The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-16
LA CHANCES CHANCE
COUNTY ATTORNEY ANDERSON
PERMITS THE "DIvINE HEALER,
TO CONTINUE BUSINESS,
NO ONE HAS YET ACCUSED HIM
Excuse Given by the Prosecutor as
to Why He Has Not Taken Steps
to Prosecute the Individual
WhOm Judge Bum So ROundIy
Denounced - Grand Jury VIII
Get No Hint From Him.

The authorities continue to permit
Joseph La Chance, the self-styled "di-
vine healer" whom Judge Bum scath-
ingly declared in open court to be a
fraud and an impostor, to do business
at his old stand. Although his expos
ure In The G. o b warned many cred
ulous people who might have given up
their money to La Chance, he Is still
looking for victims. and runs advertise
ments In some of the local papers, and
none OF the officials charged with pro-
tecting the public have taken any
steps to stop what Judge Bum so un-
mistakably denounced as a fraudulent
business. La Chance still keeps his sign
tackled up in front OF his Wabasha
street Office, but the steps are dust-cov-
cred and the door doesn't open with
the same ease as 1t did when his Wis
itors were contributing from $50 day
he admitted gave him $4,000 within a
year, do not flock to him any more, but
he Is still willing to save the afflicted
at IS per serve.
When asked yesterday why La
Chance was allowed TO continue swind-
ling people, County Attorney Anderson
said his office had no official knowl-
edge that the healer was continuing
his business. He said no complaint
had been made against La Chance, and
that 1t was not customary for the
county attorney to bring such matters
to the attention of the grand jury
without some formal complaint
rs La Chance to be allowed to con-
tinue swindling people after the de-
cision of Judge Bum denouncing him
as a fraud and an impostor?" Mr.. An
derson was asked.
Il do not know that he Is q fraud"
Judge Bum said he was and that
he secured money under false pre-
lenses. Is he to go on getting money
from the public this way?"
No one has made complaint against
him. If any one from whom he gets
money lodges complaint against him
he will be prosecuted"
But Judge Bum said the evidence
In the case which he decided showed
that La Chance, according to his own
testimony. obtained money by false
pretenses."
We'll, If he does then he can be
prosecuted but, as a matter of fact,
only for petty larceny, because obtain
ing anything less than $25 under false
pretenses amounts simply to petty lar
ceny."
Would 1t not be proper for the coun-
ty attorney to present the case to the
the. protection of the pubdc?"
ut is not customary for the county
attorney to take the initiative in such
cases I presume IL complaint were
mode against La Chance he might be
indicted for petty larceny the same as
for any other offense. but the punish
ment would be only that which per-
tains to petty larceny"
VIII he be allowed to continue In
business?"
In answer to this question Mr.. An
derson reiterated that he could not
move without a complaint. The
amounts La Chance got from ench in
dividual were small anyway, Mr.. An
1erson said, but If any one filed jnfor-
nation against the healer" ne would
Issue a warrant.
The case will probably be called to
the attention of the next grand jury.