The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-06
ANOTHER NOSTRUM CASE.
indianapolis Woman Claims to BE a
Victim of n SxxinhIer.

Victim of u Swindier.
In the Superior Court yesterday afternoon
was filed the complaint of S. Kate Thorn
ton. who asserts that she has been made
the victim of a swindle which cost her a
house and lot valued at $3.50. Meta
Reama and George w. Remala are de-
PENDANTS to the suit. Mrs. Thornton's diff
cuties began in June, 1894, when, she AYERS,
she met Meta Reama, who was practicing
medicine and carrying on an enterprise
known as beauty culture" The latter pro-
fessed to be able to beautify the COM
pleXion, restore youth and remove wrinkles.
She was also proprietress of an industry
which she denominated the Juno bust de-
veloper." and in addition to extravagant
assertions of her powers in this direction
she claimed to be able to restore gray hair
to it's natural color by supplying the scalp
with seine elixir of life, and, "bv turning
back the wheels of time. would he able to
produce a luxuriant growth of hair upon
scalp as bald as window pane
The complaint charges that the defendant,
knowing the PLAINTIFF to possess $3.50 in
real estate, and with the intention of cheat
ing her out of the same. proposed to sell
her an outfit of these wondrous cures, offer
ing to take in payment the plaintiffs prop
erty. The defendant. 1t is charged, de-
clared she had been graduated in the science
OF dermatology and chemistry. and asserted
'that she could remove wrinkles and crows
feet and restore TO the bloom and beauty
of youth the withered and shrunken faces
of men and women over sixty years of
age" The defendant, it is averred,
declared that =, her remedies soe were
assured the plaintiff that she could by
judicious work, easily realize a net profit
atoms. For the purpose OF supporting her
assertions as 10 the fabulous sums to be
that the defendant produced the name of
Mrs. Il. G.. Mckahn. who, she said was
making $500 week selling the medicine
at Terre Haute Further. IL is claimed that
the defendant showed the plaintir child
with a beautiful face, who, she avowed,
was past twenty-four years OF age, and
whose complexion had been most wretched.
but who was now "a living monument and
witness to the truth of the assertion. that
the medicine would make beautiful the
homely and plain.
The plaintiff, relying upon these declara-
tons, conveyed her property to the defend
ant by warranty deed June z, 1884, A brief
trial OF the remedies she AYERS, proved the
untruthfulness Of the statements made to
her. First she found that the young lady
who was palmed off as living monument"
was a fi1teen-year-old girl who had never
possessed other than the rosiest of cheeks.
The remedies proved to contain corrosive
sublimate and poisons of such potency that
persons using it on their hair would short
ly find their heads decorated with a crown
of brown and fringe of grey. Ii is al
legged that the medicine would blister the
pox The plaintiff, before she had long pos
sessed these potent remedies. AYERS that
she found proof of the falsty OF statements
regarding the Terre Haute business, and
learned that the defendant was not a chem
list, but very bright woman proving upon
the vanity and the creduity of the public
The plaintiff alleges that she went TO De-
troit and, at an expense of 500. fitted up
parIors for the reception of ladies who We're
seeking for the elixir of youth. She had been
there hut a few days when she found that
she had been defrauded and sold her fifteen
1xl1.. r,rt far Ave xlalt.
oct. 70 she demanded possession OF her
property. but found that the defendant had
transferred it without consideration to one
q w Renialia, whom the plaintiff believes
is the husband of the defendant The court
lis asked to award judgment for 81 500 and
10 declare the entire transaction a vendor S
lein upon the real estate so that II may be
sold to satisfy the demand
Ovcrruled the City's Motion to Dismis
Judge Baker yesterday ovcrruled the mo-
ton Of the city Of indianapolis that the suit
or the Citizens company aeainst the city
be dismissed for want Or jurisdiction. There