SENSATIONAL CHARGE

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 5

SENSATIONAL CHARGE

MISSIONARY IN COURT ALLEGED HYPNOTIC INFLUENCE (Per United Press Association). DUNEDIN, June 7. At the Police Court Abraham Alfred Lind, p missionary, was charged with rape (three counts), and indecent assault. Accused was charged with offences relating to three girls. In all three cases, the Crown Prosecutor said, there might be a question as to whether there was any genuine consent on the part of the girls. He took it that the defence very likely might be that there was effective consent. The Crown alleged that the whole series of occurrences took place under such circumstances as to negative any I genuine consent. Accused had boon con- | ducting a mission and among other things l the missioner purported to have the gift of healing and it was in connection with this mission that he came in contact with each of the three girls to whom the charges related. Evidence would be called particularly in regard to certain meetings which were known as “waiting meetings.” They were of a peculiar, emotional, religious nature and it was the ecstatic condition, produced particularly in the case of weaker females, which would put them to a large extent in the power ef the pastor. Accused was supposed to have the gift of healing and other special powers. The Crown did not allege that any girl was definitely put in a trance, but the conditions at these meetings were akin to hypnotism. A characteristic of hypnotic phenomena was that persons at all subject to the influence were amenable to suggestion. The girls were put into a condition in which they were easily amenable to hypnotic influence. Mr Callsn for the defence dissociated himself from the line of defence suggested by Mr Adams, stating that they denied there was anything in the story at all. Evidence was given by the mother of one girl who stated that on Easter Sunday she attended a meeting called by Lind, which was really a challenge meeting. Certain charges were made against Lind, but her daughter was not mentioned. The third girl named in the charges was mentioned. Lind was saying things against the character of the girl and declared he had never interfered with an innocent girl. Witness told him he was trying to make them believe he was innocent when she knew he was not, for she knew what her daughter had told her. Iler daughter got up and told him not t« go after innocent girls. A girl, aged 21, deposed to an assault in a room of her parent’s house, accused representing his act as treatment for her nerves. Another girl deposed that she had attended the close of the Smith-Wiggles-worth faith healing mission and been wonderfully healed of heart and chest trouble. Her nerves were restored. The mission was afterwards continued by accused from June last year. She was in the habit of attending all meetings. The girl mentioned in the second and third charges was very regular at the meetings. She was the first to receive what witness believed to be the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the “Gift of tongues.” She spoke an unknown language which none could understand. During the meetings she was more noisy than anyone. Although she was witness’s dearest friend, there were times when witness had to leave her side because she could not bear the noise. One evening witness had a peculiar experience. She went over and sat beside this girl because she felt she was in danger. The girl got up and walked across the room, but fell on the floor. Lind got her to a seat. Later he said the girl got into the wrong spirit. Two men went down in the same way. On October 24 Lind told her he had a message from the Lord for her. He asked her to come to his house the following evening. After he said: “God had shown to him that he was to be to her as ten husbands.” She met him again, and the offence alleged took place. Lind afterwards referred to the song of Solomon to show that a sister could also be a wife “under grace.” She had a feeling of complete helplessness. Another girl, who fell to the floor, stated that accused told her God showed him she was a second wife to him. She resisted and told him he was the Devil. Medical evidence was then called. Dr Newlands stated it was a fair inference to draw that women of the type of the female witnesses under esctatic hysteria described at the meetings would be really incapable of ordinary resistance to improper interferences even if they realised the nature of the act attempted. This would especially apply in the case of their pastor being the aggressor. Dr Marshall MacDonald stated that one girl was not up to normal mental standard. The third girl was nervous and neurotic. The second girl was deeply religious and not exactly neurotic. Witness thought definite hypnotism was not employed. The factors he deduced were: (1), religious excitement; (2) effect of instructor, who was alleged to have stated that he brought a personal message from God; (3), suggestion from the man who was ’in the position of special healer. The combined effect of these would tend to destroy the women’s powers of resistance. Accused who reserved his defence was committed for trial.