Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-23
HENRY J. P0Tv|N
IS HELD IN $1,000
FOR SUPERIOR COURT
Probable Cause Found by Judge
Lancaster of Municipal Court
on Charge Of Practising Med
icine Without Being Register
ed-Other Court Matters

man giving the name of Henry ]
PotviH, who had been in the city for
several days ard Is said to have come
to Augusta from Dexter, was arrested
Friday night by the police and lock-
cd up al the police station. According
to cards which the prisoner carried he
is the president of the "HaWasa In
dian Catarrh Remedy Co, of Manches-
ter, n. H.. which concern gives a three
months treatment for s25, and the cir
culars and contracts which Mr.. Pot
vim brought with him were printed in
English, French and Polish.
The prisoner was arraigned before
Judge Lancaster Saturday morning to
answer to a complaint sworn out by
DR.. w. S. Thompson of this city of the
State Board of Registration Of Medi-
cine who alleged that Potvin was
practicinC medicine in the State of
Maine without having been registered
as physician. AS Potvin entered the
court room he presented to a certain
degree a distinguished appearance al
though his clothing was more or less
rumpled from his having the night be-
fore occupied a shelf in one of the cells
of the police station. His go or more
pounds Of avoidupois were CARRIED in
a black Prince Albert coat and pants,
patent leather shoes, white vest and
white necIte. his ample shirt front
being illumined by diamond (?) stud,
on his hands he wore several rings, and
that he had penchant for jewelry was
indicated by his having with him a
Jewel caSket containing more rings and
a stickpin.
When the usual question was put to
the prisoner he said that he was not
guilty-that he was not practicing med
icine but selling Indian remedies. 1t
could not be said that Mr.. Potvin's ex-
animation was not thorough for it
surely was and he was called upon to
answer many questions which he evil
IDENTIFY would not have missed had they
been left unasked. Three regular ply
sicians were present al the hearing
and they We're interested observers of
Mr. Potvin during his examination by
the court and the complainant
A matter that was of more than or
binary interest to the medical portion
of the audience was that Of a little case
about two and cne-half inches square
which the prisoner wore on his person
choice In this case were three little
phials, each carefully done up in cloth.
In each phal preserved in alcohol was
some animal matter, the identity of
which was somewhat of a mystery.
The physicians when shown the first
phial were Of the opinion that the
contents consisted of stomach worm,
but the prisoner said not so-that the
substance in the phial was a nerve
from the stomach of a beef animal,
and that it was kept in alcohol to
show the effect which alcohol would
have on the nerves of the human stom-
ach. The second phial apparently con-
tanned the same substance as the first,
only that in the second case it had
been cut up into fine pieces. The con-
tents of the third phial, the owner
was unable to identify. Another ex-
hibit which Potvin had was card
containing Is discs, all numbered,
which discs he claimed were sputum,
but beyond saying that if ones spu-
tum looked like the discs on the card
it was all right he ventured no fur
Their information.
In addition to the garb which he
wore Mr.. Potvin had with him an In
dian regalia consisting of a buckskin
blouse decorated with quils and beads.
also headdress decorated with feath-
ers. Other items of his equipment con-
sisted of two microscopes and an ex-
cellent collection Of coins.
The hearing was carried to quite an
extent and at it's conclusion the court
found probable cause to hold the re-
spondent in the sum of $1,000 for ap-
pearance at the September term Of the
superior court. Bonds were not forth
coming and Saturday evening Potvin
was committed to jail to await the
sitting Of the court.
Saturday afternoon on complaint Of
City Marshal Tyler James Bell was
before the court to answer the charge
OF permitting minors to play pool in
his pool room on Cony hill. The re-
spondent was represented by Samuel
Titcomb, while NJ. E. Sawtelle appear
ed for the city. There were five
counts against the respondent but only
one was heard. the other four being
continued. The case heard was that
OF Ernest B. Haskell, in which the