The sun., 1903-11-23
TRAP SPRUNG ON DR.. BLINN.
ro,.\Ty MEDICAL SOCIETY RAIDS
MS SANITARIUM.
uo Wakes for His Pistol When They Land
INN win $500 In Marked Bills In His
packet and q Woman on His Operat-
ing Tabic--Charge, Attempted Felony.


,ns Tabic-Charge. Attempted Felony
mr. +. Gray Blinn, who had what he
.,IIel n sanltarilim at 1856 West Forty
ov.uth street, was somewhat melodra-
.,o,icolly ar sted in the place yesterday
"n evidence secured by the County Medical
;ocio,y and the District Attorneys Office.
nr Blinn har been hunted by the County
vedica Society for many months. He has
,arsistpd in sending out circulars to reput-
ab,e practitoncrs in This and other cities
1.rn,n, months in which he set forth his
,aclr,ic- Tor performing "opl rations re-
nniring privacy and skill and complete
,oncealmcnt from relations and others"
The Gerry society and DR.. Lederle of the
Roard 10. Health ecently referred to the
,o,n,v Medical Society a number Of COM
rlan, against DIR. Blinn. The Gerry So
'sty said that ths offences alleged against
INN in o complaints which had come to
their notice seemed not to be exactly in the
Gerry society line and very much in the
line OF the County Medical Society. Com
missioner Iederle said that he wished the
county Medical Society would let him know
wha, there was in its records supporting the
allegation made to him.
Charles $ Andrews, of Hill Sturcke Il
Andrews. OF counsel for the County Medical
Society, reported to the society that there
was no hope of catching DR.. Blnn effec-
,iyelv bv the ordinary methods. For the
oNenses alleged against him there are only
two ways of getting evidence. First, by
,he evidence of a woman who has been
successfully treated by the physician, and
woman under those circumstances is
never willing to appear as witness; second,
nm the evidence Of woman who has been
ursuccessfully treated-and she is usually
dead
In March, 1902, Marie C. Norris Of Lake
Waranaug died in Dr. Blinn s sanitarium
The autopsy showed that a criminal opera
ton had been performed. Dr. Binn was
arrested after month of investigation
the District Attorneys Office admitted that
it could not prove that he had performed
the operation and Magistrate Poole dis
charged him
A.r ALdrews formulated plan of cam
raIcn against DR. Blinn, which he reduced
10 writing and submitted for the approval
of the authorities of the society They .ap-
proved Under this plan he secured
'ock box in the Bayonne. n. j., post Office
HIinn He represented him mself us ply
sician of Bayonne, using the name OF j.
Sterling Lewis He said that one of his
patients. a young unmarried woman. was
in need of DR.. Blinns services. DR.. Blinn
replied promptly but said that he was
going to Europe and thought that the
operation on DR.. Lewiss patient might
we'll ia postponed until after his return.
DR., Lewis agreed to this.
DR.. Blinn returned to this city about
10 DIR. ]. Sterling Lewis" about the case.
4Dr. Lewis" had proposed. "Dr. Lewis"
asked whether 1t was true that DR.. Blinn
gave commissions to physicians who sent
patients TO the sanitarium DR.. Bllnn re.
piled that it was true and that the price OF
the operation would be $500 and that "Dr.
Lews's" commission would be $l00.
At this point Mr.. Andrews went to MIR.
Jerome, who had recently developed much
confidence in the provision OF law which
says that one who can be proved TO nave
contemplated and to have begun TO carry
into execution a felony can be convicted
of attempting the felony. with PUNISH
ment one-halS as great as that visited upon
one who act ually completes the commission
OF a felony. Mr.. Jerome called in Deputy
Assistants Corrigan and Lord and turned
the case over 10 them.
Mr.. Andrews produced a young medical
student from the College of Physicians
and Surgeons named Edwin Watkins, who
volunteered to impersonate "Dr. j. Sterling
Lewis" in the proceedings. The District
Attorneys Office requistioned Detective
Friedman of Deputy Commissioner Piper 8
s aF and De' ective Bart on, Fritchman's
side part ner," and also enlisted t he services
Of Detectives Rappolt and O'Farrell of the
District Attorneys detailed policemen.
These men with Lord and Corr gan. met
whose name nobody in the party knew
AZ restaurant near the Grand Circle at
'i'ty-nUth street and Broadway. Yesterday
morning at little before II o'clock. DR..
Biinn had made an appointment with pr
j Sterling Lewis" to operate on "Dr.
Icws's" patient at II O'Clock. The young
woman was one who had consented to
pose as the patient, and who was qualified
/, do so. Mr.. Andrews refused to say. yes
tarday just how her services had been
secured.
Watkins cdr. Lewis" ". the woman and
Detective Friedman, who was to pose as
fc, Bavonne saloonkeeper to whom the
girls difficulties We're of interest, got INTO
q cab and drove to the sanitarium. Tho
lnst followed and waited in West Forty
seventh street, near the house. =,
The car party vas received by one OF
the doctors servants. who said that DIR.
Finn was busy with another operation
and that they would have 10 wait; They
waited nearly forty minutes. At the end
oi that time woman. whose dress lndi-
Gated wealth was taken out of the front door
and helped into cab by one Of Or. Bllnn $
u'rses and another woman. The other
woman drove away with her.
The prosecuting party was then ad-
mtted to DR.. Blinn's office. DR.. Blinn OBJ
ocled at first to the presence of DR.. Lewis
a. tie operation. DR.. Lewis insisted that
he would allow no one other than himself
10 administer anRsthetics to one Of his own
PATIENTS "Dr. Lewis" then handed to Dr.
Bnn five marked hundred dollar bills. DR..
R,lun start ed to hand one OF them back,
presumably as the commission, when
fri'chman came in, and Dr. Blinn rammed
TIN" whole $500 into his pocket.
pr Hlinn OBJ biected to Fritchman's pres
eu"o saying that he always operated alone
a"I without witnesses. Friedman IN
sisted that he was paying out the money
aud wanted to be present. The girl also
Legged that he be permitted to remain.
Dr Blinn gave in, Everything was made
ready for the operation, even to the BRING
Ing ont Of the inst rlIments which were IN
a plate glass steriIizing case in corner
of the room. "Dr. Lewis pretended TO
apply arRNh Nhetics, but didn't.
'Doctoi, said Friedman, Il guess thus
la gone far enough. You are under ar
Ie.','
Tile physician jumped for his desk and
reached for one of the pigeonholes. FTitch-
nan drew his revolver and pushed the
Doctor from the desk He observed the
hH'l of fine late pattern revolver shin1hg