Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-12

The present sensation in New York is the
death OF Mrs Isabella S Potter at the water
cure establishment Of "Dr G. c, Schictfcndcck
or, the corouer's jury in which ease rendered a
verdict of NAL practice and criminal neglect aud
the evidence of which is horrible almost beyond
belief New York Tribune says: -,
"On Saturday, August La young married Ia
DIV, Isabella s. Potter died at DIR. Schetcn
deckers house, under circumstances that DIR.
Leale, who attended her during the last'wecks
OF her illness, deemed it best 10 call Tor an in
vesligaton by the coroner. On Sunday the
I'd, Deputy Coroner Shine aud DIR. Scguu
made post-mortcm examination, ami found
the body full ofputri1 sores, and gansrcne, the
lower part Of the back having rotted away.
Death was caused, in their opinion, By cXhaus-
tion from bed sores The Investigation was
held by Coroner Woltmau yesterday. Three
weeks before her death Miss Depcw, knownlng
that death was certain, was married to her al
6anccd, Mr. Potter, by her father, who is Il
clergyman.
Or Charles A.Lealc testified that on July I
&c was requested by Mr.. Dcpew to visit his
daughter, Isabella Depaw, who was then suffer
ing from gangrcne, at the Hydropathic Cure OF
DR.. Schictfendeckcr, in Twenty second street
Tue father wanted to have her removed to the
Roo. evct Hospital. When she was taken to
the establishment Of DR. Schictfeudcckcr the
doctor promised that she should be cured in six
weeks When she had been in the Hydropalh
ic Cure several weeks, it was discovered by a
nurse whom her father employed that she was
kept covered with wet bandages and that Dr.
Schicfcndecker seldom visited her, never ex-
amined her. and was wholly unaware Of her
condition. When demonstrated with DR.. Schiei-
leudecker sent for DR.. Minor, who pronounc-
ed it case of pangrene, and recommended her
removal to Roosevelt Hospital. She WAS re-
fused admission there however, aud DIR. Lealc
was called in by Mr.. Depew. There he found
the nurse, who told him that Miss Dcpew Was
not only water soaked, but that pu;rid sores,
filled with small maggots, were found upon her
body, AMI maggOtS We're also crawling over the
bed tick, aud the bed linen was filthy.
"Dr Leale examined the patient and found
her suffering from hectic fever, her pulse being
at 80 aud the temperature los degrees. Mo :
tifcation bad set in extending about five inches
along the spine. Each heel was black from
modification, and point of modification was
visible on the Inside of the left groin. The
young lady was delirious in consequence of the
absorption Of poison from these gangrenous
parts. The TACT that these gaugrenous erup
tons were 10 peculiar places shows that they
we're caused by the deblIltating Influences OF
several weeks application OF water at parts a.
ready weakened. The abdomen. which had
been incased 10 wet baudages, was covered by
dark blue spots, the >lz: OF Il thum nail. Dr.
Leale announced to the parents OF The young
lady that she could not recover, and that it
would probably superiuducc embolism if she
were removed lu the meantime DR.. Schiet-
tendecker was pressing them to take her
away, declaring that she should not re-
main in the house. DR.. Lealc was then given
full charge of her by the parents, and persisted
in visiting her daily at Dr. Schetfcndecker
house. Once he ash ed Tor clean clothes for the
bed from the doctor, but they were refused.
The linen was extremely dirty. The sheets
aud towels which had been used were left to
soak 10 the bathroom without dsinfectantS.
Sheets and piilow.cases, which he found in
another room in the house, were quite filthy.
Different boarders, he was told, used the same
bedcothing, and it had not been changed for
TWO weeks. Patients were also occupying the
other room which he visited. DIR. Lcale APP
piled for clean linen for his patient; il was
promised, tut the promise was not kept The
patient continued to grow worse, the eangrenc
extended, aud she was almost constantly In de-
llrum. DIR. Schietfcndccker in the meantime
became terrified at the prospect Of death oc
curing under such circumstances In his estab-
llshment, aud he wrote Il note TO the pareuts
of the young woman, charging them with con-
spiracy in placing the girl under his charge after
she was SO far gone. When the parents told
DR.. Leale of this he Immediately determined
that there should be coroDers Inquest She
died Oh August LIST, and Dr. Scheffendeeker at
once informed the coroner's Office that she had