The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-17
EvADING QUARANTINE.
A Captains Perjury Results in Dsath
From Yellow Fever.
from the Philadelpbia Record !

From the Philadelphia Recordl
The Board of Health took decided action
Tuesday against the captain of the barkentine
Clara E. McGilvery, proceeding so far as to in
struct the City Solicitor to prosecute the cap
tain on two charges. 1t will be remembered
that this vessel, in charge of Captain Clifford,
arrived at the Lazaretto on the evening pre-
ceding the last day of the quarantine regula-
tons. The following morning the vessel and
crew were regularly inspected by quarantine
physicians Robinson and Cummings. The
steward was missing and Captain Clifford ex-
planned to the doctors that he had died upon
the voyage from injuries received by falling
down the steps Of the vessels gangway
In addition to this explanation the captain
was required to take oath and answer the regu-
lar questions propounded to captains. The
twelfth inquiry is: "Have you had sickness
of any kind on board since you left port?" 10
this question the captain answered, "No," and
upon the strength of this no further investiga-
ton was made as to the cause of the stewards
death, and the craft was permitted to come to
this city. Her cargo was sugar, and this was
at once unloaded. During the process, how
ever, the second officer of the vessel, Robert
Colcord, was taken sick, and after being at
tended by several physicians he was removed
to the Jefferson Hospital, where it was devel-
oped that the officer was suffering from yellow
fever, and he was removed to the Municipal
Hospital, where he died on the It'll inst.
The development of yellow fever in the case
of the second officer led Port Physician Leidy
to make further investigation of the cause Of
to DR.. Leidy the story that the steward had
died from fall, but the doctor demanded to
see the log-book of the vessel, and there he
found the following entry under date of Sep
TENDER 10:
Steward died from some kind OF fever, not
knowing what kind, his clothes were thrown
overheard by order of the MASTER
Under Ehese circumstances the vessel was
taken in Charge by the health authorities and
properly fumigated: The captain was also re-
tanned on board These facts were reported to
the Board of Health Tuesday and attention
called to the fact that the captain, in deceiving
the quarantine officers, had violated law en-
failing severe penalty.
The Board decided to release the vesse Hput
ordered the prosecution of the captain. Health
Officer Addicks Immediately transferred the
papers in the case to City Solicitor West who
advised the health authorities not to allow the
vessel to depart from quarantine regulations
until he could take the necessary steps for the
arrest of the captain Under this advice the
Lazaretto Committee of the Board of Health
decided to override the order of the Board and
detain the vessel and captain.
Solicitor West says that, as the offence was
committed in Delaware county, the process OF
arrest must be issued in that county.
Late Tuesday afternoon Port Physician
Leidy received notice from Health Officer Adj
dicks to hold the vessel This latter officer re-
CARDS the case as serious, inasmuch as captains
as rule, have for years used artifice in pas
sing the quarantine with infected vessels, and
thus endangering the health of the city. He
referred to the case of the brig Home, which
passed the quarantine in 1870, and failed to
make report of the death of the steward, who
had died on the voyage from yellow fever.
The result was that Quarantine Physician
Thompson and his wife caught the disease
from the craft, and both died from its effects.
The scourge was also communicated to several
other people at the Quarantine, as well as in
the city, resulting in the death of over forty
people. This captain escaped Punishment, and
the doctor is of the opinion that an example
should be made of some one.
Captain Clifford will be charged with two
the Justification of his returns;
and second, with perjury, in having testified
falsely in saying the returns were correct.