GREEK GYPSY’S EXPLOIT

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 27 February 1933, Page 3

GREEK GYPSY’S EXPLOIT

HYPNOTISM IN CRIME. MEDICAL AND LEGAL VIEWS. The story from Auckland concerning the Greek gipsy hypnotist, and the methods he was alleged to have employed in extracting money from business people and bank tellers is feasible, according to Christchurch legal and medical authorities with whom the matter was discussed, reports the Christchurch “Star.’"’

Medical men said that hypnotic suggestion was practised in certain cases with more or less favourable results. There were cases on record where a patient had been made to do certain things, for his well-being, which at first he had refused to do. it was a. case of making him take his mind off the most important matter to him for the time being, and then, having got him interested in something else, to proceed to carry out, with the aid of auto-suggestion, the line of action originally decided upon. As far as the bank tellers were concerned, the very fact of the gipsy entering the bank premises and suggesting certain things quite foreign to banking business would in itself attract a man’s attention from his regular and organised daily work. If the gipsy bad entered the bank during a slack period, with fen- people on the premises, which was more than likely, liis time would appear to he more opportune than at another period of the day. Once having attracted the attention of the victim the power of hypnotism would be applied to a more or less • extent. Although the teller would be conscious, to a degree, of his surroundings, the very fact of an unusual happening would cause him to concentrate on the gipsy, and then the remainder of the trick would be easy—sleiglit of hand would follow naturally.

RECOLLECTION. At the end of the day, when the cash was being checked up, a shortage, would be found. Immediately the victim would begin to east liis mind back over the day’s proceedings, and the outstanding happening would naturally be the entrance and business of the gipsy fortune teller. The immediate association or combination of ideas would point to him as being the only one who could have taken the money which was missing. Representatives of the legal fraternity agreed with the expressions of medical men in . the main principles. More evidence, however, was required, they said, about the hypnotism part of the theft than had appeared in the newspapers before that part of the business could be absolutely decided upon. Regarding the sleight-of-hand suggestion, it was agreed that perhaps that phase of the operations had very much more to do with the actual theft of the money than hypnotic influence. It was stated, however, that it was not unknown in criminal law for the practise of auto-suggestion to be carried out. SLEIGHT OF HAND. A criminal lawyer referred to the fact that the victims in the Auckland cases • admited that they had had then attention distracted by something which was unusual in their every-day course of business. When that liajipened, then the time was ripe to apply the sleiglit-of-haud work. The lawyer aptly demonstrated his point in lus room with a coin and other documents, and in a moment they had disappeared —lie had simply attracted the attention

of a pressman and others interested to other matters and objects. ] Both medical and legal men agreed {that there was no case oil record, nor was there any evidence whatever, that through hypnotism a person could be made to commit a major crime. That was to say. if it was against the nature of a person to commit murder all the hypnotic influence in the world could not compel him to do it.