Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21
CYNICAL FAKE. SCIENTIST
MADE SOME REAL CURES
i.I C,orresnondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON, November LIB, 1909.
n NGLAND'S libel law is so severe that
r. a charlatan who would be in danger
- of ruthless exposure In American
newspapers has fair chance Of security
here SO long as no dupe sues him. That
ing a joker with human weaknesses and
ailments as could well be found.
DR." Walford Bodie laid claim to wide
travel in America, and to the title of
Phi. D. from university which he
somewhat vaguely described as being In
Barrett, Carolina" If you didn't believe
it. he had diploma to show for 1t, one
of the sort obtained by sending over $40
and something that would serve as
thesis" 1t was unfortunate, from an
American viewpoint, that in the course OF
the trial 1t was not made clear to English
readers that the university of Barrett,
Carolina" had scarcely the standing OF
Johns Hopkins, for example, and was not
to be regarded as a typical American In
stitution Of learning. Bodies pamphlets
also told how. not being content with the
occidental requirements to which his
diploma testified, he had also Travelled far
and wide in the orient in diligent pursuit
of occult lore.
AS matter of fact. he is the son of an
English farmer and has never set foot on
the British Isles in his life; has never at
tended any university and has no knowl-
edge OF medicine or electricity, except
what he has picked up FOR himself Tor the
sake of the lingo. Unlike most successful
chariatans, he did not even try to deceive
himself. but blandly told the court that
his title of m. D." merely stood for
Merry Devil
Yet according to the testimony In the
case decided against him this week Bodie
had actually cured a good many OF his
patients with his rigmarole. Bread pills.
plus his powerful personality, seem to
have effected exactly the same sort or
miraculous reservations to health that are
effected by faith of any sort ana IN eX-
actly the same kind of ailments. For ex-
ample:
Liverpool policeman testified IN cour.
that Bodie had cured his son, who had
been paralyzed almost from birth. he
brought the boy into court, where he was
examined by the judge and jury, and pc
yond the fact that one arm was bit
shorter than the other they could mo
nothing the matter with him.
A woman who said that she had been
paralyzed in both legs and could only
walk with the help of Sticks and leg irons
stepped briskly into court and swore that
Bodie had cured her in one sitting She
didn't know how he did it. but supposed
there was some mysterious influence about
Bodie which enabled him to do these
things Bodie. In his showman's patter,
called it "Bodic force" but he admitted
when he took the witness stand that this.
Ikea good many other of his claims, was
merely 'showman's lie." Florence
Bedford, who said that she had suffered
for years from curvature Of the spine.
said that Bodie cured her, and her mother
also swore to this statement. The cure
was SO complete that Florence had been
able to earn her living since she was
cured as a song and dance artist
There we're lot OF witnesses, however,
who told the other side of the story. They
were Bodies professional patients" who
drew good salaries for getting cured every
night on the stage. Their duties also COM
prised seeing to it that nobody whom
Bodie didn't want accepted his invitation
to come on the stage and be cured.
The cream OF the entertainment was
supplied when Bodie gave evidence In his
own defense. IL one can use this form of
expression, for he made no effort to de-