Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-30
THE swINDLER LAWRENCE.
RIs Humbugging Career in Cleveland.
HE DUPEs HIS PATIENTS,
CHEATS HIS CREDITORS,


He DUPES HIS PATIENTS,
CHEATS HIS CREDITORS,
And skedaddIes with the Proceeds!
About month ago our city was hOnOred
by a distinguished arrival" DooToR ]. E..
LAWRENCE, of New York City, the eminent
OcuIist and aurist, at whose magical tOuch
the deaf heard and the blind saW,-ons hav-
ing more than SoIomon's wisdom-and cer-
tsinly, unless his looks belle him, belonging
to the race Of sOlomOn,-msde his appear
snce in our city and took apartments-the
best which "mine host" Brockwsy had in
hia house,-at the American. This saVaai
was was about forty years old, six feet high,
with gray eyes, side and chin Whisksrs, q
strongly marked, aquiline-well l, not to draw
too fine point on it, we will say-hOOked
nose; ne dressed well and "put on style
considerably.
Well, the "Doctor" took his rooms, IN
packed his ominous-looking case Of surgical
instruments, patrOnizsd saloons, concerts
and opera, and wrote poeticaI cOmmunics-
tions, on the eye and ear, at ten cents line
for the daily pspers. Soon patients came In
By the score-good, crsdulous people, gen
orally poor, who had scraped together their
hard earnings, and borrowed from their
neighbors in order to get the sum
charged in the physicians big scale
of prices. To all such the Doctor was en-
inearnate Esculapius. On all such he
gravely pronounced opinions, unto all he
promised wOndrous and speedy cure,-in
the bright future, from all he eXacted
liberal fees, invariably in advance, which
were to be refunded if he failed. But like
the page in " Richelieu," !" the Doctor had "nO
such word as fail" His cures were to be
sure and speedy.
Many thrOnged his rooms, and the SaPient
physicisn was heard remarking, only day
or two before his departure, that he had been
paid about thousand dollars since he had
been in town.
But "thers came change" On Monday
night the Doctor went out to the opera. BE
was to return that evening or the next morn
ing. Tuesday passed and he came not
Wednesday, ditto. At last "mine host
Brockway decided to inspect his rooms
Judge his surprise and disgust at finding thai
nothing. was left of all the Doctors parapher-
nails, save an old hair trunk which stood II
the middle Of the room, and in which-ne-
tandum dictu-the only articles we're sn old
pair of dirty boots, one blue linen stocking
quite welI-wOrn, and paper collar decidedly
the worse for wear. BrOckway, to whom the
departed Doctor owed about eighty dollars
wisely concluded that the assets were moi
equal to the liabilities.
In brief, the Doctor had absconded. H
left behind him debts at the hotel, printing
offices, ETC., to the amount of $3.50, and pro-
baby carried of with him.st least thou.
sand dollars of fees, which had been mainly
taken from poor people who have scraped
and borrowed to raise the money, and paid il
to him in advance in sums Of from $40 to $50
It is upon these that the swindIe falls most
heavily, and the deception practiced upon
these is the best proof of the Doctors villsiny
He has not, in any known instance, done
any person the least gOod-the cases of pre-
tended cures being undoubtedly only the re-
suit Of assistance from sccOmpIices. Thus
he has remorselessIy swindled the poor. The
following are few specimen instances out Of
the many that have come to our notice.
H.R. Dean, paid $50. No good done.
o. L. Latham, Troy, Gsauge county, deaf
paid $50. Has been to see the Doctor fOul
times.
A. Spent, EIyria paid S25.
ChAs. Tuttle, Carlisle; afflicted will
cstawh. Has been to see the Doctor thre'
times, and has paid him SIS for self, and $!
for wife.
These are only three or four caseS from thu
many related by the dozens who call at th'
American and ask to see Doctor Lawrence
as per appointment. The swindler ought Il
and we trust will be, apprehendsd. A libsra
reward is offered for his arrest. We hops
that our brethren of the press will pos
prominently this impudent swindler.