New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-22
POLICE ARREST
FIFTY-FOUR In
RAID ON QUACKS
Close Dozen Institutes and
Museums Where Foreign
ers Were Deluded.
MANY ARE HELD ON
NUISANCE CHARGE
Labor Department, County Med
ical Society and Detectives
Work in Concert to End Evil.


Fifty-four prisoners were taken yes
terdsy and more than dozen So
called medical institutes closed in a
series of raids by fifty detectives, in
charge Of Inspector Faurot. The ar
rests followed conferences between rep
resentat;ves of the State Department
of Labor, the New York County Medi-
cal Society, the District Attorneys Of
fee and the police.
Promptly at $3.50 o'clock yesterday
afternoon the plain clothes men
marched up to the institutes in vari-
Gus parts of the city, closed the exits
and soon returned with twenty prison
ers to Police Headquarters. where they
were arraigned before Chief Magis-
trate William McAdoo. Within a few
hours twelve other men were arrested.
The arrests came as the elimination
| Of two Investigations carried on stimuli
! taneously by the Medical Society and
the Lebo. Departments Buresu of In
/ dustries and immigration. Nine men
were put to work by the former, and
several patrolmen were detailed to in
vestgate the doctors who advertised
they could cure every ailment. This
action followed many complaints from
newly arrived foreigners, who asserted
I they had been robbed by physicians.
Patrolmen Pose as I'll.
Inspector Faurot assigned six men
to make a thorough investigation. All
were pronounced in excellent health
by DR.. Mcneil, of the Health Depart
ment, and then sent the rounds of the
/ doctors, who diagnosed their cases and
said they were affected with disease.
/ Later other patrolmen were sent to OBJ
! tain contributory evidence. Mrs. Marian
/ Clarke. chief investigator FOR the De-
partment of Labor, also had men at
work along the same lines, and George
W. Whiteside, attorney for the Medi-
/ cal Society, and his assistant, William
S. Shaterian, took charge OF the work
for that organization.
Yesterdays captures brought to light
the startling fact that unlicensed
physicians have posed as doctors, dag
nosed cases of ignorant foreigners and
prescribed for their treatment.
Included in the prisoners was DR..
Henrv ]. Schierson, who has conducted
an establishment at 315 Madison Ave-
nue.. where he was arrested. Accord
ing to Mr.. Whiteside. he is the largest
operator of alleged Institutes IN the
United States and his Offices extend
throughout the country. Other impor-
tant proprietors of museums" in this
citv who came within the police drag
net were DR.. william B. Hunt and Dr.
Franklin p. Harmon.
The persons who caused the arrests
Yesterday told of the methods en-
ployed by some of the prisoners. hahd-
bills and pamphlets were distributed,
GIVING the impression to foreigners
that they could obtain free consulta-
tion When they visited the museums,
however, they learned they would have
TO nav for that service, as well as pay
ing for treatment. The amount de-
pended upon how much money the pa
tient had.
Made Sure of Money.
1t was even shown yesterday that IN
some of the establishments persons
went through the patients ciothlng
while they were being examined, re-
porting to the doctor just how much
money the visitors had, and II there
were any bankbooks in their pockets.
Mrs. Clarke said after the hearing
Yesterday that she estimated Sooo'oOV
/ as n conservative sum made each year
by the quack doctors in this city.
at is perfectly amazing" she went
| on. chow much money persons Will pay
/ them TO be cured of what they are
told are diseases. Commissioner OF La
Dor James NJ. Lynch is enthusiastic
over the crusade we nave been en-
Gagged in. and we have already more
/ than $4,000 names collected from the
records of one doctor alone.
Investigators at the courtroom yes
terday told of experiences they have
/ found in their work, which VIII propa-
/ blv be retold when the doctors are
brought TO trial. A vial of radium
ryoteS ordinarily sold at SO, was bought
bv one man for $500 A box of pills for
a seven weeks old baby was purchased
at another place for the same sum.
Another person, imagining he had an
ailment. went TO one of the institutes.
Here he was told the cost of treatment
for his disease would amount to Sl5o.
He protested he had only half that sum
in a hank. He was induced to sign
/ check for So, the initial cost, which the
doctor had raised to s73, drawing all
his savings.
There will be introduced in evidence
at the trials a check for 5000 given to
one of the best known of the prisoners
nv a man in the last stages OF tuber-
cElosis. He was informed that he
could be cured for $500, and gave the
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