The Washington Times/1897/Hypnotism And Marriage

Hypnotism And Marriage. A singular case of hypnotism has just come to light in New Jersey. Mrs. Adelheid Lowe, wife of Ira Lowe, says that she was induced by hypnotic influence to convey to her husband a half interest in $24,000 worth of property, and she also thinks that it was some influence of this kind which caused her to marry him. The marriage was brought about by the aid of a marriage broker, who told Lowe that if he wanted a wife the lady in question was a widow with nine children (the eldest being attractive looking girls), and that she owned property. The wooing prospered, and before the marriage took place an antenuptial agreement was drawn up giving Lowe one-half of the real estate in question. After the marriage Lowe proceeded to pawn everything that could be lifted without a derrick and did other unpleasant things, and in one of his frequent absences Mrs. Lowe came to the conclusion that nothing but hypnotism could explain the folly she had committed. Of course, there have been cases known before in which the influence of wife over husband or husband over wife could not be accounted for on any sane and rational grounds, but this has usually been put down to the many vagaries and queernesses of the marriage relation. It is only of late that the aid of hypnotism has been suspected in such cases, and perhaps this is partly due to the fact that all sorts of things are likely to be set down as hypnotic when once the theory is admitted, because it is so convenient a theory. Evidently the line will have to be drawn somewhere and the person, who draws it will have a difficult and delicate task. There are cases In which a person of a weak or sensitive temperament may be so completely under the influence of another as to be unable to do anything of one's own will and how are the courts to decide now far such a person is morally and legally responsible? In this case, however, the marriage broker and the husband seem to have laid a deliberate plan to get hold of the victim's money, and whether she gave it up under the influence of hypnotism or not, the husband is morally a thief, and the worst kind of thief, a person in comparison wish whom the ordinary burglar is a respectable member of society.