The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-21
WOMAN TERROR To
FAKE" DENTISTS
She Spends Her Time Pursuing
False Practitioners
USES NOVEL DISCUSSES
Her Teeth Constantly Under Repair in
Order to Protect the Ignorant Poor.
The Unique Business of
Miss Como.

Miss Bella Como of No. IA West One
Hundred and Ninth street is employed by
the New York State Dental association
to run down unlicensed dentists, says the
! New York World. In doing this she has
the distinction of having had her teeth
examined more times than any woman
in the world. She visits an average of
three dental offices daily, has her teeth
cleaned at least three times a week and
carries a small fortune of gold in her
mouth which may be removed tomorrow
and replaced the next day,
Miss Como is 80 years old. Three years
ago she owned and managed a dental Of
fee, employing licensed dentists. Her ex-
perence taught her that there are hun
/ dreds of unlicensed dentists in this state
practicing upon the poor and unsuspect-
] ing, and she gave up her office to bring
! these men to justice. She has been so
successful that she employs three assist
ants.
Posed as Vegetable Pedder
How do l obtain evldence?' repeated
Miss Conro to a questioning World re-
porter in many ways 1t depends. l
have to adapt myself to surroundings.
found five fraudulent dentists working
among the poor in one block in Riving-
ton street, and four In one office build
ing in East Broadway. But 1t was mighty
hard work To disguise myself | made up
as poor Hebrew woman peddling yege-
tables was dressed in an old kimono.
wore a short red skirt. and an old red
shawl tied about my head | generally
| followed some poor creature suffering
/ from toothache or other ailment into the
alleged dentists office.
I'm one office the young dentist
! treated a perfectly sound tooth and took
an impression for crown, which he told
me was absolutely necessary to preserve
the molar The next office gave me an
examination and told me that a filing
had Just had inserted was a bad piece of
! work and to save the tooth the filling
would have to be extracted and the tooth
/ reilled. When these men got through
with me | had personal evidence against
them, swore out warrants and succeeded
in having them convicted
| "If | am working in Brooklyn or the
fashionable upper west side l dress in
the latest style, and when l enter dem
! lists office / exhibit a bridge which can
| take out and put in my mouth at Will
! This bridge was made for me by one or
the very best dentists in the country, and
! vet | have been told by these dentists
that 1t is absolutely worthless.
Sometimes 1 am in evening dress and
rush into a suspected office, supposedly
suffering from a toothache. The den
fist will examine my tooth, treat 1t and
tell me that there is bad liberation and
that the tooth must be extracted. There
! is were | sidestep. No extraction Tor me.
They can fill an alleged cavity, but | am
not going to stand for having any OF my
teeth extracted
Many Offices Refuse.
"a great many offices have refused to
do work for me- One man in Brooklyn
who | knew did not have license
wanted to know all about me-who had
| sent me to him and what reference l
could give When l told him that mad
none he refused to take me as a patient.
| afterward had him arrested on evidence
Obtained through one of his trusted pa
tents. From the hundreds of times my
teeth have been examined and treated
| during the last three years l am con-
WINGED that have the most perfect set OIL
teeth in the world
Miss Como has three cases against
illegal practitioners set for a nearing IN
the Gates avenue police court, Brooklyn,
this week, and expects arrests IN three
| other cases.
one of the cleverest Illegal practition-
ers that Miss Como has succeeded IN
convicting was one who was known as
| DIR. George e. Mann, recently OF NO. Sf
Broadway, and as DR.. Arson II, Miiiman
! of No. n9 Flushing avenue, Brookiyn'
| Miss Como obtained evidence asaihse
pr Mann when he was practicing at
No. 2l2 Broadway in 1903. He pleaded
that he had a license issued In Erie coun-
tv and did not know that he had to get
| another license in New York county. nc
was LET off with a reprimand. Miss Con-
ro followed up the case, learned that
"Dr. Mann was DR.. Arson II. Miliman'
in Brooklyn, and had him arrested at
No. 1874 Broadway on November " last
He was fined 500. Then Miss Como went
! 70 puffalo and found that there Is re-
putable dentist named DR.. George IL.
Mann In Cincinnati. When DIR. Mann
in New York learned that he was to be
| prosecuted for false impersonation ne
| fed. and is now supposed to be IN the
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