Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-11-02
WOMAN VICTIM OF
HYPNOTIC CROOK
Forced to Wed Desperate Crimi-
nal and Then Keep Him
Supplied With Money.
UNDER INFLUENCE I YEARS
Woman Arrested for Embezzlement
Tells Omaha Police Remarkable
Story-often Escaped Only to
Be Caught Again.

Omaha, Neb.--A hypnotic victim CT
a desperate criminal for seven years,
during which she claims she Waa
forced to marry the hypnotist, to steal
money from her employers and give il
to her master and otherwise cater to
him, was the remarkable story told the
Omaha police by Miss Emma Uhler
of Omaha when she was arrested for
embezzlement.
She obtained her freedom from the
hypnotic criminal only when he was
thrown into the Missouri river by sew
eral Of his crOnieS, whom he had
''dOUble-crOssed," Miss Uhler said The
Omaha police don't know whether or
not to believe the story, but are inyes-
tigating the strange case.
Time after time she escaped from
the hypnotist, she said, and went to
other cities, only be traced by her mas
ter and brought back to bondage and
to work
Miss Uhler was bOokkeeper at one
of the big stores of Omaha. She was
accused of taking company funds.
Pursued by Gangster.
According to the story told by the
girl, she discovered ten years ago that
the man and woman she had looked
upon as her parents were not related
TO her at all, and that she was an
orphan. She thereupOn left home and
went out, at the age Of seventeen, to
make her own way. Three years later
she met the gangster who followed
her from city to city and forced her to
supply him with money.
1T was in Minneapolis" Miss Uhler
told the police, that l first met him.
That was seven years ago, when I was
twenty. 1 was in the public library.
In the most casual way, while handling
:; book, he spoke to me. We discussed
the book. He was fascinating, so much
so that before 1 knew it 1 had made
date with him for the next evening.
We went to a theater and to a cafe.
He induced me to take drink, some
thing had never done before. didn't
know anything else until the next
morning when 1 awoke in a hotel
Hello, wifey," said Lou, coming into
my room. Lou was his name. He told
me we had been married the night be-
fore.
"That was the start of the affair. He
told me he was wanted by the police
and that, for the present, we must
keep our marriage a secret. SO went
back to work"
From then ON, for seven years, the
gangster kept the girl under his influ-
ence, she told the police. He forced
her to give him money, and when her
salary was not sufficient for his needs,
he forced her to steal or embezzle
from her employers. At times she re-
belled and escaped, but always he
found her again.
Through his hypnotic influence,
and through fear which he instilled
into my mind, had to do his bidding"
said Miss Uhler.
"He told me he had killed three peo-
pie" she said. zone night he came to
me with a lot Of blood on his clothes
and face. He said he had killed
man that night. That was in Kansas
City,"
From Minneapolis Miss Uhler ran
away and went to Chicago, where she
obtained work. Three months later she
met Lou" on the street, she said, and
lie re-established his old influence over
her, and forced her to give him money.
Forces Her to Give Checks.
I seAfter SSeseaping from him two or |
three other times, I came to Omaha !
and went to work" Miss UhlerI said. !
Months passed, and I thought l had !
lost him completely. But one day last (
spring, going to the post Office with !
letters and checks, I met him. He !
made me give him the checks, which |
later made good to the firm.
"Some time in August he lisap- |
peared, but that was not unusual, as
he often did not show up for weeks at !
a time. One day I met one of his |
friends on the street. He told me they
had thrown Lou into the Mississippi |
river because he had dou0le-croSsed |
them. I have never seen him nor
heard Of him since"
BY that time Miss Uhler was so
deeply indebted to the firm because of
money she had taken that she had lost
hope of ever catching up and repay
ing it without her employers discover
ing the embezzlement.
81 started to commit suicide" she
said. "Then 1 changed my mind and
took the train away"
After her departure her accounts
were checked and the defalcation dis
covered. Her arrest followed. II
''It's the weirdest story ever heard"
said Captain Van Deusen, head of the
Omaha city detective department