Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-14
ABSENT TREATMENT FOR FAKlR
Baltimore Cure-AII, Convicted of De-
fraudinE CrippIes, Sent Up
for Three Years.

''Dr" Theodore White OF Baltimore has
been landed behind the bars Of the Mary
land state penitentiary, where his trial
proved beyond question that he belongs
Considering the number of people that he
fooled and defrauded, and the character
of some of his fraudulent practices, the
three-year sentence and 1900 fine seems
light. It has to be remembered that the
specific charge on which he was tried was
the use Of the United States mails In con-
nection with a scheme to defraud. The
punishment melted out to him is for this
specific offense. The mans moral character
or lack of characteristic false hopes that
he raised in the minds of the incurable
cripples who had faith in his claims as a
healer. the demoralizing influence OF his
publications. the blasphemous combination
of ridiculous Jargon with the names of the
Deity in his so-called seals and charms.
were all brought out In the trial. mot one
mitigating circumstance appeared in the
defendants behalf" Judge Morris said in
passing sentence. But the Judge. neverthe-
less, could consider only the one aspect
of the case-the fact that he was guilty
Of having compelled the United States malls
TO serve as an accomplice in his scheme to
defraud.
In many respects the trial was one of the
most unique that has ever taken place in
Baltimore. The 1856 witnesses summoned
from north, east, south and west repre-
scented thirty-seven. states of the union.
Their disclosures on the witness stand
proved the doctors" scheme to have been
one OF the most colossal swindles ever at
tempted In this country. The mans own
business records, showing an enrolment
OF between 1900 and 10000 persons in the
courses of his fake college of science were
indicative of the easy gullibility of a large
proportion OF the American people.
But 1t was not only the astonishing reve-
lations Of widespread superstitious beliefs
and human credulity that we're made day
after day that gave the trial its peculiar
significance. 1t was the revelation, rather
that was made Of the possibilities OF the
mental and moral Generalization that NAV
be brought about through the operations
OF such cheat and fakir as Or" Theodore
White.
The most pitiful stories told during the
trial were those OF the poor incurables
whose hopes he had raised, and whose
meager savings he had secured when he
knew II was beyond his power TO help them
The most tragic were those of the men
and women whose homes were wrecked
through the agency of the mans schemes.
his uHattainable promises, among them his
prediction of the presence OF buried treas
ures There was that one, for instance, OF
the home that was broken up down in
southern Illinois through the wIfe's belief
in the doctors buried treasure" promises
But sad and tragic as these storIes were
the revelations which other testimony gave
Of the insidiousness OF the mans appeal 10
the baser instincts were even more appall-
ing.
The trial was an unusually costly one
Inc government is credited with having
spent nearly $4,000 in Its prosecution. Bur
Il was money we'll spent. II has not oplv
cut snort an exceedingly clever and equally
insldious scheme and landed the swindIer
IN JAIL but It is likely to serve as an object
lesson also TO all others who are mixed up
in such practices.-Baitimore Amerioan