The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-10


Apparatus From Prof. Briggs, of
Harvard, CIeared-Stealing of Il
steam Yacht One of the Incidents
in the Doctors Interesting Life
Helped to Hang Man.
NEWPORT, R. l., Oct. 9.-The late
DR. John w. Detwiller, who died in
this fashionable summer resort has
furnished, in his passing, sensation
such as has not been known, even in
this center of social sensations, for
years. Incidentally, his death has
cleared the mystery of the robbery OF
the laboratory of Prof. Gibbs, Of Har-
ward last March, when valuable appa-
ratus was so skillfully spirited away
that the detectives were never able to
find clew.
During the time he lived here, DR..
DetWiller was known as quiet ana
skilled physician, with a small but eX-
elusive practice. Since his death it has
developed that he was a criminal or
extraordinary shrewdness and, in add
ton. a bigamist Notable incidents in
his life are coming TO light, and among
those mentioned are the hanging of a
man and the stealing of a steam yacht,
both decidedly out of the ordinary.
Interest in his case has resulted in
tracing the history of DR.. DetW1ller
back to the time when his home was
at Bethlehem and he was a student at
the CniVeI Sity of Pennsylvania AT
that time ne was charged with footing
the Pennsylvania Academy of Natural
Sciences in Philadelphia. and was hus-
tied off to MOyamensing prison.
This cost his rich relatives thousands
of dollars.
Several years later he is said to have
stolen a steam yacht in Jersey City
and got into a peck of trouble again.
Gossip today includes stories Of van
dalism in the old Moravian burying
grounds and connects the doctors name
with the Snyder lynching, sixteen years
ago, when it was he, it is said, who
made the moose and led the mob that
strung up Murderer Snyder.
That DR.. Detwiller eloped with Mrs.
Madge White, of Bethlehem, two years
ago, is and has been for some time
an open secret.
The clippers went to Cripple Creek,
and there, it is believed, secured di-
vorCes, although the doctors first wife,
Miss Sarah Reichel, who now lives
at Bethlehem, knows nothing of a di-
VOrce or even of divorce proceedings.
She and her brOther-in-law, H. A.
DOster, are now at Newport.
Madge White, whose maiden name
was Margaret Sweigart, who was
known as the doctors wife at New
uncle are Well-knOWn Reading railroad
officials.
DR.. Detwiller came here and hid him
self with one of the wives which he
had picked out to adorn his double life.
He did not seek the galish publicity of
Bellevue avenue but the more retired
north end of the city. In Lincoln street
Just an apology for a street, about 100
yards in length and midway of the
block, he hired a pretty cottage.
The fuFniture which he brought to it
showed that his purse was long and
deep and well supplied with funds
The doctor secured small practice
including several of the cottagers of
the more aristOcratIc of the South side
He a 50 had patients out Of town; at
least he claimed to have. There were
times when he mysteTiOu5iy disappear
Ell for Gay or two, and it was given
out that ne had gone to TiVerton, War
rem, Bristol, Fail River and other
places.
The police suspect that those visits
were mere cOVeranCe o. crime but they
have still to make good the case.
But no ore suspected him and he
was well hidden. How that other wom-
an who came to town when he was
Dying discovered his whereabouts is
another mystery in the case.
1t is believed that the doctor still
had d tender place O.. in his heart for
wife No. l, and that when la was strick
en with disease which finally ended
his life II membrance of the old times
that were once the only times to him
caused him to send her a message
which was answered too late for her
to greet him alive but was received in
time to. precipitate the publicity which
has brought disgrace upon his name.
To Margaret SWeigart of No. 1870
Third avenue, Bethlehem Pa, he left
his love and ali that he possessed
The fortunes of war had brought
something to the house worth money
Somehow or other the delicate appara
tus of Prof. WOlcOtt Gibbs. of Harvard
college, who has one of the finest pri-
Vate laboratories in the country. dis
appeared in way mysterious last
March, and all the detective talent of
the state was engaged to discover
whittier it had flown
on his dying bed, when the great
spec1a lists in this country were sum-
mUned to see if there was not some
way to save his life and declared that
/! was impossible, DR.. Detwiller called
the pretty little woman with the golden
ringlets to his bedside.
Maggie" he said, lin the third pig
eon-hole of my desk there is a piece
OF paper which l want you to take but
not to look at until after I am dead
II tells where L have hidden some of
the rare apparatus which I have ac-
CURED in my profession. It can do no
good after l am gone and you may as
we'll sell it. On the paper there is a
request that you dispose of it in Phila-
Gelphia. Do so quietly; it is we'll worth
s. 600"
That paper, now in the possession Of
the police, was a diagram pointing the
way to a marked landing of the stairs
underneath which was the stolen ap-
paratus Of Prof Wolcott Gibbs.
a thorough search was made of the
h11f y,
that would tend to further incriminata
the late DOCTOR
The police have not yet given up the
idea of their ability to connect DR.. Oct
Willer with other robberies than that
which took place at Prof. WoIcott
Gibbs place on March 6.