Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-26
Who j. Responsible!

Who il Responsible:
The Healih Officers a. Victoria
md Polt ToNt.,,!.,i ;. eu determined
that .be blame Tor Introduction of
small-po shal. re-: upon the proper
individual. Tie Ldtli'Y''"r says
tia, Oh lie 81. i..s'a ant, DIR. Minor,
Ucaitu Officer uf Territory, wiote
to Dr.. VIM. ia ksJn, Health Officer
at Victoria, tor Information conc' RI
ing TIC young :uan DAVIS. who came
up on the Ua, ~ and was iandei In
Seattle sick with smallpox III It's
most malignant foim. d.. jackson,
on the Ok. repli.s as follows:
Eavr t. state t!i.t OH the cNcnin-r OF
JUN eth | Wa ri..l,-d g. sue Il man Who
gave IN Mana. - ~ i, ahi VINO stated
| that he arrived ~, u Dthd'd Thai morn
nag. | SAN hiia aEtlil the l"!i""''lS
morning. and Judge, Il his To- he ca." OF
smallpox, ans. reported To the qu;Uantlne
officer that To the best OF my opinion a
case al SmallIoX had arrived on said
steamer. Mr.. lItnley, the Collector OF
Customs. sent for Capt MorS" and III my
plt ScIicr informed INN al NV statement,
Capt. MuiSe sad he WAS no. aware OF
any SICKNESS on the boat. } went 10 see
the man again AT = p. ", and was in
formed that he had lett and gone over to
the Sound Oh the Dakoti.
Considering ms own reputation al
stake, considering the manner in
which he as man and officer had
been treated, and considering his
duty to the people, DR.. Minor, on
the 18th inst, wrole Gs follows to
Prosecuting Attorney Evans:
l have the honor to state that in the
discharge of my duty as Health officer of
Puget Sound District, on arrival OF the
/ steamer DAKOTA at this port from San
Francisco, via Victoria on July 25th, at
inspection.
The stewards informed me that there
was no sickness of any kind on board.
Capt. Morse, however, told me that some
one in Victoria had said there was Case
of scarletina, or something, among the
| passengers. / asked who 1t was; he said
he did not know. l asked him WAS il a
cabin or u steeragc passenger; he said he
could not tell. At my request, then, all
the passengers were mustered on the up
| per, deck, and proceeded to inspect them
and each and every staterOom on the up
per. main and lower decks; also the steer
| age, and every nook and Granny where
| passengers are supposed to be carried. or
would be likely to hide themselves. The
cabin and Steerago stewards acco III PANIED
me with lanterns, the former through the
| entire inspection, the latter IN the Storage
quartz RS. They told mo there were no
cases OF sickness among the passengers.
On returning To Captain Morse he ex
pressed the conviction that the sick man
| Or there was any sick mani must have
| left the ship at Victoria.
1t seems settled that man named Davis
at this time was on board ship; that he
| was landed thtrefrom at Seattle, and that
| he died Oh the second day thereafter at
| Newcastle from a malignant form of
| smallpox.
The Dakota had come from San Francis
| co, by way of Victoria. both ports being
| free from contagious disease. From the
proper officers at the latter place, u Few
hours before she reached this port, she
received a clear bill Of health, although
| the custom authorities had received noti-
| fic;;tlUn u 4 case Of smallpox among the
passengers, as ! subseQuen tly learned
from the Health Officer at Victoria.
The statements in the foregoing
taken Ill connection with those of
Davis himself, aid of Thomas, who
came with Davis, and who is now id
the pest house, lay the blame for the
outrage perpetrated upon this COM
munity at the door of Captain Morse
alone, and no simple denial of his
will now serve to exculpate him.
The whole matter will he investigat
ed at the proper time and Capt.
Morse given full opportunity to
clear up the matter. if it is in his
power to make a different showing
from such facts as may not yet be
before the public.