The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-01-26
THE LEPER GOVERNOR.
Death Of Rsysdale. the Leper states.
man of Hawaii-rhe ReusuueS OF
Sits Amtctt0B.

Death Of Rsgsdale, the Leper states.
man Of Hawaii-rhe xensuUes or
| SITS AmtcttoD.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Our Honolulu exchanges announce In
briei the death OF VIM. =. 'Iagsdale,
Governor Of He lcper settlement on the
island OF Muloksi, sandwich Islands.
The deccasc OF So noted and remarkable
a man in the prime Of life deserves q
more extended obituary. "Bill Rags
dale" as be was popularity known, was
a Hawaiian BY birth, his mother having
beef native and his father an American.
| By prote .si0n he was lawyer, speaking
| English az fuentIy as Hawaiian, and the
| most noted orator of the Hawaiian kings
dom, whites aud natives included, and
among the latter there are many cons
spicuOus orators. The manner In which
Ragsdale discovered thst he had the
leprosy, a. told by himself, ia most inter.
esting, and especially FROM scientific
point OF view. The deceased resided for
number OF years on the Island OF
Hawaii, and had On office at llilO, capt.
tai Of The island. One night he was
studying up a law case in which he was
| deeply Interested. when the chimney
from his lamp fell on the table. Although
the chimney was hot as lire, "RlIl," In
excitement, picked IL up ami set 1t In its
place without experiencing the least in>
convenience, such as would naturally
result TO really sound person handling
red.hot chimney. He reflected Tor
moment. looking at his hand, but could
not discover the least sign that IL had
been burned. He then took OF and put
on The chimney repeatedly, and with the
| samercsult. This experience convinced
him that he was among the afflicted, and
he lost no time in communicating
with the authorities. An examination
| decl AIRED that he was afflicted with
leprosy. DIR, Trousseau, Tor years
physician NJ HOnoiula but now resi-
dent of the island OF Hawaii, made the
principal examination. Up to this time
no person on the island ever dreamed that
Dill Ragsdale had the leprosy, and some
| doubted even alter the examination if he
wss so afflicted. Bill, however, was per.
sonally convinced that he was so afflicted.
The police did not arrest him, however,
owing to his exalted position AS was COM
mon with those suspected OF being lepcrs,
so lie voluntarily delivered himself up as
a victim OF the terrible disease. lie was
then sent To MOloksi and installed goy>
ernor OF the Leper settlement. which po-
siton he held Tor 4 number OF years up TO
the time Of his death last month. Soon
after his isolation from the world and
I l. l.. Il L. stn 10
apparent, and there was none so incredu>
lous as to believe that he was not forever
afflicted with the leprosy. During his
administration OF affairs he was success
iul as he was popular. There were
and are about eight hundred lepers
on the settlement, but by his tact and
kindheartcdness Ragsdale made the most
extraordinary and saddest community on
the face of the earth as cheerful and hap
by as the unfortunates could be. By his
advice the government made many re-
forms, and the lepers recognized him as q
father. One OF the most peculiar and
startling phases connected with thi.
episode 10 the fact that Mr.. Ragsdals,
who was a married man with family,
took up with young native woman On
the settlement OF Moloksi VINO tell In love
with him. She was remarkably hand
some, OF splendid physique, and had al
ready buried two husbands or loyers-foI
both terms are substantially tho same
with the Hawailans free from missionary
influence. Both her husbands, as we will
call them, died OF leprosy, yet the wife,
as She must be termed, was never afflicted
with II. She fell in love with Ragsdale,
and they continued TO live in the mos
perfect harmony, the wife not having
the least fear OF being subject to thu
frightiul affection Of her husband. She
still survives him, and is In perfect health
or st least was SO not long ago. II may
be here remarked that there are som,
seventy.fve individuals on the lepel
settlement who are not afflicted with
leprosy; those who voluntarily eLileC
themselves on account Of the deep love
and affection they have for their friend,
who are lepers, They mingle freely
among the sorro w.sirlcsen, eating out o
the same calabash of pot, and drinking
from the same cup, chatting and talking
together on the same mat, and even
sleeping together still with this pro
7 misctous Intercourse some OF the health,
E persons. Indeed the majority Of them
. meyer catch the leprosy In wcri
they have no fear at all OF II. Who the
successor OF the deceased leper governo
D will be Is not known. lt was believed a
one time that Peter kao, a cousin 0
uncle to Queen Emma, would be Cover
nor. but by influence this leprous chic
Z, has been allowed 10 leave the settlement
. and is now resident OF Honolulu. Pete
, had nice cottage at MOlokai, and, a
becoming his rank, had servants to wal
L on him. During his sojourn there hs
o enjoyed life as well as could be expected
a and had the good will Of the lepers q
large. Now that he Is free, and Rags
- dale dead, 1t will be difficult to find III
d proper man to fill so delicate q duty. tn
Hawaiian authorities have many fault
and shortcomings, but the humanity the
u exhibit toward the lepers, In providin
1t and caring for them, IL greatly to thel
credit. The settlement Is under I'll
taboo that 10, no human being is pei
mitted to enter the dreadful locallt
without q special permit from the boar
|. OF health At Honolulu, lt Ia yery diff