THE CHINA MA“ «EPTEMBER 30, 1939
TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
THE CASE OF THE HYPNOTIC CONFESSION
BY VINCENT TOWNE
Application of hypnotic suggestion to suspected criminals for the enforce- ment of true cónfessións has been re- commended by some students of crimin nals. psychology. The consensus of such scientific opinion has been that any human being, however unscru- pulous, cunning or deceitful, will, un- der this stimulus, become suddenly unsophisticated and ingenuous and ufter in the unadulerated truth even more readily than, when in the nor- mal state, he gave voice to Hes.
A Revolver Was Flour ished Before Him.
Some murder cases appear to reveal phenomena quite the reverse of this alleged law. In short, they seem to prove that a suspect, hypnotized by flash of steel in the room. an emotional shock and acted upon by Ivens began to confess, and he re-
After this, all memory of his previous confes- a forceful suggestion of guilt imparted peated his confession with richer collection of the coroner's inquest was sions. He asserted that his only re- during a rigorous "sweating," such as
witnesses that of seeing a revolver pointed at administered by the police to virtually detail, and, although his
him. all murder suspects may make detail-established a plausible alibi, he was ed confessions of crime of which he convicted and executed on the basis
"saw the flash of steel in front of is utterly innocent. The scientist who
of this confession. He had had no
me," he said, "Then two men got be- came forward as, apparently, the first previous police record, had
never fore me.
I can remember no moro exponent of this strange mental law sought women's company, and was
than that about it. was Dr. Hugo Munsterberg, professor regarded as stupid, credulous, absent was arrested I do not believe that
From the time. of psychology at Harvard.
minded and given to morose moods.
was myself for a moment. Everything about that time was a blur, a blank, to me.
Professor Munsterberg was forced to this conclusion by investigating a strange murder case occurring in Chi- cago. The victim was a young mar- ried woman, Mrs. Hollister. On Jan. 12, 1906, a young man, Richard G. Ivens, reported that he had found her body lying face downward in a barn- yard a half block from his home. In the adjacent barn Ivens cared for his father's horse, and it was his business to go there and attend to it. Finding the body, he immediately ran home and reported the discovery to his father, who notified the police. Near the dead woman were no evidences of a scuffle. Her hat lay at her feet, but her purse, shopping bag and muff were missing. The murderer had throttled her with a copper wire, still about her throat, the ends drawn tightly together.
Ivens appeared nervous when the police questioned him. He showed evidences of having been awake all night. Yet investigation proved that he had a good record. All of his neighbours regarded him as very kind, credulous and amiable although given to fits of despondency, absent-minded- ness and stupidity. He assisted his father at the carpenter's trade.
When brought to the police station he was told at once that he was guilty but protested his innocence. The police questioning him began "more and more impressively to suggest to him his guilt," as Professor Munsterberg put it.
At the coroner's inquest a revolver was flourished before him with a quick motion which made a
Kitty
Six days before his execution he awoke as if from a spell and denied
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