Man Dies in Treatment for Freckles

Knox hats and caps at Alexander and Oviatt. Dec. 14, 1919: George Blaha was given a fatal dose of chloroform by his mother-in-law? Dec. 17, 1919: An unusually large amount of chloroform and carbolic acid was found in Blaha’s brain and kidneys, the coroner says.   Gertrude Steele   Dec. 18, 1919: Gertrude Steele is charged with manslaughter in the death of her son-in-law, George Blaha. Oct. 7, 1924: Steele is charged in the death of another patient.

Dec. 11, 1919: Here’s an especially curious tale – the saga of George A. Blaha who died trying to get rid of his freckles in a procedure performed by his mother-in-law, Gertrude Steele, a naturopath.  Murder charges against Steele were dropped in Blaha’s death because it was unclear what procedures she was allowed to perform as a naturopath. Steele left Los Angeles in 1924, shortly after another patient, Christina Leslie, died when the incisions from her cosmetic surgery became infected. A 1925 story says Steele was reportedly in Germany.