National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-17
ANOTHER MEDICAL FRAUD
THE VICE PREsIDEHT OFTH WASH
INGTON MEDICAL SOCIETY.


HOW HE ATTEMPTED TO PLY HIS TRADE
UNDER AN ALIAs-sUPPOsE ABORTION
ESCAPE OF THE sCOUNDREL-HIs PALS
TO THE RESCUE.
It would seem that the malpractice conducted
by DR.. Leon, now on trial for committing abor-
ton, and others who have pursued the same call
ing, and who have been convicted Of this crime
and sentenced to serve term Of years in the PEN
itentIary, does not deter men from pursuing the
same business. Owing to the fact that It is q lu-
crstive one, and most any amount Of money will
be paid by those procuring the services Of the
Quacks In order to screen themselves from the
disgrace that awaits them, II their first misstep
is not covered by one still more wicked certainly
1t is not astonishing that men lacking medical
education should secure an ONCE and invite the
visits Of patients suffering with certain diseases
promising speedy and thorough cure and the OBJ
serv8nce Of the greatest secrecy. The persons
who visit their offices know they ara giving the
welded for selEinterest at all times, and when
pressed upon draw forth money from their poek-
cts, mattering net how much has previously been
paid for the work they were engaged to perform.
These men hold the secret Of their guilt, be
they male or female, and It is only by settling
promptly on demand that they promise to retain
It from public scandal 1t was thought, and rea-
sonably so, that If some Of the practitioners were
detected In this evil work. brought to justice and
effect in preventing others from establishing Of
fees in the city or, should that fall the publicity
being known Of the visits made by some persons
would operate efectuaIly in preventing those
contemplated by individuals ANXIOUS 70 secure
their services: But it appears that in neither case
has the plan been successful, for the Offices and
the patients are both on the increase. The latest
case that has come to notice shows that regular
business IN this line has been established, and
that baby farming, or the disposal Of ilegitimate
infants at their birth, was to be conducted on
quite grand scale. Not very remote from police
headquarters resides respectable lady in q tne
residence. Her family being small, she had q
few fine rooms that she wished to rent on reason
able terms for the winter months to gentlemen,
single ones preferred. A fortnight since she was
visited by an individual, we'll dressed, fine con-
versational powers, and apparently man Of re-
spectability, who gave his name as DIR. A. L.
Dion and stated that he desired to procure apart
ments in her dwelling, informing her that he was
medical man, and had come to this city to make
his permanent home and resume the practice of
his profession.
The exterior of the man being acceptable to the
lady, and the rooms meeting his appreciation
terms were agreed upon and the quarters secured.
He had not been long located before patients be-
gan calling, and it was noticed that the visitors
were chiefly females. Still the lady, satisfied Of
the honesty and integrity Of her bOArder, gave
little attention to the matter. But early one
morning the cries Of an infant were heard in his
rooms, and their frequent repetition became the
subject Of comment in the house. Conjecture was
INDUCED in as to the why's and WherefOres Of such
state Of affairs, but no satisfactory conclusion
overheard in the hall and peculiar looks carried
in the eOuntenanees Of his fellow bOarders, con-
cluded that some explanation was requisite. Not
exactly knowing how and where to begin, he,
after brief study, decided to make It with bold
face He, therefore, called the lady Of the house,
and her arrival, in the coolest manner possible
said that he had little charge for which he was
responsible, and for whose temporary care he
ness and charitable heart. He thereupon pro-
dueed q newborn babe and extended the inf ant
toward the lady. She declined receiving 1t, and
Immediately suspected that its presence in her
house was the evidence Of some Wrong-doinR.
The piteous cries Of the babe and its apparently
| forsaken condition induced the lady 70 tempo
rarily alter her mind and she took the little one
| in and fed 1t. DR.. Dion then stated that the
mother had made a visit to him and was taken
suddenly ILL., and the result above given followed.
On being questioned, he refused to give the name
| of the mother or any additional circumstances
| connected with her visit. The lady had by this
| time became convinced that she had mal-prac-
| titioner on her premises, and in words more
forcible than polite refused to assume charge of
the infant and ordered the Doctor to provide for
it and himself elsewhere. She regarded 1t as her
| duty to inform the authorities Of the circum-
| stance, which was done on Tuesday last, and De-
| tectives Sargent and McElfresh were directed to
make an investigation. They discovered, first,
| that Dion had the night before managed, unOb-
| served, to take HIS trunk from the house; but
| while watching the premises yesterday morning,
| the man they wanted entered his office and they
| very promptly followed. They made inquiry
concerning the case, but obtained no better nfor-
/ nation than had been impaired to the landlady.
He was invited to accompany them TO police he Id
| quarters, which he did, and was given q seat in
the Dack room. w nile the QeLeCLlNeS were absent
a few minutes he deliberately walked out OF the
Office and has not been seen or heard to of since.
The officers continued to prosecute their search,
| however, and learned at the registrars office,
| Board of Health, that no such person was regis
| tered or known as DR.. Dion or any birth regis
! tered where such named person had been in at
tendance Last night they found that Dion was
| an alias and the man was DR.. s. W. Grove, vice
president of what Is called the Washington Medi-
cal Institute, of which DR.. John E. Smith Is
street southwest where, 1t is said, the same bust
dess is carried on. Grove alias Dion, is also sdi-
tor OF Journal eminating from that institution,
and in the last edition thus speaks Of himself as
have returned to this city, which 1 shall make
my future home by Divine permission"
DIR. John Z. Smith, president Of the institution,
| Tuesday night, called on the lady where Grove,
alias Dion, had stopped and desired to occupy
his office. But the lady had enough OF doctors
| for the present and most empha ically declined
| the proposition. He then stated that DR.. Dion
had been arrested, but that he was his hacker
what the cost might be. 1t is said that the
pOmpOus doctor is not worth q cent ir the world
He regretted exceedingly being unable to Sc
cure the rooms, and requested the lady should
| any male patients present themselves to say to
them that the doctor had departed from the city,
but in case any females called, be kind enough to
| take their address, send word to him, and he
would remunerate her for her trouble. This last
request was "the hair that broke the Gamers
back" and the lady, with her anger at white
heat, refused to have anything to do with him or
his business, and promptly ordered him to leave
| the house. The assurance Of this man to try and
| induce a respectable woman to lend her assist
ance to further his evil deeds was truly refresh
| ing after the imposition that he had practiced
upon her. The detectives have the matter still
in hand, and feel satisfied that ere many days
they will find the unnatural mother and compel
her to acknowledge her deserted child.