Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-06
DOCTORS TRY
DRUGLESS
DISCIPLE
KURPIERS UNDER FIRE IN
BOAR DOF HEALTH
NO MEAT AND MUCH WATER
METHODS SHOWN
Prosecution Hears from Its Witnesses
and Defense Will Fight Back To-
day--License Forfeiture
Involved

Marked by frequent verbal passages
between Attorneys Woolwine and Haas
for the board and the defendant respec-
lively the opening session of the trial
of f.. c. Kurpiers of the drugless sani-
tarium at Boyle Heights before the
board of health took up over two hours
time yesterday.
Mayor Harper was chairman and
there were present Commissioners
Dickson, Moore and Newell and Sec
retary Love.
Kurpiers is charged with having OBJ
tanned his license to run the estab-
1ishment by fraud and misrepresenta-
tion, one of the allegations being that
he maintained that a physician would
be within call at all times.
Boards Jurisdiction
The board holds that it has the juris-
diction to revoke all licenses when the
health, comfort, morals or well being or
patients at a sanitarium Is at stake
and could on that basis alone close the
place.
The board examined it's witnesses
yesterday except that the reading Of
the deposition of Nurse Rachel Golden
will be taken up today.
The defense will put on it's witnesses
late this afternoon, hoping to finish the
case two hours thereafter.
Inspector Nicholas Harris testified
that Health Officer Powers and he
visited the place before the license was
granted. They asked who was in
charge and after a long wait Kurpiers
entered. They had learned of relatives
of patient being refused admittance,
and by questioning Kurpiers about 1T
CLEANED that he idisliked attorneys and
q VI.
yers, hence his refusal
Signs an. D."
In his application the name Kurpiers
was followed by the initials IN d"
which is construed to mean naturopa-
thic doctor. This embraced the Kneipp
system of walking in wet grass, hot
and cold water. treatments and sun and
air remedies. AS naturopaths are not
recognized by the boards in California
Kurpiers had clashed with the authori-
ties and once was fined Since then
he dropped the title IN. D." and called
his place "drugless."
Harris told of the connection of DR..
Charles Fl. King now dead, with the
place. King on one occasion told him
he had rented his certificate to Kur-
piers for S5 a month, being forced to
do so as he was dying from consump-
tion and was supporting his mother.
Later as King lay dying Harris said
the sick man asked him to assist his
mother in collecting a balance on these
So payments which Kurpiers still owed.
DR.. John Crump. who for a time kept
Kurpiers' books under an understand
ing by which funds were to be ad-
vanced him so that he could take his
examinations in California for license
to practice, told of methods in the in
stitution.
L.. -a+
into debate over whether naturopathy
was recognized in Europe and con-
cluded that the medical profession at
least did not recognize it.
Women Testify
Miss H. L. Smith, a detective who
made an investigation in the guise of
patient, said Kurpiers had given her
one treatment and then told her to
come back when she had more money
Miss Seraphine Morgan, who was
secured as nurse, said she did not get
enough to eat at the institution, no
meats or meat foods being served. She
added that she was not overworked as
a nurse. though the only one there at
the time.
Miss Mary Wenger, daughter of the
late Mrs. Amanda Wenger, whose case
brought the sanitarium into the lime
light, said they had contracted with
KurpierS that for $25 week treat
ment and an exclusive nurse would be
provided for Mrs. Wenger. Neverthe-
less her mother was SO neglected that
she gave up her position and became
her nurse for over week. Despite
her mothers condition she testified
Kurpiers dunned the patient for the
balance due.
Rev. j. A. johnson of the Hamilton
M. r. church said as pastor for the
family he had tried to make the best
arrangements and because of his inter-
est in the case had been threatened
with suit on the balance OF the account,
though he repudiated any financial re-
sponsibility.
Detective ]. j. Hawley told how in
Captain Flammed's office Kurpiers was
once forced to write check refunding
money to n crippled patient, though
the naturopath insisted that his SER
vices were worth the amount of money
he tried to withhold.
These witnesses all testified for the
state, all of them admitting that the
sanitarium was clean and neat.
Today the Kurpiers side will have its
inning. 1t will be shown that no
medical treatment was promised or
given, the main reliance being placed
on water cure and diet.