Arizona Republic - "Phoenix Man Jailed on Medicine Charge"

Phoenix Man Jailed On Medicine Charge

by Jack Karie

September 4, 1955

A practitioner of the Church of Scientology was jailed here yesterday on a charge of practicing medicine without a license. Edd Clark, 56, of 1811 N. First Ave., was named in a five-count complaint filed before Justice of the Peace Stanley Kimball. Clark was released after making $1,000 bond.

County attorney William P. Mahoney Jr. said Clark's arrest culminated a six-month investigation made by his office, city police, and sheriff's deputies.

Clark, who claims to be nearly blind, readily admitted having conference with a Phoenix police woman and with a secretary from the prosecutor's office, police said.

Mahoney said Clark told him that, "after helping" the two women he accepted payments from them, but he asserted that the money represented contributions to the Church of Scientology. Detective Romona Wacker and Eythel Deuel were the two women used in the investigation of Clark's activities.

Both women declared they told Clark they wanted him to help them clear up their headaches and other aches and pains (all non-existent ailments).

Miss Deuel said she asked Clark how much it would cost to clear up her headaches. "He told me that the amount was enitirely up to me to decide on," she said. "Later I gave him a check for $25."

Mrs. Wacker said she paid Clark a total of $30.

The arrested man said he received a bachelor of science degree after studying five months at the Hubbard Association of Scientologists, International, at Puget Sound near Seattle, according to the police. He said he came here to study at the Hubbard Dianetics Research Foundation which then had its national headquarters in Phoenix, police reported.

L. Ron Hubbard, foundation head, recently moved the headquarters to Washington, D.C., officers said Clark told them.

Clark said he changed his profession from a music teacher to minister because "I really believe in dianetics which is merely a modern science of mental health," police quoted him.

Clark officers said denied that he had offered to treat the women, but said he told them he would show them the way to help themselves. "I used techniques of scientology in an attempt to help them," Clark told the police. "I used the theory of present time awareness on them - first making sure they realized where they were and why."