The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-11-09
Professor Everton, Held for
Manslaughter, Refuses to
s,Admit Simpson Is Dead.
SUBJECT, A NEWARK MAN,
COLLAPSED AT EXHIBITION
Autopsy Is Withheld Until Ar.
rival Of Performers Friends
for Final Effort.

In a last desperate effort to restore
to life Robert Simpson, who, accord
ing to physicians died in a hypnotic
state in the Somerville Theatre last
night. Professor Arthur Everton, the
amateur hypnotist, who induced the
hypnotic sleep. has sent to Newark and
New York for professional hypnotists
of his acquaintance.
Everton Is under arrest in Somerville,
charged with manslaughter, but the au-
thorties granted his unusual request
because of his conviction that his sub
ject is hot dead.
An hour after Simpson fell to the
floor last night, after he had been put in
a rigid state and placed across two
chairs, three physicians, who had been
called in TO work over him, pronounced
him dead Everton refused to accept
this verdict and secu-ed permission of
the court to work over Simpson in the
presence Of detectives. For hours he
made the mystic passes over the face
and body of his motionless subject. but
There WAS 10 reSpOHSe.
Simpson had been subject for hyp-
notists for the past fifteen years, and
had more than once told intimates he
had never been hypnotized in his life.
Simpson was hypnotized at perform
ance in theatrein Somerville last night
After placing the man in cataleptic
state the ilypnotist performed numer-
Gus tests in the presence of the audi
ence to show the thoroughness of his
work When the time came TO end the
test however, Prof. Everton found that
his work to all appearances, had been
too thorough. The subject could not be
revived.
In panic the hypnotist called upon
physicians, who, after laboring q long
time over Simpson, pronounced him
dead.
Notwithstanding this decision, the
man was taken to a hospital, where
Professor Everton and County Physi-
clan w. H Long made efforts to re-
vive him. No results having been OBJ
tained after several hours, Everton
was arrested. Everton collapsed when
he realized the plight he was in.
An. autopsy will be performed today
to determine the exact cause of Simp-
sons DEATH.
Before the autopsy Everton's friends.
If they respond to his frantic call for
help. will be given an opportunity to
iendeavor to bring the man out of what
the professor" believes to be merely a
cataleptic state.
Professor" Everton is plano sales
man of this city, and lives at 80 Camp
street. He went in for hypnotisnl in
an amateur way some time ago. and
was SO successful that he began to give
entertainments 1t is understood that
It was his intention to relinquish all
other work and confine himself to his
demonstrations of the hypnotic art.
With Everton in Somervlle last night
were Simpson and Thompson, 21 years
old Of 2S1 Bank street, both of Newark,
who had been hypnotized several times
before by Everton.
Everton put Simpson in rigid state,
placing his feet on one chair and his
head OH another. He stood on the body
which did not relax. Finally he clapped
his hands in an effort to restore the
man to consciousness. Simpsons eyes
rolled up, his jaw dropped and he col
lapsed between the chairs and rolled
over on the floor. He had been COM
planning of heart trouble for the past
few days.
Since the death of his parents fifteen
years ago. Simpson lived at the home
of Mrs. Hattie Guerin, 80 Earl street
He was 38 years old ano was employed
internationally as a motorman by the
Public Service Corporation. He had
acted as subject for hypnotist on
many occasions Years ago he Travelled
with Professor Held, of New York He
had told Mrs. Guerin many times that
SO far as he was concerned all exhibit
tions in which he had appeared were
fakes. He said he had never been hyp-
Noticed in his life, but had the power
to make himself rigid and go to sleep
when he chose.
Everton "hypnotized" Simpson Fri
day night at the Arcade Theatre.
When he reached home Simpson COM
planned to Mrs. Guerin of feeling i'll.
He said he had pains about his heart.
Heshad been victim of heart trouble
for years.
Mrs. Guerin has instructed local
undertaken to take charge of the body.
1t was not Everton who hypnotized
q man and left him in Springfield
avenue show window yesterday, but
Leo Howard, who is billed as 1.-THE
Great Dalvine" and who is showing in
a local theatre. Howard believed that
Simpson was fatally injured when he
fell from between the chairs. He de-
clares that hypnotic subject was
killed in that manner a few years ago
in Farnsworth. Mass. q
Parents of Edward Thompson, the
boy who accompanied Everton and
Simpson to Somerville declared today
that it was only recently that they had
learned he had become subject. and
that they had threatened to have both
him and Professor Everton arrested
if they ever learned he had been hyp-
Noticed again.