MTFCA Forum

You just can't make this stuff up.

A while ago Herb posted a photo of a family aboard a 1908 Ford Model S. Someone on the Early Ford Forum mentioned it would be interesting if we knew more about the owners. Well.....here goes.

The Model S Herb posted, and the Pagel family:
As it turns out, this Model S may have met an early demise:
This wasn't Dr. Charles W. Pagel's first Ford. And it wouldn't be his last. Below is a report of him driving a new 1906 Model N:
As it turns out, Dr. Pagel wasn't a stranger to horseless carriages. By 1907 he's owned eight machines, and has already traded for three different cars since owning the 1906 Ford N:
It seems the doctor is an automobile horse trader, with 1907 and 1911 ads to buy and sell automobiles.
But that's not what makes this story interesting.......

Nice find Rob. You should have been a detective. &;O)

I was.......

Dr. Pagel had his share of unforced errors over the years with autos, suffering a broken wrist, dislocated elbow and surviving a broken steering gear between 1910 and 1913:

Upon looking up information about Dr. Pagel, I learned he located to the area in 1899, attending medical schools in Indiana, Ohio and the American Medical college, graduating in 1896:

However, during a slander suit in 1905, he claims to have gained his medical training in Berlin. He doesn't recall specific questions about Berlin in cross examination, and says he took passage to the U.S. on a ship that was not commissioned at the time. Not passing the sniff test...........

The slander suit against the Dr. is dismissed:
Still, as mentioned above, the good doctor simply doesn't "pass the sniff test," as evidenced by his attempt at farming in 1909:

By 1911, it seems Dr. Pagel is frequently in the news. In this case, a peer thumps him regarding things he has been saying about a competing doc:
Later in 1911, review by the state because Pagel is accused of using his medical license to sell liquor:
And a unique approach, injecting a patient with rattlesnake venom as treatment for depression. This one will come back to bite the good doctor eventually:
Believe it or not, this will eventually get to Model T's.

In November of 1913 our good doctor is charged with forgery, involved in a scheme to steal a farm. He's convicted and sent to prison in February, 1914. It doesn't look good for Dr. Pagel:

Winding this long story down, Mrs. Pagel, citing her young daughters, and others request parole for Dr. Pagel from prison:
On the 24th of July, 1915, the Indiana Governor pardons Dr. C. W. Pagel:
I wrote earlier this story would involve Model T's. It will.....

What an awesome read. Thanks Herb and Rob for the follow up.

This is worse than one of those old Saturday Evening Post sagas............can't wait for the next installment!

Rich wrote;
"Nice find Rob. You should have been a detective. &;O)"
You still are Rob and meticulous in your fact finding and car acquisitions.
This is great stuff when the button works.
Thanks
rich

This is getting frustrating when trying to post a series of photos and losing everything when trying to preview or submit. Then being locked out after losing everything typed and prepared.

Sooooo, the good doctor was pardoned in late July, 1915. One would think he would reunite with his wife and daughters, move away and start over. However...........

Dr. Pagel makes headlines again. And as I wrote earlier, Ford Model Ts are involved this time. Pagel and his gang of ex-cons have stolen at least 17 Model T in just over three months:
This Culver IN article mentions the story, with the headline "Petty Larceny."
In the next column of the paper is an early Ford joke. I suspect the two articles were ment to play off each other:

And with that, it's back to the joint for Dr. Pagel:
We've seen Dr. Pagel dabble with early automobiles, start a skunk farm, inject a patient with rattlesnake venom, and be twice convicted and sentenced to the state penitentiary.

The next, and last installment will reintroduce one of the above varmints, and bring a conclusion to this story.

It makes me wonder how many of the cars the "Good Doctor" traded and sold at the beginning of this thread he really owned.

Thanks for the interesting story to read on such a cold week.

Thank you for the kind comments during this "story." I enjoy learning about the people that owned our cars, and their circumstances. I have to say, this is one of the lesser characters to be involved with early Fords I've found.

It's ironic that one of the interesting articles about the Doc was his use of rattlesnake venom injections to treat a fellow with depression before he went to prison and lost his medical license. As it turns out, a venomous snake led to his demise:

Perhaps he faked his death so he could return to the states and start a new life with another identity!

And sell Model K Fords!

Thank you Rob.
It sounds like the ending to a movie, or was it?

What a story! Thanks Rob!

Really interesting stuff! It also goes to show that when one looks at a photo of a respectable looking fellow sitting with his family so many years back? One may not really know just what that fellow was like! A fascinating look at a like not so well lived.

Thanks Rob, great story.

What a great story, Rob. Seems the good doctor just couldn't force himself to be good. Bob

Itoo want to thank you Rob for the trip through time.

Very nice report. Is the car red or were some of them green?
Sorry if I missed the color in the text.
Rich

Thank you men.

I enjoy chasing down the personal stories behind our cars. I think the next one will be about a Model K tester and a particular encounter he had with Henry Ford. He writes of his time testing Model K at Piquette, and encounters with Martin, Kulick, Ford and others.

Hi Rob, I really enjoyed the Model "S" story. Even more than that though, I'm really looking forward to your next "K" story as it sounds really interesting.
I wouldn't doubt that it give us a different perspective on Henry himself.
Thanks very much for all the work you do on early Ford history!

Keith

Very enjoyable read !! Thanks for that Rob !
The Doc was a real stinker.