The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-01-29
4 LEPER GOVERNOR GONE.
Death Of William 4. Rngsdale, Of MOlO-
EnI, HawaIl--Tbe LepeT Settlement.

san Francisco Chronicle Our Homo.
lulu exchanges announce in brief the
death of William p Ragsdale, governor
of the leper settlement, on the island
of Molokai, Sandwich Islands The de.
cease of so noted and remarkabea man
in the prime of life deserves more ex>
tended obituary. bill Ragsdnle," as
he was popularity known, was a Hawai-,
ian by birth his mother having been a
native and his father an American, BY
profession he was lawyer, speaking
English as fluently as Hawaiian and the
most noted orator of the Hawaiian king
dom, whites and natives included and
among the latter there are many con.
spicuous orators. The manner in which
Ragsdale discovered that he had the
leprosy, rs told 10y himself is most in.
teresting, and especially from a scenti-
fc point of view The deceased resided
for a number of years on the island Of
Hawaii and had an Office at Hilo, capio
tai of the island. One night he was study,
ing up u law case in which
he was deeply interested when
the chimney from his lamp fell on
the table. Although the chimney was
hot as fire, Bill, in his excitement,
picked 1t up and set it in its place with.
out experiencing the least inconveniN
ence such rs would naturally result to
really sound person handling red
hot lamp chimney, He reflected for
moment, looked at his hand, but could
not discover the least sign that it had
been burned He then took off and
put on the chimney repeatedly and with
the same result. This experience con,
vinced him that he was among the af-
hicted, and he lost no time in commuN
nicating with the authorities. An ex>
animation was made, and medical au.
thority declared that he was afflicted
with leprosy. DR.. Trousseau, for years
Apply stefan at Honolulu, but now resN
ident of the island of Hawaii, made the
principal examination. Up to this time
no person on the islands ever dreamed
that Bill Ragsdale had the leprosy, and
some doubted even after the eXamlna-
ton if he was so afflicted. Bill, how
ever, was personally convinced that he
was so afflicted, The police did not ar>
rest him, however, owing to his exalted
position as was common with those
suspected of being lepers, so he volun
tauly delivered himself up as a victim
Of the terrible disease lie was then
sent to Molokai and installed as gov
crnor of the leper settlement which
position he held for number OF years
up to the time of his death last month.
Soon after his isolation from the
world the disease made itself more
apparent, and there were none so
incrcdulous as to believe that he was
not forever afflicted with the leprosy.
During his administration of affairs he
was as successful as he was popular
There were and are about eight
hundred lepers on the settlement, but
by his tact and kind>heartedness,
Ragsdale made the most extraordinary
aud saddest community on the face
of the earth as cheerful and happy as
the unfortunates could be. by his
advice the government made many
reforms, and the lepers recognized him
as a father. One OF the most peculiar
and startling phases connected with
this episode is the fact that Mr. Rags,
dale, who was married man with a
family, took up with a young native
woman on the settlement OF Molokai,
who fell in love with him. She was
remarkably handsome, of splendid
physique, and had already buried two
husbands or lovers, for both terms are
substantially the same with the
uawaiians free from missionary
influence Both her husbands, as we
will ell them, died of leprOsy, yet the
wife, as she must be termed. was never
afflicted with IT, She fell in love with
hagsdale and they continued TO live in
the most perfect harmony, the wife not
having the least fear of being subject "a
The irightful affection Of her husband
She still survives him and is in perfect
health. or, at least, was so not long ago
IL may be here remarked that there
are some twenty-five individuals il
the leper settlement who arr
not afflicted with leprosy. These
have voluntarily exiled themselves OF
account Of the deep love and affection
they baye for their friends who ar
lepsrs. They mingle freely among thu
sorrow.stricken. eating out OF the SAM
calibash Of poi, drinking from the SAM
cup, chatting and talking together OF
the same mat, and even sleeping to
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