Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-04-22
The small-Pex Case.

of excitement last Monday by tn
report that a genuine case of small
pox had developed itself in one c
the negro cabins i'm the old Reese
tobacco factory lot on Front street
DIR. CIV. Beaumont, Health off
Ger, went down to investigate tn
report and found it to be true
Measures were Immediately takel
by the Board of Health, assisted
by the Board of Mayor and Alder
men to have the patient and al
who were living in the house will
him quarantined, until arrange
ments could be made to remove
him from the city and take all pre-
cautionary measures to prevent the
spread of the disease. Upon inveS.
tigation it was found out that the
case was clearly an imported one,
the negro man whose name is Car
ter Russell, being a sort of peripa-
tetic character, who wandered
around from city TO city, and had
only returned here from Memphis
or Cairo few days previous. Dur
ing the day pest-house was secured
about two miles from the city, out
near the Paradise Hill road, in what
was thought to be an isolated quar-
ter, and the negro, together with
his clothes, bedding, cooking uten-
sis, provisions and a negro woman
to nurse him, was carried out there.
The premises which he vacated
were thoroughly disinfected, the
other occupants of the house vacci-
mated and quarantined and all nee
essary measures taken to prevent
the spread.
During the night, however, the
house was visited by some unknown
parties, the patient and negro wo-
man ordered to leave, under pain
of death if they refused, and the
cabin burned to the ground. This
is the tale the man and woman tell,
though by many it is thought that
they fired the house themselves, as
the man was very 10th to be carried
away from town. However this
may be, CERTAIN it is, the cabin was
burned and the patient walked back
to town that night and took up his
abode in the same house from which
he had been removed. Tuesday
morning the authorities imnfedi-
ately set to work to find another
place, far removed from any habita-
ion, where the patient could be re-
moved to and properly quarentined
md cared for. 1t was found utter
v impossible to secure house, par
les not only refused to rent one but
threatened all kinds of violence to
he patient and parties removing
him if he was brought into their
leighbOrhoOd.
1t was under such disadvantages |
md Encouragement as this that the |
Board of Health and Mayor and |
Aldermen worked, but they were
quail to the emergency and soon !
procured tents and Tuesday night !
gain had the patient removed from
he city and placed in an isolated
lace (where, it is not necessary to
ay) far removed from any other
bOde.
To make the quarantine perfect
nd to insure the negro against viO-
ence or prevent his return to the
ity a guard heavily armed with
hot gun and pistols has been set to
7atch the tent and it is safe to pre-
let that no such Gisgraceful act as
nat perpetrated Monday night will
e repeated.
The patient is attended by COM
etent physician and will receive
very necessary attention.
AT last reports, he was doing very
yell with every prospect of final
ecovery.
And now, a word to all, and par
cularly our country friends. AS
efore stated this is undOubtly an
nported case of smallpox and
mere is no probability of its becom-
~ an epidemic here. The proper
uthorities have taken every pre-
measure possible and
xpress not the slightest fear that it
ill spread.
No other case has been reported
uring the entire week, and now
nat the warm days have come
smallpox is peculiarly a winter
isease) you need feel no alarm,
ut if you want to come to the city
OIL can do sh with perfect impuni-
2 and without the slightest risk.
may be well for all who have not
ct been Vaccinated to do so.
So far as we have been able to