The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1878-01-10
SMALLPOX.

Mr.. EDITOR The thousand and one reports in cir
eulation, relative to the presence of smallpox in
Severance, induce me, in justice to all concered to
give you the real facts in the case.
When the man Tillotson was sick at the hotel
some tive months since-he was seen by DR.. j. s.
Long, a brotherin-law of Steele, the keeper Of the
Severance Hotel Dr. Long stated, in the presence OF
s. L. Ryan, T. c. McGee, j. II. Ward and myself, on
the evening of the 3lst of Dec last that he and
examined Tllotson, and at once pronounced his dis
ease Small -Por; that he afterwards talked with
Steele and even rarned him of the possible conse-
quences of attempting to hide e erstenee of dan
gerous contagion in his house. After this, Steele
seems to have consulted Gurney, Eclectic doctor
boarding in his house, and Quincy, either from igno
rance to please Steele, pronounced the disease
Herpes a harmless eruptive complaint, commonly
called shingles" As partial paiation in Steeles
case it should be stated that he had just got well
started in business, with than Lis all invested in
the hotel. To publish the existence of smallpox in
his house, simply ruin. He has found, however,
that sometimes at least honesty is the best policy
Not whisper of smallpox heard in Severance,
until it reached us by the way of Highland. To
counteract these reports Steele & Co. declared that
the stories reported by hsckmen and hotel keep
ers at Highland, to injure his business. This, and
the persistent declarations of Quincy and Steele's
whole family, threw the people of Severance COM
pletely of their guard Who would believe that any
man calling himself physician, could be such in
conceivable idiot knave, to attempt to hide the
existence of penetrating a cotagion As the small
pox in an open public housei Tllotson had hardly
left, before Miss Steele came down with the same
disease. Wesley Trevctt was also sick, and, as he
now believes with variolod although. until it came
from Highland, he had never heard the smallpox
mentioned. The most damning fact in the whole af
fair, their concealing their fears from Trevett
and allowing him to expose unconsciously, sixty or
seventy children to the contagion Trevett had the
variooid in its mildest form-but two or three pus
tules forming Steele and his wife were also sick,
about the same time, and probably with the same
disease. The negro servant girl left the hotel WELL
about the 9Th Of December but was taken down fonr
days after. Quincy was sent to see her. and still
kept up the talk of Herpes Even after DR.. J.
Leigh had seen her, and pronounced it bad case Of
conuent smallpox, he continued to deny the fact to
every but the writer. A few days after the col
ored girls death, the girl sick at the hotel
down with the disease Dr. Dulin, of Highland, saw
her on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he requested the
writer to visit the case The girl had the usual pre-
monitory symptoms Of smallpox, but nothing posi-
lively distinctive of that disease On Thursday the
c"ec was stHi uifueSciofeus out VIC ~
result in continent smallpox. On Friday, q commit
tee appointed examine the case and report to
the City Council. On Thursday night, December q,
under oath, before the Mayor and Council, Quincy
declared the Back girl suffering from vaccine
fever. Tuttle, the homeopath horse doctor, pro
nounced it chicken-pox. Drs- Leigh and Dulin, two
Of the committee, not appearing Friday the writer,
by request, the again. The disease had de
veloded rapidly, and he then had NO hesitation in
pronouncing ii smallpox The same evening the
hotel was closed, and its inmates quar.ntned. The
day following, Drs- Leigh and Dulin confirmed my
report These are the facts, just as they are.
Up to this date, January 6, but three cases have
appeared-cne ut the hotel and two in the family of
man named Angstad. Every effort has been made
to con6ne the contagion. Both Angstad's and the
hotel strictly guarded extra police being employ
ed for that purpose. Nearly every one has been vac
cnated or reyacnated: but, unfortunately, al the
virus thus FAR obtained has proved nearly worthless
By tomorrow, tie 7th, Ne shall have plenty Of home
vrus Now that the matter Is before the people, We
hope every man woman and child viii be vsceinated
counanity thoroughly protected by vaccination.