WARNING TO HYPNOTIST

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4417, 20 February 1930, Page 3

WARNING TO HYPNOTIST

“LIVING B/URIAL” STOPPED

AMAZING THEATRE SCENE,

A hypnotist appearing at a local theatre was prevented from burying alive a girl at, Bilston, Staffordshire, on January 2, by the arrvial of a posse of 12 police constables.

The hypnotist had accepted a challenge made in the theatre that lie would bury the girl in a steel coJfin in Bft. of soil, after hypnotising her, and let her remain there for half an hour or pay £2OO to charity. - Over 2000 people had gathered in the neighbourhood, while many people surged round the plot of waste ground where it was intended the girl should be buried. Excitement prevailed when the steel coffin was pushed through the theatre exit by stage hands.

There was a rush to the eud of the theatre. The girl who was to he buried had already changed into pyjamas in one of the dressing rooms when a police sergeant and a body of officers appeared on the scene.

The police sergeant asked for the hypnotist, and upon learning what he intended to do cautioned him that if he carried out the burial the police would have no alternative hut to arrest him.

Theatre officials appeared, and it was proposed to carry out in the open air the ordinary theatre act of burying 1 the coffin, containing the giii in a tank of water, hut the police prohibited this, too.

Tlio crowd became very excited, mid the manager of the theatre explained that if the hypnotist gave the act outside the show lie would have to spend, the night in prison, mid that they would not he able to sh.nv the act in the theatre for the rest'of the week.

The girl said that she was not afraid to stay under Bft. of soil lor an hour and a-lialf after being hypnotised.