The morning call., 1893-11-03

serve the purposes of a criminal practice.
Their offense had proved to be their OWL
Nemesis. and they were very neatly en-
trapped by the postal inspectors.
Altogether six indictments had been re-
ported by the Federal Grand Jury the day
previous, and were placed upon the secret
file of the clerk of the United States Dis
trict Court until the arrests could be made.
Judge Morrow issued bench warrants,
and armed with those papers Deputies
Monckton, Morehouse and Maloney ar
rested "Dr. Anthan," Mrs. Nj. Davies
and "Dr. Max Strassman." respectively,
during the forenoon. Mr.. MoDckton
effected his second capture late in the
afternoon, his prisoner then being Mrs.
Berner." One of the parties indicted is
dead. the Mrs. Strassman," and the re-
naming one. Mrs. DR.. Gwyer." will be
probably taken into custody this morning.
These postal-law violators are of very
common class of disreputahle medical"
impostors, whose not too delicately
worded advertisements are apparently de-
signed to secure the patronage of foolish
women.
Some time ago a man In Indiana noticed
Mrs. Davies" "Dr. and Mrs. Nj. Strass-
man" and Mrs. DR.. Gwyer" in San
Francisco daily paper. He communicated
with the advertisers. pretending to be a
woman. The replies which he received he
sent to the Postoffice Department at
Washington. AS result Inspectors IT.
win and Thral of this city were in
structed to proceed against them.
By the advice of United States District
Attorney Garter. 1t being thought imprac-
tcable to bring the Indiana witness here.
the Inspectors went to work to secure for
themselves evidence against the offenders.
Accordingly they swered their adver.
tisements with decoy letters.
The addresses which the offenders gave
in their advertisements were as follows:
DIR. Anthan, 229 Kearny street,
'Dr. and Mrs. NJ. Strassman, GIG PosI
street."
Mrs. Davies. 1886 Market street, Muir.
ply building, room 80"
A DR.. Hail, who is under indictment fol
murder. also advertises the address: '123t
Market street, Murphy building" but he
has two rooms, the one mentioned in Mr.
Davies" advertisement, and tue adjoining
one, 81. The death of the unfortunate
girl Ida Shattuck was attributed to his
lawless practice. Mrs. Davies" claim.
to have been simply clerk in his Office.
MRS. Berner" did not advertise in this
city. She had lived in Portland, Or, and
for some time her advertisement appeared
in paper of that city, giving the address
as:
Corona Company. 27oh Morrison street,
Portland, Or"
The Indiana man also corresponded
with her. Her case differs from that OF
the others in that she pretended to be able
to accomplish different results. The ma
ture of tho treatment professed by the
others Is we'll known.
Both Inspectors Irwin and Thrall as
chi nod ha for ho m hal q
Of weak young women. Inspector Irwin
wrote. in a small feminine hand. over the
signature of miss Emma Frankfort
with the address as "BOx 1873. Crescent
City, Del Norte County. CAL" He
communicated with 'Drs.' Anthan and
Strassman, MRS. Davies Mrs. DR.
Gwyer. 3I1h Hyde street, San Francisco
CAL" as the lastnamed advertises herself
They fell right into his net by giving him
information OF their methods of treatment,
prices, ec. AS the section, 1898. quoted,
expressly forbids any correspondents thai
gives any information whatever relative to
unlawful practice, the inspector had them
foul
However he wrote again, and received
from "Dr. Anthan" and Mrs. Davies
replies c0rroborative OF their first answers.
These replies are copied in full. bad
punctuation and all, in the indictments,
but their details are not proper for the
columns of THE CALL. The letters we're
all dated in July.
Inspector Thrall likewise c0rresp0nded
with "Mrs. Berner" over the signature oi
''E. May Dunkirk." dating his letters al
Albany. Or. He received a reply from
this city, under date of August 80, so that
Mrs. Berner's" offense is committed
within this district. She had moved from
Portland to Olympia. WASH, and thence
she came to San Francisco. She did moi
mince matters in the least, and was quite
minute in her explanations. She signed
her address as "709 McAilister street."
In his CORRESPONDENCE with "Dr. An
than" Inspector Irwin received a small
circular in fine type. which is novelty il
its way. On its face great boasts of mar
velous abilities are made, and on the
back is list of remarkable testimonials
each very brief and TO the point. and with
every name left blank.
A significant feature of the circular j.