The Hypnotist in the Witness Box
A courtroom drama unfolds in Tacoma as a litigant is accused of using mesmerism to cloud the memory of an opposing witness.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Dr. J. R. Wintermute, complainant in a damage suit against Chicago stockman John Stinson, was accused in the United States court today of hypnotizing a witness who was trying to testify. Wintermute has made the study of the occult a diversion, and it is said he can mesmerize and hypnotize people. Stinson sent him a lot of blooded horses a couple of years ago. They were placed on Wintermute's farm for breeding purposes, and now Wintermute has sued Stinson for services for the use of his farm properties. One of Stinson's witnesses seemed to have a clouded memory. He halted and hesitated. Finally, Stinson called the attention of the court to the fact that the witness was being hypnotized by the complainant, Wintermute. Judge Hanford did not seem to consider the objection seriously. Dr. Wintermute was observed to be making curious passes with his hands in the direction of the witness. He was ordered to keep his hands down. Mr. Stinson says he is positive that he hypnotized the witness today, but could not make him answer questions. Mr. Stinson got between the witness and the doctor, and watched the result. In a short time, he says, the witness began to brighten up, rub his eyes and rouse up, as if recovering from the effects of the hypnotizer.
“Dr. Wintermute was observed to be making curious passes with his hands in the direction of the witness. He was ordered to keep his hands down.”
This bizarre courtroom allegation highlights the era's fascination with fringe sciences like mesmerism. While modern courts would dismiss such claims as fantasy, they reflect a time when the boundaries between psychology, performance, and legal evidence were still being dangerously blurred.
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