The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-02-07

Ing to the sergeant, he said: "You
| were there, Ma'oney."
But you believed him guilty" In
terposed judge Brewster quickly.
eyes"
You thought him guilty and after
five-hour session you impressed this
/ thought on his mind and he--he con.
fessed"
81 didn't Impress anything-I Just
simply
Won jr~t simply convinced him that
he was guilty-thOugh as If turned
OFT he was in prison at the time he
was supposed TO have committed the
burglary"
1T wasn't burglary" corrected the
captain aviienly.
Jndgo Brewster again consulted the
raner% in his hand
You're quite right. captain-my
mistake-it was homicide. butt was
an untrue confession"
Yes -
ut WIS the same thing in the Cal.
!ahan use" went or the Judge. nick.
ing up another document. I'm the cass
of the Ff9le against Tuthill-and-
Ccssrove--" Lthill confessed and d.ad
In Prison, md Cosprcve afterward a..
KHcv'"dgod that b" and not Tufhiu
vaS ~" guilty ""n
Well" g"O"'. 'ho canta!n. "mis.
takes soTeti~ O..
Jadge Prevei,' a~7oa and latd
down his eveg'2-.o
"Ah. that is - ely tho vo;nt NJ
view we take IL this matter! Now,
CAPTAIN, in the present case. On the
night of the confession did you show
, young Mr.. Je!fries the pistol with
which he was supposed to have shot
Robert Underworld"
Capt. Clinton screwed up his eyes
as II thinking hard. Then, turning to
his sergeant, he said:
"Yes. l think I did. Didn't 1, Ma
loney?"
Your word is sufficient" said the
Judge quickly. Did you hold it up?"
Think | did"
do you know if there was a light
shining on it?" asked the Judge
, quickly
At this point, DR.. Bernstein, who
had been an attentive listener, bent
eagerly forward Much depended on
Capt. Clinton's answer-perhaps a
mans life.
Don't know-might have been," re-
piled the chief carelessly.
Judge Brewster turned to DR.. Bern
stein.
Were there electric lights on the
wall?"
"Yes"
What difference does that maker"
demanded the policeman.
I, Quite a little" replied the Judge
quietly. 'The barrel of the revolver
was bright-shining steel. From the
moment that Howard Jeffries' eyes
rested on the shining steel barrel of
that revolver he was no longer a con-
seious personality. AS he himself said
to his wife: They said did it-and
knew / didn't, but after / looked at
that shining pistol l don't know what
said or did-everything became a
blur and blank Now, I may tell
you, captain, that this condition fits
In every detail the clinical experiences
OF nerve specialists and the medical
experiences of the psychologists. Aft
er five hours constant cross-question-
ing while in a semi-dazed condition,
N
you extracted from him not the
thoughts that We're in his own con-
sciousness, but those that were in
yours. Is that the scientific fact, doc
tor?"
YES" replied DR.. Bernstein, "the
optical captivation of Howard JEFF
fries attention makes the whole case
complete and clear to the physician"
Capt Clinton laughed loudly.
Optical captivation is good" Turn
Ing to his sergeant he asked: What
do you think of that, Malorcy"
Sergt. Maloney chuckled.
IT'S a new one, eh?"
NO, captain-it's a very old one"
interrupted the lawyer sternly, but
It's new to us. We're barely on the
threshold of the discovery. 1t cer-
tainly explains these other cases,
doesn't it,"
81 don't know that it does" object
ed the captain, shaking his head. "I
don't acknowledge"
Judge Brewster sat down. Looking
the policeman squarely in the face,
he said slowly and deliberately:
Capt. Clinton, whether you ac-
knowledge it or not, l can prove that
you obtained these confessions by
means of hypnotic suggestion, and
that is a greater crime against society
than any the state Furnishes or pays
you to prevent"
The captain laughed and shrugged
his shoulders. Indifferently he said: