The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-29
O'DONNELL' S MISSION.
Showing the Horrors of Leprosy by
Practical Illustration.
Two Workable Cases To BE Exhibited
Opposite Plymouth Church--SOme
Horrible Eesails--A Chat with
The Missionary.

CHICAGO, July Cdr. C. c. ODonnell, Of
San Francisco, is ON a mission through the
United States to show the people the horrors
of Chinese immigration as illustrated in the
prevalence OF leprosy among the Celestials.
He has two lepers with him whom he ships
by cattle cars, and proposes to exhibit them
in this city If he is permitted. In an inter
view with IA reporter the doctor said:
Look al these pictur s. bringing from
large case paste boards me isuing about three
by four feet On these we've shown ictures
of people suffering from leprosy. Every
phase was shown by the photographers art,
from the reddish, shining, prominent spots of
the first appearance TO the stage when the
fingers, bones and nails drop off, rotted
away. These pictures were horrible, dis
gushing, and convert to DR.. ODon-
nelps crusade was Immediately gained III
tie person If the reporter, provided,
however that his part Of the work could
be done at n safe distance A frame Ill
which were about eighteen pictures shown
contained leperS of nearly all nationalities.
This is an Indian" said DR.. ODonnell,
pointing to one who was fearfully diseased;
this one is an Englishman, this an Italian
Eil, lhlS II \hltAtNS Slii7 AiC Nbh0iIluVNAs oiiN
each showed a more loathsoIne face than the
other.
Are the subjects all from San Francisco"
tue reporter asked.
"Hes, sir; they are, and whore you have
thousand or more to draw from at any time
it is not difficult to get as many as you want,
See this taking up another picture of a gil
whose limbs We're terribly swollen; that is
the picture Of what was once as pretty a girl
as San Flanci. c. had Her name was Miss
jennie Jensia., and she was the organist of
Grace church. The family had their laundry
work done by Il Chinaman, and this
girl and her two sisters got the
disease from wearing clothing washed
by a lepar The disease, sir is dreadful,
and one can't realize it until he has
seen those things as they are. Here is an
other, drawing forth the picture Of man
whose head was swollen three times its nat
ural size Large layers of white blotched
flash hung over his eyes, and his flesh was
scanned and SCARED in sickenng manner.
That" said the gentleman, lis Chinese
cigar-make He has been in that condition
for some time, andhas been engaged in the
manufacture of cigars right along The re-
porter here threw his cigar case ont of the
window.
These lepers live in subterranean passages,
which are almost thirty OF forty feet under
the streets, and as many as sixty live in a
room no larger than this one, said DR..
ODonneil CHANGING around him. The whole
of Chinatown is honeycombed in that fash
ion, aud when it is known any of them have
the leprosy they are slowed away out of
sight, 50 that the authorities, provided they
had not been paid not to interfere with
them could not find them readily. They are
kept at work making cigars, under
clothing, etc They are never seen on the
streets, and after ii time, on account of the
disease they become totally blind. In 1881"
the doctor went on, Il Was showing a couple
of lepers through the streets of San Francisco
and n summons was served on me | at
tended the court, accompanied by number
of leperS. For want OF jury and witnesses
the case was continued. the judge, myself and
the lepers alone remaining in the courtroom
There is one thing | would like to say in
regard to Mi Beechcr, and that is this:
When he was i'll San Francisco he accompa-
MED me through Chinatown, and he was so
shocked and sickened that he was like to die
IlttCutT Siiu iIGH Ludb 1t HdI bIltH lutdGutIi
about hell, but mans conception of horrors
was too faulty to correctly depict such a
place as that. Now when he went back east
what did he dog asked DR.. O'Donnell
The reporter did not remember what
Beecher had done on that special occasion.
"Well, he went back and told his people
that the Chinese were clean and peaceable
set. Now, for that am going to speak in
front of Mr. Beechers church and tell the
people just what | have seen there. | will
take the lepers to Philadelphia, New York
Brooklyn, and when get them to Washing
ton | intend to let them stay there, and let
the government see how thing are i'll San
Francisco
DO you think there are any lepers in Chi
cago, doctor!'
Yes, sir. | was passing along the streets
and saw Chinese leper. | know the sym
toms too well to be mistaken, and while he
was in the first stages, it was sure case.
The man was making up bundle OF clothing
when passed"
The doctor had an interview with DR.. De
Wolf, health officer, and asked permission to
SHOW" here, but was refused, the law being
explicit on the subject