inclined to listen
to the suggestion. and Mr.. Jerome's
representative. Mr.. Duvivier, protested
that he didn't see why q defendant should
be ~hypnotized into giving testimony for
herself, to which DR., Vap Gieson re-
piled that q defendant should be allowed"
to give her Testimony.
Mrs. Hitchcock and her husband, who
was q printer. lived at 100 East issth
street and on November 70 he was killed.
He had two bullets In the head and there
were four in Mrs. Hitchcock body.
Several witnesses who have testified
before the commission said that Mrs.
Hitchcock told them Immediately after
ward that she had killed her husband
and shot herself because 'she was jealous
Of him and he had threatened to put her
in an Asylum. There was q bullet under
the upper part Of her left arm In suchss
place, the defence oontends, that she
couldn't have fred " herself.
A few witnesses precvded DR.. Van
Gieson Yesterday. DIR. Francis Mcclure.
the Tombs physician. said he has OBJ
served Mrs. Hitchcock and believes that
she is sane
DR.. David II. Orgel. who had examined
Mrs. Hitchcock Ave times for the lawyers
for the defence. said that at one time
she was absolutely unconscious for q
period of about two weeks. She couldn't
remember at all. One morning she had
some milk and rolls and she was taken TO
the Lebanon Hospital. She had been TAX
ing too much opium maybe The Hitch
cocks, husband and wife. used opium.
This witness said that in his opinion Mrs.
Hitchcock was insane at the time Of the
shooting.
The calling of DR.. Van Gieson was q
surprise. He was the head of the Patho-
logical Institute and was removed by the
State Commission in Lunacy In 1901. He
has been connected with the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons. IL wa not the
intention Of the defence to call him as a
witness until yesterday. when Judge Fos-
ter directed the commission to detetmine
the present condition Of Mrs. Hitchcock.
despite the protest OF Alfred ]. Talley Of
counsel for Mrs. Hitchcock, who eaid that
IL he had known that Mrs. Hitchcock's
present sanity was going to be settled he
would not have gone before the commits
sion.
DR.. Van Gieson. who is one OF the rabies
experts Of the Department of. Health.
said he had made a long study Of mental
diseases and devoted a lot Of time to hyp-
notism. For three days before the shoot
ing, he said, Mrs. Hitchcock was In a state
OF complete amnesia. He told OF going to
the Tombs and putting her In the sub
merged unconscious condition. She sat
in a chair which was tilted back and her
head rested on q pillow. He stood behind
her. All he did apparently when she was
In the proper condition vas to wav his
hands over her head and say:
'You SEQ the scene before you; tell the
doctor"
1t was very impressive, DR.. Van Gieson
said. At no time did he suggest any
thing to her. She was fairly coherent
p erhaps she didn't finish a sentence or
two and shaved some Of her explanations,
but there was not much Of that. Whom
ever there was a halt or break IN her
story he didn't prompt her OF suggest
any thing to her. All he would say when
there was an interruption was
"You see the scene before you; tell the
DR.. Van Gieson said he was convinced
that the story told by Mrs. Hitchcock
was the tr1e one! She said she had been
out and bought steak for herself and
husband and cooked 1t. Her husband
came In with a bag Of apples-teo oil
fifteen and sat down and ate stoak and
apples. Then he read a magazine.
Bob cher husbands name wat Robert)
put up the book" wa DR.. Van Gieson's
narration Of what Mrs. Hitchcock told
him, .and said he was In a dreadful hole.
There was only one way out Of 1t, he said,
You and ! must go on a long journey
over the rivor-over the River Jordan
He read from tbs Bible and said. I have
our lives
srbo, ha tooL m p;aa, nj psoer I'D