El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-03
Remember old Days Of Hypnotim:?
Here's A Man Who Was I'm On It"
Hoyt Smythe at the Craw-
ford, Once Taken For Sir
Oliver Goldsmith.

D EMEMBER the hypnotist who used
INTO play the "op'ry house" in the old
home town: the fellow who permitted
himself to be blindfolded and then
seated between John Savage, the con-
stable, and Andy Prescott. the gro
ceryman. in the piano box buggy and
would drive Freyer's black horse at
! break neck speed over a route already
traversed secretly by your two re-
! spectacle citizens, and then draw tri-
umphantIy from its hiding place the
packet that he guaranteed to find, and
! incidentally entrusted with Hen.
/ Weeks, editor Of the Argus, a crisp
/ 500 bill. TO be turned over to any
charity the citizens named, II he
failed4
This performance was given on the
main street at noon the day the
troupe came to town ind that night
the 'op'ry house" was packed 1t was
then this modern Svengali would COM
mand into Sunderland the little
woman assistant for a period OF IS
hours and you helped carry her TO
Zingg's furniture store and place her
in the window where she would re-
main in the hypnotic % state until
the second evening after. when the
hypnotist would again demonstrate
his remarkable power by swapping
his fingers and command her to
awaken-of course before another
crowded house.
Worked Under Cover.
Well Hoyt Smythe was with that
show. You never knew it. of course.
for about three days before the troupe
arrived, this affable youth ambled
into town, and, giving a hard luck
story to Dibert, the druggist he sue
ceeded in getting a job as clerk. He
was = mighty inquisitive fellow, you
will recall now; but gathering data
about the town folk was necessary
for the show. On the opening night,
Hoyt went to see the show with the
boys from the pool hall and when the
man with the brown Van Dyke beard
asked for subjects to come on the
stage, Hoyt shyly followed the mad
rush. He stumbled over the foot
lights, missed the locating OF the
chair he was told to sit in and did
numerous other things that made you
laugh with glee at his awkWardness
as well as bashfulness-but when the
professor put him in the hypnotic
state, he picked the Strawberries. shot
the imaginary bear and jumped into
the orchestra pit and swan about for
dear life when the professor sug-
gested that he was aboard boat about
to sink-ever so much better than the
other subjects
Principal Aid to prof"
Ladies and gentlemen" the pro-
fessor said, in stentorian tones, as he
drew HOyt before the footlights. "in
this youth, a resident OF your beau
tiful little city, now employed at Mr.
Diberts store, one upon whom I have
never cast my eyes before this even
ing, is remarkable subject Of hypno-
sis, and, feeling that he possesses the
supernatural power. I am going to
hav him take my place upon the
stage and test him in the power Of
mind reading"
Hoyt then stood upon the stage
blindfolded and as the professor |
dashed through the audience, touch |
ing various articles they fished from
their pockets, the blindfolded youth, |
without hesitation, called off the !
number Of your watch, the date on /
rare coin, etc-a truly remarkable |
exhibition Sadness hit every heart in |
town when Hoyt, three days before !