The morning call., 1894-10-28
AS A WILD BEAST.
A. w. Won Schmidt Saws
He Was Ill-Treated
Story of Man Imprisoned Against
f1iS Will and Tortured With
Fiendish Barbarity.

Following up the recent scandals con-
nected with the management of the Home
of Inebriates comes a sen nsational suit that
was fled yesterday in the office of the
County Clerk.
The suit is filed on behalf of A. w. Won
Schmidt, who, it appears, was at one time
IN inmate of the home presided over by
the genial DR.. Potter. The complaint is
simple enough in itself, and does no, say
under what circumstances A. w. Won
Schmidt came 10 require treatment a: DR..
Potter's hands, but simply states that on
or about the 18th day of May. 1894 A. w.
Won Schmidt was confined and imprisoned
in a building situated on Stockton and
Chestnut streets. managed aud governed
by the defendant in the suit, Samuel 0. L..
Potter. The building. says the complaint,
was styled The Home for the Care of
lnebr iates."
The particulars complained of show a
persistent treatment OF the most cruel de-
scriptiOn. In fact, to judge from certain
extracts from the complaint. il would seem
as though the systems OF torture read of
in the his ories of old had been revived
and that the horrors of Bedlam were no
longer matters of the past. Particulars
are found in the following words of the
Omplaint:
During all of the time that plaintiff was
confined aud imprisoned in said building
and place sad defendant and his servants
and employees subjected plaintiff 10 gross
insult and humiliatng treatment, and
wantonly and cruelty abused and NAL
treated him IN the manner rs follows, to
viii: BY applying to him abusive
epithets, such as scoundrel, repro
bate and monstrosity; by putting
irsn handouts and anklets on his
VI ri II lr I,x-c nj ri
and foot on his back and confining him
day afier day to an iron bedsiead in soli-
tary cell; by bTuisiDg his thumbs so that
the nails came off; by lacerating his wrists
and clustering his fingers; by bruising and
lacerating his elbows, left hip. back and
waist; Dy fracturing his breastboDe: by
breaking his front tooth; by benumbing
bis right hand; by forcing nauseous de-
cOctions down his throoi; by forciblv
compelling him to eat nauseous food, and
| by heating, smoihering, strhnglIcg and
choking him, whereby plaintiff suffered
grieyous mental anguish and great phys-
cal agony"
The complaint states that for fifteen
years the plaintiff had been an industrious
and sober man. There had been abso-
lutely no necessity for incarcerating him
in DIR. Potter's home. He was taken
there by force. not of his own free Will,
| and when there was treated worse than If
he had been raviDg maniac. For the
indlgnitles above described Mr. Won
Schmidt demanded damages as follows:
For the loss of his time as business
man, ihe loss of the use of his right hand
ana the knocking out of d to- tn So 600:
foi the unlawful and involuntary i'm
prisonment, $4,000; for the humiliation
and disgrace inflicted upon him. $4,000:
Tor the pain aud anguish he suffered,
10000; and for other grievances heaped
together 10 general way, $4,000; in all
$4,000
There is supplementary complaint in
which Won Schmidt states that during his
stay alsthe Home for IDebriates the de-
iendant. DR.. Potter, described as big,
neavy, strong man, aided by two assist
ants, sprang on him and succeeded in
fastening him on TO an iron cot, 10 which
ne was strapped down tightly so as to be
unable TO move. In the struggle that took
place at that time, together with his subse-
quent Intellectual efforts to release himself
on Schmidt complains that the nails were
torn from his fingers. that the flesh came
from MS wrists and arms. and that as re-
suit he suffered from a severe attack OF
D!ood lsoning For all this he demands
S50O00 damages, made up in claims of
S!o,OOO each for various forms of i0dig-
nifty, such as described in the foregoing
complaint. Won Schmidt is legally rerre-
sented by Mrs. Clara Foltz, who some
time ago was concerned in long and
elaborate lawsuit for the Won Schmidt
family over some dredging disputes.
The details of the case. when presented,
are sure to prove interesting to those who
take interest in the conduct of such inst
tutions as the Home for Inebriates, public
ana private. An attempt was made TO H.
IervIew Dr. Potter on the subject last
night, but II was failure. The following
question was asked of him:
Dr. Potter, had YOU at any time a man
OF the name of A. w. Won Schmidt in your
keeping?'
Il decline to answer any questions on
the subject" was the cautious reply of
me eminent DR.. Potter. humane and care
1ul lender of the wretched sots who seek
the protection of his home.
BUY paints oils and glass Off. N. Woods &
Co., 81 First street Lowest prices-