Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-06
A TAILOR IN TROUBLE
For Pretending to Re Physician Of
Over Thirty Years Study.
NEEDLES SOAKED In CROTON OIL
And Driven With Force Through the Skin
Of His Patient
TO CURE HIM OF TOTAL BLINDNESS

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsPAr CHI
NEW YORK, Aug 6-Justice Kilbreth,
in the Yorkville Court to-day, held Au gust
Thiess, 63 years old, of West Sixty-second
street, on charges of practicing medicine
without diploma and without being reg
istered. He also held Mrs Marie Witous,
80 years old, of East Third street, on the
same charge.
Thiess is tailor by trade. He was the
Socialist candidate for Assembly in his dis
trict last fall. Shortly afterward he
blossomed out as 'the greatest physician
of the world" as he termed himself in a
abilities. In the front window of his house
he displayed a sign which read: CDR.
August Thiess, the most wonderful physi-
clan in the world. "
In his circular he said he had had 30
years of study and practical experience, and
he offered to pay $50 to anybody who might
prove that any of the diseases referred to in
the circular remained incurable after his
treatment Among the diseases he offered
to cure were inflammation of the lungs,
pneumonia in "a hours, cramps in to 10
minutes, cholera, yellow fever, smallpox,
measles, typhus fever, scarlet and typhoid
fevers, acute rheumatism, heart disease,
brain disease and apoplexy.
A Healer of Almost Everything.
Nine-tenths of all chronic diseases, he
added, even those declared incurable by
medical men, could be cured by the Thiess
method, as, for example, deafness, blind
ness, badness, etc.
One OF Thiess' patients recently has been
Thomas Hayden, formerly we'll known in
Brooklyn as an ambitious actor. Hayden
was stricken about two years ago with
paralysis OF the optic nerve. He was
treated by specialists, who told him his
case was incurable. CDR" Thiess, who had
read an account of Mr. Hayden's afflictIon
in the newspapers, called on him and said
he could cure him.
Mr.. Hayden took his first treatment
about three or four weeks ago. "Dr. I"
Thiess used an instrument which ne said
he had invented and which consisted of
rubber cylinder containing piston, in the
head of which were 40 sharp pointed steel
needles The instrument was applied to
the flesh, the piston was drawn back and
let go, and spring drove the needle points
through the skin.
At the first application Mr.. Hayden re-
ceived l, 400 of these punctures, into which
''Dr" Thiess rubbed croton oil. This, he
said, would strengthen Mr.. Hayden gener-
ally, and eventually restore his sight. Mr.
Hayden suffered agonizing torture for three
days, his flesh being badly blistered.' A
week later he took second application of
1900 punctures, and "Dr." Thiess told him
his sight would be entirely restored in
twelve months.
The Doctor Taken Into Camp.
Agent Loring, of the County Medical
Society, heard OF Thiess' illegal practice of
medicine and set trap for him. Miss
Annie Bake, 25 years old, of East Seventy
eighth street, who is sufferer from heart
trouble, was induced to submit to Thiess
treatment. Thiess applied the needles and
the croton oil, and Miss Bake was laid up
against Thiess to-day, aud Justice Kilbreth
held him, on her complaint, In $500 for
trial.
Then Miss Kate Gallin, a nurse girl en-
ployed by DR.. Edward r. Duffy, of West
Sixtieth street, took the stand and made a
second complaint against Thiess. At the
request of DR.. Duffy she pretended to be
suffering from acute rheumatism and sent
for Thiess He came and applied the
needles. On this complaint Thiess was held
in $500 for trial.
The complaint against Mrs. Marie Witous
was made by Agent Loring. He had taken
his child to her to be treated for pretended
disease. Mme Witous prescribed an inde-
scribable treatment and Mr.. Loring had her
arrested. Justice Kilbreth held Mrs.
Witous in 500 bail for trial.