View source for Jeff Peters as a Personal Magnet (Henry)

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{{Summary
| Title = Jeff Peters as a Personal Magnet
| Author = O. Henry
| Literary form = short story
| Year of publication = 1908
| Microsummary = A con man posing as a doctor used personal magnetism to cure a fake illness in a mayor, only to be arrested by a detective, who turned out to be his future business partner.
}}

{{Start of text}}

Jeff Peters, a man who had been involved in numerous money-making schemes, once posed as Dr. Waugh-hoo, an Indian medicine man selling Resurrection Bitters. He arrived in Fisher Hill, Arkansas, with only five dollars to his name and managed to get a local druggist to give him credit for some bottles and corks.

{{Character
| Name = Jeff Peters
| Description = narrator; con man, medicine peddler, skilled in personal magnetism; cunning, resourceful
| Emoji = 🕵🏻‍♂️
}}

Life began to look rosy again after I got in my hotel room with the water running from the tap, and the Resurrection Bitters lining up on the table by the dozen.

{{Quote
| Text = Life began to look rosy again after I got in my hotel room with the water running from the tap, and the Resurrection Bitters lining up on the table by the dozen.
| Context = Jeff Peters, posing as Dr. Waugh-hoo, is preparing his Resurrection Bitters for sale in Fisher Hill, feeling optimistic about his prospects.
}}

He began selling the bitters on Main Street, but was soon stopped by a constable for not having a city license.

Jeff tried to obtain a license, but was told that the only doctor in town, Dr. Hoskins, was the mayor's brother-in-law and would not allow any fake doctors to practice. Jeff then partnered with a fellow street man named Andy Tucker, and together they devised a plan to make some money.

{{Character
| Name = Andy Tucker
| Description = street man, detective, and future business partner of Jeff; clever, adaptable
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍💼
}}

The next day, Jeff was summoned to treat the very sick Mayor Banks, as Dr. Hoskins was out of town.

{{Character
| Name = Mayor Banks
| Description = mayor of Fisher Hill; pretended to be sick to trap Jeff; cunning, deceptive
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍⚖️
}}

Jeff claimed to be a practitioner of personal magnetism and psychic healing, and agreed to treat the mayor for a fee of $250. After two treatments, the mayor appeared to be much better and handed over the money. However, it was then revealed that the mayor's nephew, Mr. Biddle, was actually a detective employed by the State Medical Society, and Jeff was arrested for practicing medicine without a license.

As Jeff was being led away in handcuffs, he warned the mayor that he would soon believe in the power of personal magnetism. It turned out that the detective was actually Andy Tucker in disguise, and the entire scheme had been a ruse to obtain the money they needed to go into business together.

And I grabs Biddle by the throat.

{{Quote
| Text = And I grabs Biddle by the throat.
| Context = Jeff discovers that the detective, who had arrested him for practicing medicine without a license, is actually his acquaintance Andy Tucker, and they later become business partners.
}}

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