The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-12-13

. 4. "
a Medical 6Windler Exposed.-A
gigantic swindle which for the effrontery and
The long time it has been going on is almost
unparalleled, has been unearthed. We hope It
may serve as q warning to the many deluded
victims of quack advertisements.
The perpetrator of the fraud is one Matthew
T. McKeiyey, He anda brother are insurance
agents In Sandusky. This was his nOd,ts or
eTslsds: First he assumed the name of Dr. II.
Dixon, and represented himself as the author
Of two popular medical works. Making Clvde
in this State, the center Of his operations. for
the last ten years he has been flooding the
country with circular entitled Dr.. Dixon's
Bulletin. This circular sets forth that he is a
physician Of infalhble powers, and has discov-
cred panaceas for all the ills that man is heir
to. In it he annoanoes that he will bestow
great care and attention In treating those per
sons who are afflicted with dyspepsia, LIVER
complaint, disease of the heart, lungs or stom-
aeh, or any form of chronic eilment In con-
siderason for the purses Of his patients, he
adopted the ''no cure, no pay" principle. BE
literally allowed the patient year TO become
satisfied whether he or she is cured. He fur
ther states that when the patient Is assured Of
permanent cure OF benefit under his care, the
charge will be five dollars in each case. The
patient was to write to him giving aiescript-
ION of the diseose which is desired 10 % cured,
by answering the questions which are found
elsewhere in the paper. He then considers
the case and sends prescription by mail,
which the patient IS to get put up at drus
store.
He hired man by the name of A. D. Ames
living in Clyde, to mail these circnlarsto all
parts of the country, promising every postulas-
ter who would diserlbute them TO prescribe for
his ills gratis, He made an agreement with
Zelotus Perrin, former postmaster at Clyde
and r. MCPHERSON, the present postmaster, to
send all isLtsrs received At Clyde, directed to
him, to McKelvey at Ssndusky. In return he
sent back receipts signed H. Dixon for regis
tered letters and for money sent on money
order. Unsuspecting people from all parts Of
the country believing the swindler TO be what
he represented, sent letters 20 him. Finally,
poer sick people, who had tried his prescrip-
tons without any beneficial effect, came per-
sonally to see him, and, not finding the gener-
ous benefactor, began to smell a mice.
The fraud at last becoming palpable, Rev.
G. H. Hartupee, of Clyde, ferreted out the
sWindler and got warrant of arrest to be issu-
cd by Commissioner White. The latter direct
cd Deputy Marshall John Odell, who went to
Sandusky Thursday and arrested him. Leaving
him under guard, he proceeded 10 Clyde with
q subpoena on A. D. Ames, and secured large
number of the fraudulent circulars. The swim
die was thus proved beyond doubt. He was
brought to Cleveland Wednesday, and examin-
ed yesterday before Commissioner White. He
attempted no defense for himself, and was held
in bail in the sum of $4,000 to appear at the
next term of court McKelvey reslized large
y on his sWindIing operations; Postmaster
Mcpherson states that during the last year and
a'half Of his administration he has received
from twenty to thirty money letters week
directed to the swindler-CleVeiand Leader
Dec. 6th.
It strikes US, if the Leaders statement is
correct that the present apd previous post
masters at Clyde, should rise and explain.
McKelvey was one of Rush Sloan's loud
mouthed reforms.