Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-02-16
UNcLEAN.
A Talk NTH. the Nan VINO WaS
ThrustFre an English Ship.
4 Genuine leper While Flying to Canada
is Put Ashse at Delaware Break
water BY q TerOr-Stieken
CAPTAIN.
SYMPTOMS OF the DISEASE.

PHIL.pELrnIA, February IA few DAYS
sgo stranger came ashore st L,ves, Dela-
ware. from q foreign vcsrel which had,
during the night droppsdanchoe within The
breakwater. He was wsn dressed srd his
manner courteous. Save . slight limp in
his gait and unnatural tinsp TO his counts-
nance, there was nothing sutwarslly 70 in
dictate the pressnps si~A- -Psssia< AaladyS
and the casual observer wosld have uu-
hesitatinsly passed him by - perfectly
healthy man. Upon reachin; the shore he
sought ont private aud rather secluded
boarding place, and there he remained.
keeping aloof entirely from he people
around him.
From significant hints dropped by sev.
eral OF the crew who brought him ashore.
IT became whispered about that the stranger
was a leper, who, for the safety Of his CON-
rades on shipboari, had been put ashore TO
shift for himself The stranger made no
attempt at denial, but on the contrary
seemed as anxious to avoid the approsch Of
his neighpors as they were 10 avoid him.
In the minds Of the town folk the
ExtraSagaat stories
that went rapidly from mouth TO mouth
became generally believed, and created
such agitation that q special meeting Of tho
town council was decided upon TO consider
WAYS and mems to rid the community Of
the dangerous patient. The stranger, con-
scious OF the excitement in the village, be.
gan making prepira ions for his departure.
He was found and questioned by rep6r-
ter. He admitted that the suspicious OF
the people were well founded. lie was, he
frankly but sorrowfully admitted, n lcp-r;
but his case, he claimed, was not danger
Gus 10 those with whom he came in con.
tact, as his symptoms were but primary.
Under cloge inspection the skin, which To
the casual observer appeared sallow, now
seemed discolored aud in several places
blotched The Jumps that were plainly
apparent were painless, aud caused him no
Inconvenience So far ~ his general health
wa conCernCd a il was all that coGld be de-
sired. His sppet'te was good, IN TACT raw
enous, and IN no wise affected by the men
tsl depre' son which many erroneously
suppose 10 be nec' ssary symptom OF that
discase.
How He Becnmc . LrpeS.
These explanations the stranger made
unreserveuly. lie gave his name as James
Atwalc. He waa au Er.lishmsn by birth,
but ND till last summer had been Tor zen
wears o resident Of Havana, Cuba, where
the disease, the germs Of which were latent
in his system, developed themselves. His
impression wa, that he contracted the Ia
trinity while at Madagascar, where he and
others OF the crew with whom he was asso'
ciated were forced TO work side by side with
a gang of natives. a number OF wkom werc
known TO be diseased. The chief premoni-
tory systems which accompanied his first
attack were an unaccountable lassitude
and mental depression, pains In the
limbs and joints. high fever, loss
Of appetite and nausea. The only sym p
tom that appeared 10 him rs being pccu'
liar was the discoloration Of his skin. which
first assumed o yellow tinge, then red and
finally brown. sometimes the three colors
would blend until his flesh appeared to
him almost as variga'ed as a garden In
June. While the changes were not ~ rapid
as those Of II Kaleidoscope, they were IA
him as unaccountab'e as they were aston
ishing. when the attack was over he BE-.
came prostrated.
The Horror oi His Position
became nj the time almost unbeariblc, and
he contemplated suicide ~ n means 10
escape his awful fate. with returning
strength came resignation. lie studied his
case, and, having learned that exposure TO
cold weather was the only means by which
its ravRges could be mitigated, he deter.
mined 10 20 10 Canada and cntera horpttli
in Toronto. IL was with this object In
view that he obtained a berth on the Eny.
lish ship Formosa. The captain, however,
had suImised the nature Of his ailDent
and told him he must leave the
ship at Wilmington, y. G. At
his request, however, the captain
permitted him TO land Al Lewes
instead, from which point he intended TO
| go straight to Canada. Mr.. Atwald, during
the interview, displayed TO the reporter the
pecuIiarities Of the disease ss developed In
bis case. The mere rubbing Of his hand
| created q fine bran like dust Across his
palm the lines were streaked brightly, 20
that In the rays Of the sun they shone like
d S-b.voIk oi silver. This pScdllarity In
his fssh bad communicated u the crov'
"aIm nf hi. hand p.rceptibiy gIistsnsI.
EIr lsfi IAwss in obedience 90 the demand
Il the town council.