Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-02-08
Chief Of the Lepers.

The San Francisco Chronicle of q re-
cent date contained an interesting ac-
count of the late William p. Ragsdale,
Governor of the leper settlement on the
Hawaiian island of Molokai. He was
noted and remarka BILE man. He was
commonly known as "Bill Ragsdale." :"
He was an Hawaiian by birth, one of his
parents having been native and the
other an American. He spoke both the
Hawaiian and the English tongues with
fluency and eloquence. His position in
the Kingdom was very high, but he re-
signed it voluntarily when he realized
the terrible blow which nature had
dealt him.
The manner in which he discovered
that he was one of the nnclean," as
described by himself, is most interest
ing in a scientific sense He resided
for number of years on the island of
Hawaii, and had an office at Hilo, the
capital. One night he was studying
intently, when the glass chimney of his
lamp fell on the table. Says the Chron-
icle: Although the chimney was hot,
'BilP in his excitement picked it up
and set it in its place without experienc-
ing the least Inconvenience, such as
would naturally result to a really sound
person handling a red-hot lamp Chin
ney. 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 author
tiles.
can examination was made and
medical authority declared that he was
afflicted with leprOsy. Dr. Trousseau,
for years physician at Honolulu, but
now resident 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 examination if he was so af-
flicted. Bill, however, was personally
convinced that he was so afflicted. The
police did not arrest him, however, ow-
ing to his exalted position, as was COM
mon with those suspected of being lep-
ers, so he voluntarily delivered himself
up as victim of the terrible disease
He was then sent to Molokai and in
stalled as Governor of the leper settle
ment, which position he held for a num-
ber of years up to the time of his death
last month. Soon after his isolation
from the world and his friends the dis
ease made itself more apparent, and
there were none so incredulous as to
believe that he was not forever afflicted
with the leprosy. During his adminis-
tration of affairs he was as successful
as he was popular. There were and
are about 800 lepers in the settlement;
but by his tact and kind-heartedness
Ragsdale made the most extraordinary
and 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 lcpers recognized him as fa-
ther.
"Who the successor 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 leprous chief has been allowed to
leave the settlement and is now a resi-
dent of Honolulu. Peter had a nice
cottage at Molokai, and, as becoming
his rank, had servants to wait upon
him. During his sojourn there he en-
joyed life as well as could be expected
and had the good will of the lepers at
large. Now that he is free, and Rags
dale dead, it will be difficult to find the
proper man to fulfill so delicate a duty.
The Hawaiian authorities have many
faults and shortcomings, but the hu-
manity they exhibit toward the lepers,
in providing and caring for them, is
greatly to their credit. The settlement
is under the taboo; that is, no human
being is permitted to enter the dreadful
locality without special permit from
the Board of Health at Honolulu. 1t is
very difficult to get this permit, so that
not one foreigner in thousand ever
can visit the leper world of Molokai"