Sharp County record., 1878-02-22
Bill RagsdaIe, the Leper Governor of
MOlOkai.


brief the death of VIM L. Ragsdale,
Governor of the leper settlement on the
Island of Molokai, Sandwich Islands.
The decease of so noted and remarka-
BILE a man in the prime of life deseryesa
more extended obituary. "Blll Rags
dale" as he was popularly known, was
Hawaiian by birth, his mother having
been native and his father an Amerl-
can. By profession he was a lawyer,
speaking English as fiuently as Hawanln,
and the most noted orator OF the
Hawaiian kingdom, whites and natives
included, and among the latter there
are many conspicuous orators. Inc
manner in which RagSdale discovered
that he had the leprosy, as told by
himself, is most interesting, and es-
pecially from a scientific point of view:
The deceased resided for number OF
years on the Island of Hawaii, and had
an Office at Hilo, capital OF the
island. One night he was studying up
law case in which he was deeply in
terested, when the chimney from his
lamp fell on the table. Although the
chimney was hot as fire, "Bill," in his
excitement, picked it up and set it in its
place without experiencing the least in
convenience, such as would naturally
result to really sound person handling
a 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 convinced him that he
was among the afflicted, and he lost no
time in communicating with the au-
thorities. An examination was made
and medical authority declared that he
was afflicted with leprosy. DR.. Trous-
seau, for years physician at Honolulu
but now a resident of the island of
Hawaii, made the principal examina-
ton. Up to this time no person on the
islands ever dreamed that Bill
RagSdale had the leprosy, and some
doubted even after the examination if
he was so afflicted. Bill, however, was
personally convinced that he was so
afflicted The police did not arrest him,
however, owing to his exalted position,
as was common with those suspected of
being lepers, so he voluntarily delivered
himself up as victim of the terrible
disease He was then sent to MOlOkai
and installed as Governor of the leper
settlement, which position he held for a
number Of years up to the time of his
death last month. Soon after his isola-
ton from the world and his friends the
disease made itself more apparent, and
there were none so incredulous as to be-
lieve that he was not forever afflicted
with the leprosy. During his admins
tration of affairs he was as successful as
he was popular. There were and are
about 800 lepers on the settlement, but
by his tact and kindheartedness Rags
dale made the most extraordinary and
saddest community on the face of the
earth as cheerful and happy as the unfor-
tunates could be. BY his advice the Gov
ernment made many reforms, and the
lepers recognized him as father. One OF
the most peculiar and startling phases
connected with this episode is the fact
that Mr.. Ragsdale, who was a married
man with q family, took up with
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 Hawaiians free from missiona-
ry influence. Both her husbands, as we
will call them, died of leprosy, yet the
wife, as she must be termed, was never
afflicted with it. She fell in love with
Ragsdale, and they continued to live in
the most perfect harmony, the wife not
having the least fear of being subject to
the frightful atfliction of her husband.
She still survives him, and is in perfect
health, or at least was so not long ago.
1t may be here remarked that there are
some seventy-fve individuals on the
leper settlement who are not afflicted
with leprosy. These have voluntary
exiled themselves on account OF the love
and affection they have for their friends
who are lepers. They mingle freely
among the sorrow-stricken, eating out
of the same calabash of poi, and drinking
from the same cup, chatting and talk
ing together on the same mat, and even
sleeping together. Still with this
promiscuous intercourse some of the
healthy persons, indeed the majority of
them, never catch the leprosy. In
word, they have no fear at all of it.
Who the succersor of the deceased leper
Governor will be is not known. 1t was
believed at one time that Peter Kao, a
cousin or uncle to Queen Emma, would
be governor, but by influence this lep-
rous chief has been allowed to leave the
settlement and is now resident of Hon
olulu. Peter had nice cottage at Mol
ok al and asi hncnminr his rank. had