Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-06
MEDICAL coMPANY's FACTORY
HOME OF MYSTERY
TEN DEAD FELINEs BURIED IN
BACK YARD y
Officers Arrest President of Concern,
Who Refuses to Admit That
Compound Contains Pepsln
from Animals


dent of the Gastrino Medical company.
Sergeant Craig of the University police
station, Patrolman Fisher and two Of
ficers of the Humane society created g.
commotion last night when DIR. Mar
tinette was arrested for inhuman treat
ment of animals.
r. P. Martinette, M. d., is the pos
SCISSOR of formula for the making of
q mixture called "Gastrino," which
formula he and 1.-The company" value
at 100000. His proprietary medi-
cine" is bringing him a snug little in
come daily. His factory and office are
located at 12S West Twenty eighth
street and his daily visitors and Gus
toners are many
The chief attraction about the ply
sicians place for the past few weeks
has been fourteen cats. In the last
few days all but four of these animals
have died and, according to neigh
bors, under the most peculiar circum
stances. There has been wailing and
"meowing" that has raised the hair on
end during the last few nights, and
the~p ~peighbors complain that DR.. Mar
tinette is responsible for the wailing
and the death of the cats. They con-
cluded that the physician was treating
the unfortunate felines with unusual
cruelty-possibly for medical purposes.
Yesterday afternoon the Humane So
ciety was notified of the state of affairs
and that organization in turn notified
the police station. Sergeant Craig of
the University station with the other
officers started for the doctors place
at once. On arriving there the SER
geant asked Doctor. we understand
that you are causing the neighborhood
about here considerable annoyance
owing to your strange treatment of
cats. Is that true?"
Nonsense" responded the doctor.
The response did not come out of the
doctors mouth at all quickly. He is
tall. ell-mustached Individual. with
a serious hearing complaint, so it was
some time before he could hear the
officers query. When he did answer
it was with evident embarrassment
that did not escape the Investigator.
Sergeant Craig began pinioning him
with a close examination. Finally he
asked: why, doctor, you have an un-
usual amount of cats here for place
of this nature. How do you account
for it7"
'Why. I say, those are Mrs. Wood
this company and has an unusual
fondness for the little things"
"Why So Many"
How do you manage to have so
many around here?" was asked.
ooh, don't know. l guess they just
stray this way"
.sBy the way. doctor, it is said you
have a number of cats buried In your
back yard" questioned Sergeant Craig.
KThats absolutely false; it's lie. ]
can't understand 1t at ALL" said the
doctor.
The officers said nothing more but
assisted the physician to the back yard,
and finding a shovel they started to
dig. In about minute they had un-
earthed the remains of a cat.
What do you call this, doctor?"
called Officer Fisher.
That's one of them. Go to it and
find as many as you like, I don't care
now" rejoined DIR. Martinette.
The men continued digging. and one
by one -felines were produced until the
number swelled to ten.
"Oh, told you lie," said the ply
sician, but I'll tell you the truth now.
The cats came here and Mrs. Wood
ward grew fond of them. Not long
after their arrival all of them took
sick and catarrhal substance came
oozing from their nostrils. Mrs.
Woodward became greatly worried and
asked me for advice. told her we
would have to treat the cats. This
other until now we have but four OF
the fourteen left"
Officer Fisher took charge of the
man and he was taken to the Univer-
sity station. Later on he obtained his
release on the payment of $50 bail for
his future appearance before the JUS
-tice's court.
While the prisoner was led to the
station by OFFICER Fisher the other
: .t..4a ,fcs \, nd
went next door to William Jones resi-
dence, 122 West Twenty eighth street
There a different tale was heard. Jones
told the OFFICERS that for the past few
days the doctor had taken the cats
separately into the back yard and
sticking them into the sleeve of an old
coat gave them an anaesthetic and
then operated on them. This perform
ance was generally undertaken in the
dead hour of night, but the wailing of
the afflicted cats disturbed the entire
neighborhood and the doctor was
watched until, it is said, 1t has been
proven that he is guilty of the alleged
inhuman treatment.
Jones Is Surprised
when Mr.. Jones heard of the buried
cats he expressed great surprise and
stated that he had never seen the doc
tor use a shovel, and If he buried the
cats. he must have done SO during the
night.
Mrs. Price, who lives with the Jones
family. said that on several occasions
she detected the odor of burning flesh,
and looking in the back yard of the
Doctors house she noticed bonflres.
The doctor accounts for this odor as
coming from an old woman's clothes
which he burned from fear Of infection.
During the arrest some one asked
the doctor if the pepsin of the cats
stomach was used in his compound
"Gastrino." He denied 1T emphati-
cally.
The many cats, the peculiar deaths,
the alleged inhuman treatment and
"Gastrino"--all of these things are
still shrouded in mystery, but when
the case comes before the police court
II is thought that there will be some
startling revelations which may neces-
state little deeper investigation than
merely the death and burial of the
cats.
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