A "Doctor's" Evolution

Nominally he is James Empringham, 54, Doctor of Divinity, priest of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Last week he was accused of practicing medicine without a license, i.e. quackery. The evolution of his career has been as follows:

1875, born at King's Lynn, Eng.

Aged 23, emigrated to the U. S., attended General Theological Seminary, Manhattan.

Aged 24, married Ethel Mabel Ruttan of Prince Edward County, Canada. She bore him five sons.

Aged 29, deacon, Protestant Episcopal Church.

Aged 30, priest.

Aged 31, rector, St. Paul's Church, Syracuse, N.Y., an important and influential parish.

Aged 33, became a naturalized U. S. citizen.

Aged 35, Doctor of Divinity, University of Syracuse. He was a community leader.

Aged 41, resigned from St. Paul's for a job with the Anti-Saloon League of New York. He has always implied that he was its superintendent.

Aged 41, became national secretary of the Episcopal Church Temperance Society. He was a vigorous Prohibitor and claimed to speak for the entire Church. No Churchman contradicted him strenuously. His Society purported to fight intemperance in drinking, drug-taking, eating.

Aged 49, developed the Health Education Society, as an adjunct of the Episcopal Church Temperance Society. Wrote a book, Intestinal Gardening. Opened a Health Education Society Clinic in Manhattan, to cure alcoholism, drug addiction, dietary ills. He hired a medical staff, advertised for patients, earned $500 a month. This vexed New York doctors who complained to the municipal board of health. His priesthood repelled investigation as it attracted him patients, especially female patients. Although he had licensed physicians on his staff, he frequently examined patients himself, persuading women (many have complained to city health authorities) to strip naked except for stockings and shoes. To hesitant patients he sometimes declared that he was a graduate physician, although he had no New York State license. Usually he merely conveyed the impression of being an authorized practitioner. Doing that is a misdemeanor in New York. But he was not prosecuted.

Aged 53 (last year), the Episcopal Church House of Bishops, at Washington, resolved that "This House definitely declared that the Episcopal Church Temperance Society has no official standing in this Church." After warnings from the New York City Health Department, in September he closed the Health Education Society Clinic. Very quickly his clinic reopened (as quack outfits do) at another address and with another name, the Emanuel Institute.

Aged 53 (last spring), Dr. Empringham rented a $5,000-per-year apartment in Manhattan. Said his janitor last week: "There was a constant stream of women and girls running into the building after him. Lots of them were beauties, too. But he was never there. It got to be a real nuisance, I can tell you." Upon further Health Department warning, he closed his Emanuel Institute.

Aged 54 (this summer), he forfeited his apartment lease, owing $2,083.35. He was fined $8,000 for plagiarizing part of his book Intestinal Gardening. He sued his wife for divorce at Reno, charging cruelty, and won. Five days later he married a Mrs. Vasilieff Safrom at an out of the way Mexican town. He lost his job as national secretary of the Episcopal Church Temperance Society. He disappeared.

Last week New York police, looking to quiz him for practicing medicine without a license, learned that he was beyond their reach at Fontana, Cal. He had written a letter from general delivery, Los Angeles : "I have lost my position. I have lost all my money. I do not expect to return to New York for the rest of my life. . . . My only consolation is that this whole situation arose through circumstances entirely beyond my control." However, at Fontana last week the second Mrs. Empringham announced that he was on his way to Manhattan barely to face any accusations, medical or clerical.