Milford chronicle., 1910-05-06
|WEIRD DANCE
IN HINDOO DEN
"OOm" Kept Girls Prisoners by
Hypnotic Influence,
IS HELD IN $4,000 BAIL
with the Healer" Standing on a Glass
Ball and Chanting, Pupils" Danced
In Mems Bathing Suits.

New York. May 4-"Oom. the ON
pipotent One, who says he is a native
of India. but looks more like a dapper
American. was held in $4,000 bail ID
the West Side court for a further
hearing on the charge OF Turing away
Young girls and holding them prison.
ers in mis- Mystic Templ9," wuicl is
a fashionable residence at 25S West
Seventy-tOurth street, a few doors
from the home of Frank H. Platt
"Oom" in private life Pierre A.
Bernard. aged Chirty-three, an instruc.
tor in physical culture and a teacher
in languages. His hypnotic" influence.
or so it is called is said to have lured
one girl all the way from Tacoma
Wash, to New YOT
Several pretty girls of well-dressed
appearance and presumably of good
breeding appeared in court to tell Of
their Imprisonment in "O0ms" estab
Eshment and what went on there
Zelia HOpp, a milliner, nineteen years
old: Gertrude Lee, recently of Tacoma,
Wash, and another girl, whose name
was not disclosed, testified against
Bernard. Miss Hopp gave evidence
which led to the raid on the House
of Mystery" and the arrest of Bernard
and his pupils Miss HoDD said that
Bernard got women TO undergo Jne
treatment, after he had diagnosed
their cases as heart trouble He got,
she testified, a preliminary fee of 800
and then they paid him $40 for a bath.
ing suit and gymnastic outfit Miss
Hopp said she knew so much about
Bernard and his cures because she
herself had been a prisoner in his
temple" and only escaped after be.
ing held there as ~'"oner for several
weeks.
Miss Hopp wrote to h,r sister, Mrs. |
Hanford, about what wa going on in
establishment The latter
hurried to New York aid made com
plant to the police.
These women accom- panied Detec.
dve Callahan and Capt in Thompson
On the raid and worked the secret sig
nal with the dOorbo.
The lower floor was deserted, but |
weird chanting was heard from up
stairs Captain Thompson and his |
men hustled up the steps. and in |
room on the second floor they found |
five girls. attired in mems bathing .
suits and eight elderly men. The men |
we're on their launches around rug
Ia the middle of the floor, upon which
he girls were dancing under the di-
-ection of Bernard, who was attired in
4 long robe and was standing on a
glass bail on the rug.
What means this intrusion?" de-
handed Bernard as the policemen en-
cred the room.
Just then Mrs Hanford and Zelia
fopp appeared. One Of the girls, who
yore a scanty pink bathing suit ran
0 Mrs. Hanford and fell into her
rms. weeping. It was Gertrude Leo.
so this is your revenge" said Ber-
ard to Zelia Hopp. You're sore be-
ause you're jealous of Gertrude.
"Zim-zim-Zim-zee-zee-zee," chanted
ne Of the girls in the bathing suits.
She is putting a curse on mel"
ried Gertrude Leo. THAT is Oom's
urse"
Detective Callahan. going into fur
her particulars regarding the scene in
ne Mystic Temple. said the big rug
! the center of the room was marked
# in squares. each large enough for
ne person to squat on The "stu-
ents," he declared, were twisting and
about, each as he pleased
imself. and without any semblance
unison. ,
The police believe that Oom's ellen
lie embraced fashionable society. not
My because of the appearance OF ,
lme of his patients" but because of
le location of his "institute."
cOIn CAMIIV E0Q coz