Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-31
Man Who Kept Shop in Salt Lake
For Sale Of Magic Shoes,
In Trouble.
IS VERY WELL KNOWN HERE.
Made Casts for Deformed Feet
And Charged the Most Enor-
nous Prices For Them.
fiayed the Business Big in New York
And Is Finally Taken In Custody
by the Officers There.

New York, Jan. Sl..-Prof. Matthew
H. Hligeu, who sdvertises as a maker
OF magic mechanico- physiological
boots and caters to the wealthy was
arrested yesterday by agents OF tn,
county medical society. Or. Albert
Whitehouse an osteopath who Is Prof.
Hilgert's chief assistant was also ar :
rested.
The officers found in the Higert house
a workshop where 50 men were en-
ployed In the Manufacture Of the magic
boots The complaint against the pris.
oners IS that they practised medicine
without a license and that the magic
boots, the soles OF which We're some-
times soaked with drugs, often caused
torture to those WHO were treated. 1t
If claimed that boots were sold to mil.
lionaires st prices ranging from $1,000
to $4,000, In court the prisoners vera
held in 5000 bail each for examination.
Matthew II Hilgett, the man named
IN this dispatch, is wen known to Salt
Lake boot and Shoe makers. He oper-
ated here from about 1890 to 1898, and
old residents will remember HIS display
window in the Miller hotel building, on
Third South street, west of State.
II was filled with plaster casts OF hide
ously deformed feet, and models OF
shoes made to tic the shape OF these
feet
For all that Hilgert dealt with shoes.
he was not q shoemaker. He belonged
rather 10 that class of characters whose
chief asset Is a ready wit and fluent
tongue, with convincing innocent
manner that inspired confidence
He seemed 10 make good in Salt Lake
in amounts up around tiOo, but seldom
went beyond that. as his customers
hadn't the money TO spare. All those
whom the News saw today who were
former customers, agreed, however that
Il was his talking that captlvated them
and the idea OF having r plaster cast
for perfect fitting shoe was also in.
wiling TO a man who suffered with the
ready made article.
SOME or HIS METHODS.
Hilgert is painted In bad colors by
shoe men who remember him. Most
of the old men in business recall his
shop here, and none of them will give
him a good character More than that.
they tell Of game after game that he
worked, aud of dissatisfied customers
who finally brought shoes 10 their
shops to have them altered into a wear
able shape. one cobbler named a well
known resident who paid 800 for pair
Of his shoes and the man didn't deliV-
err them til after he went away. lie
then sent them c. o. D. with a bill Tor
500 II was paid, and the shoes would
not At lie returDed them for altera-
ton and received them again with bill
for s25 FOR changes. This he refused to
pay. ana suit was brought TO secure II.
the lawyer employed by Hllgert con-
vincing the man that he had accepted
the shoes by paying for them originally,
and therefore he was responsible for
his repairs The bill was settled to
avoid a trial
CoBBLER SAYS IT'S TRUE.
That these shoes were made purpose
IS not TO It, Is testified 10 by the cobb
Ter who for six years did the actual
work for Hilgerth More than that.
n man wanted possession of the last
and plaster cast which were made for
his foot al cost Of about $50 fake
duplicates we're made and furnished
from which the man would never get
shoes constructed
I NNN Wll ANhWirE Was lNuAll inns
still working as q journeyman
shoe mixer IN another shop. When
shown the dispatch from New York he
smiled and said 40 a broken sort ot
English We'll It Was time Hilgert
was arrested He was a bad man. [
never liked that man. he was a regular
swludiar Mind you ! never had any.
thing Cllnst him He always gave mo
my money but ! saw the way no
swindled other folks.
You want me 20 ten you about some
~ his swindles7 Well 10 would take
b long time. and | would have to name
almost every customer he had.
have SOME " these customers now. and
where he charged them $50 and 800
lm making their shoes from plaster
rasts, as J used TO for Hilgerth, for $40
and siS n pair
NOT a SHOEMAKER.
TIiIgeth was not a shoemaker YOU
know He couldn't repair even his
own shoes. ] went 10 work for him
Eight soon after he came here. and he
was always IN trouble. and making
money out OF everybody lie was nm
odd Fellow, and | think they kicked
him ont. lie had n lovely wife auI
TWO little girls and he didn't treat
hem right He sent them away TO the
'Rst and tried every way TO get rid Of
hem You know Joe Lippman? He
lired him 10 help him get rid Of them.
ana he did help him too He was
good talker and me got a double price
Pm everything
IN TROUBLE BEFORE.
He came here because he cot IN
rouble over a zeal estate deal In the
EAST Hc would Ret customer and
'harge him $50 for last. and SIS for
plaster east of his foot. and then $50
" more for the shoes he made from
hem. Then when the shoes had TO be
Uttered he would charge BIN more. and
le seemed 20 be able 90 talk 10 out Of
hem. II the man wanted his last. he
would never get the same one ., tell
'ou that man was q sWindler It's time
,e was caught and wonder why he
wasn't a long time ago"
Hilgert IS American born. but Of
ieruan pt'entsl His folks resided
In the east and did not
ONE to Utah with him. lie attracted
considerable notice bv display OF his
ilaster casts Hnd shoes for deformel
Get IN the Utah state fair In 1906, and
be old Cobbler who did his work still
las a few Of these casts hanging in his
hop now.