Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-24
G. n. Rouss SUED FOR A MILLION.
Treating Blind MiIiionnire's substi'
titute-CIaim to BiG eward.
New York Press-23d.)

New York Press-Ed)
Charles Broadway Rouss. the million
aire jobber in dry-goods and notions, Is
TO be made a defendant In two suits for
damases-one for 100000 and one for ST.
10000. The plaintiff. George II. Cassidy,
at whose house, No. 200 west Forty-ffth
street. blind men are treated. and who
wants some of Mr.. Rouss's money, Will
demand in addition an injunction re-
straining the sightless millionaire mer-
chant from uttering or writing any COM
ments on the Cassidy method Of curing
blindness.
Myron II. Oppenheim. OF he New York
life building. is Mr.. Cassidy's attorney.
The papers in the three actions are be-
ing prepared. Mr.. Rouss win be served
before the holiday season is ended.
Nr. Cassidy was among those who eX-
perimented upon John +. Martin. the
blind man who offered himself as a sub
stitute when Nicholas Tesla. the electri-
cal expert, announced that 10000 volts OF
electricity would cure Rouss's blindness.
IL was in the spring OF 1896 when the
newspapers published the m~illionaire's Of
fer Of 100000 to the man who would re-
store his sight. Martins offer 10 submit
70 Tesls's heroic treatment brought him
TO DIR. Rouss's notice. The electricity was
not tried, because physicians said 1t would
XIII the patient, but Mr.. Rouss paid Mar
tin S. a week for n long time, and twenty
two physicians and quacks have expert
mentsd upon him.
SAYS MARTIN CAN SEE.
Mr.. Cassidy says that he began with
Martin last February, and that Martin
can see now. He has two afiidavits from
Martin, In which the man who was blind
for eleven years declares hat without
difficulty he can distinguish the number
of fingers held before his eyes, and
whether they are the first, second, third,
or fourth finger or thumb, or either or all
of them. He says, too, that he can tell
the difference between a man and n wo-
man as they pass before him, and the
color Of their clothes. He says he can
distinguish objects as small as a copper
cent.
In an AFFIDAVIT made on July 18th he
says: Three or four weeks ago l met
Mr.. Rouss in his store and informed him
as 70 the progress which was being made
in the restoration Of my sight, at which
he expressed himself as pleased"
Mr.. Cassidy says that he hasn't been
able to see Charles Broadway Rouss yet
though he has had much correspondence
with him through a. J. Smith, his conf
dental man, who is known In the Rouss
establishment as manager of the blind
department" The wide publicity given
to Mr.. Rouss's addiction and his million
dollar offer, and the general interest ex-
cited by the experiments on Martin, have
resulted in letters from blind men n
women I'm every part of the country.
Many of these came to Mr.. Rouss and
many more 20 Martin. Some who wrote
to Martin, knowing he was poor, in
closed small sums.
READY TO CURE ROUSS.
Mr.. Cassidy AYERS that persons who
have inquired of Mr.. Rouss about the
Cassidy treatment have been told that
the millionaire didn't know anything
about it. Hence his application for an
injunction and $4,000 damages. He says,
further, that he can cure Mr.. ROuss's
blindness. and that the merchant refuses
TO give him the opportunity. Hence his
suit for 100000 reward said to have
been offered.
Mr.. Cassidy, who told all this to a Press
reporter at his house yesterday. added
that A j. Smith, the confidential man,
had proposed to go into business with him,
and had suggested his son. a young physi-
clan, as a good and reliable assistant.
Smith told me further" said Mr.. Cas-
sidy, "that only through him could ] reach
Rouss. I had several letters from him
and several conversations, and part Of the
conversation We had on the evening Of
10Th last will appear in my COM
plant. / had a stenOgrapher in an adj
room, who took down every word.
The door was open and only a screen sep
her from us"
The s%tenographer was Miss Kate l..
Tobey, who has had a typewriting office
the Hotel Metropole lobby for twelve
MIR. ROUSS TO MIR. MARTIN.
Mr.. Cassidy has a score of letters writ
to Martin I'm Mr.. Rouss's well-known
spelling and signed &C. b.
one of them, dated June 30, 1895,
reads:
John f. Martin, Esq, No. 1872 Elizabeth
street, city:
Dear Sir,-In reply, I merely ment that
. aut not tel thes different doctors that
. ar going to take other treatments. II
anything is going TO help L. the other
treatments ar not going 20 retard it. just
go ahed, take al l. can and tel them al
hat tha ar the only ono L ar taking any
treatment of, and that viii satisfy al OF
them. One treatment will not interfere
With another. With best wishes,
G. b. ROUSS.
II have heard that Mr.. Rouss intends to
repudiate his offer Of 100000 to the man
who restores his sight" said Mr.. Cassidy.
II don't think he has the right TO do this.
he g%enulneness of the offer at the time it
POS ranItp