The Phenomenal Kraus

The Phenomenal Kraus did not have any Washington ties, but from all indications, he almost did, which could have had a detrimental effect on the townspeople. I know what you’re thinking….

Who in the blue blazes is the Phenomenal Kraus?

Marcus J Kraus, aka “The Phenomenal Kraus,” first appeared in August 1904 in Danville, Illinois, providing free entertainment to the community, as well as claiming to be able to heal almost any illness or affliction with his “Hot Springs” healing medicines.  Within a few weeks, he had asserted testimonials from almost 2,000 Danville residents on the validity of his practices.

Kraus then appeared in Davenport, Iowa, in the spring of 1905. The local Davenport newspaper extolled his travels around the country with his troupe and the thousands of people who attended his shows and praised Kraus for his miraculous healing powers, healing the deaf and curing paralysis. Canes and crutches were thrown aside as people walked away.

The problem was multi-fold.  First, none of it was true.  Second, Kraus routinely paid off newspaper editors, so anything printed about him had to pass his approval first.  Writings in the newspaper appeared as articles that were actually long advertisements.  The public had no information to doubt the claims made by Kraus.  Their trusted newspaper, their only source of information, was letting them down.

It only took a few weeks for the reputable doctors of the Davenport area to pursue action, and Kraus was arrested for practicing medicine without a license.

Kraus moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, and started the same scheme. The grandiose articles in the newspapers continued, with any negative occurrences being a one-paragraph blurb, if at all.

Kraus was arrested again in Marshalltown for the same charge and ordered to leave the state within a few months of arriving in Davenport.

Kraus moved onto Missouri, where he had suddenly accrued a large cache of rare diamonds to display as one of the features of his show.  Outlandish articles continued with claims that could not possibly be true.  The same pattern would continue for Kraus, trying to stay ahead of the posse and not letting the message of his arrest make the newspapers so he could continue his scam.

He moved from Missouri to Ohio to Illinois, and in the summer of 1906, Kraus came to Peoria and began operations there.  Within weeks, the authorities had built a case and were ready to press charges.  Kraus was found guilty of the first few charges in Peoria in August 1906. He paid his fines but remained in operation.  Almost immediately after the initial charges, 31 new charges were filed against him.

In September 1906, articles on the Phenomenal Kraus started appearing in the Washington Post, praising his healing abilities.  It was reported that Kraus would be making a one-week appearance at Danforth Hall in Washington beginning October 1, 1906, providing nightly entertainment.

Shortly before Kraus’ appearance was to occur, it was canceled, as was a one-week stint in Farmington starting October 8.  The cancellation of the Washington event was attributed to a “hitch in the hotel arrangements.”  Kraus instead moved on to St. Louis.  There was never a derogatory word of the Phenomenal Kraus in the Washington Post.

For the next few years, Kraus stayed on the run ahead of the authorities to almost exclusively positive newspaper coverage.  He was arrested in St. Louis in 1908 and, by 1909, had moved to Cincinnati, where he had changed his methods from medicinal cures to radio waves and electricity.

This did not prove a successful venture, and Kraus sold off all of the “obscene” radio equipment within a year and, in early 1911, relocated to Streator, Illinois. According to media accounts, Kraus’ tenure in Streator started off with a bang, but his schtick grew old quickly. He moved on by the end of 1911.

Kraus ended up in California, where he was arrested multiple times in 1912 and put under observation for his mental capabilities.  According to reports, he died in 1918.

Another quack who actually spent time in Washington was Charles Henry Fruth. Fruth’s practice out of Chicago listed many doctors, and it is unclear if he was the only one or if multiple doctors operated under different names.

In 1904, Fruth made two appearances at Danforth Hall in Washington.

The fact that Fruth made only two appearances in the summer of 1904 in Washington before giving up his cause here while spending almost 20 years fleecing the citizens of some nearby towns probably speaks to the intelligence and integrity of our citizens, regardless of the spin of our local newspaper at the time.  Fruth continued his fraud for years after his Washington appearances and died in 1922 of peritonitis.