The Hypnotist Entertainer Charged With Murder After His Subject Never Woke Up
In 1909, a New Jersey man was put under hypnosis during a dhow and never woke up again, which led to a criminal investigation
In addition to a tool used in psychology, hypnosis has long been a popular medium of entertainment. For years, audiences have gaped with astonishment, as participants have been put to sleep and made to do all manner of bizarre things while under a hypnotic state. Typically, these instances of hypnosis are brief, and the subject is quickly awoken to find themselves in the midst of a chuckling crowd. However, things don’t always go as planned. In 1909, a former piano salesman turned hypnosis entertainer, named Arthur Everton, was arrested for murder after a man he put under during one of his shows never woke up again.
In November, 1909, Everton, a former salesman who became a traveling magician and amateur hypnotist, was performing a show in Somerville, New Jersey. Asking for a volunteer, he selected 35-year-old street car conductor Robert “John” Simpson, and a 16-year-old boy named Edward Thompson to assist him in demonstrating his hypnosis abilities. After making Simpson go to sleep, Everton commanded the man’s body to go into a rigid position. To demonstrate how he was able to…
