, 1874-02-22

etar-ca.mbcr session Of .l:o Cnied States
Circuit Court waa neld yesterday afternoon. a
which tac 'SCecia!igts,' so.caltcd, wore the sub
lect Of attention and attraction. No one IVES
admitted excent the accused, their lavyere, tho
District Attorney, and Mr.. Comstocs,
"Doctors" Phillips, alias Cohurn, Eigclov,
Shipp, Jordan, alias Clark, and Mouroe, and Mr.
Horton, ucwa-seller OH the West Side. 3Ir II.
5. Monroe appeared as attorney tor tho most OF
the parties. Inf ornat,ons were fled Friday
against those aad Others, and theec all pleaded
guilty; technically 'nolle contondere a..d vero
brought up yesterday to fix their rola.iye crimi-
naity. Tie iufolmations simply stated that
they tad sent obscene publications through tho
mail, and, strictly. this Was tho only point il
issue, but considerable evidence WAS introduced
to show what had been the practice OF the so
called doctors, how long thoy had been engaged
IN the business, the character Of their drugs,
etc. large number OF their circulars,
pamphlets, Instruments md medicines were also
produced in court. Mr. Con1BtocE, who has
been 10 diligently employed in bringing these
people to justice. rendsome letters received from
Jordan aud others detailing the operations Of the
medicines and their pretended efficacy. When
examined, however, Jordan alleged that his pills
were only such as wero authorized by the regu-
lar allopa.hlc practitioners, and that they could
not BY any possibility do any harm. It was
shown that some OF tho advertised nostrums
contained two Of the most hurtful and powerful
drugs knowll,-oil Of e:got and oil OF sayin,-and
could not fail to do ir1eparable injury.
One Of the chief operators ia this line, Dr..
Kean. has left for ports unknown. His clerk.
Christian Nelson. was arrested and gnyo bond
in the gum OF g. O00 to appear II an indictment
bo found against him. DR.. Henderson, :Gas
Stone, DR.. Townsend, alias Ford or Ford, alias
Townsend, and Dr.. Whittier, aims DIN, have
also given bonds for $1,000 to await the action
OF the Grand jury. Tho last of these, Smith
Whittier, who claims to be worth SIS, 900. 1ss
figured at 4 variety OF occupations, among 9TH
ors, that Of springfield manufacturer on State
street. he alao, during tho war, bought Lin
coins proclamation and mad 1ac simles made
aud sold, rcaping = largo profit.
The examination WIS concluded and tho mat
ter taken Under adysenent until Saturday, when
a sentence Will be rendered IN each ct these Six
cases. The Judge thought that the Interests OF
morality would be better eubserved BY having
the examination secret, as crowd is always at
tracted by the scent OF any immortality.
It seems strange that any one could be so YER
dant as to patronize such quacks Is these,
but tho evidence shows that the practice is very
lucrative. In nine ca3os out OF ten, however,
the ''pelent' is not aided in tho least The
medicines are either harmless as bread-crumbs
or peniciou8 in any amount, and Ii every way
The practice is not carried on for the
patients but for the doctors, and it is the bons.
Of more than ono, and repeatedly expressed,
that Ae does not care what becomes of the ps-
tient 80 long Us the money comes in. Whom
tlat is gone the man is left, ard fow care to e1-
poso the result Of their error OF crminahty.