St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-11
DR.. Kilvington Comes Out of
the Council Investigation
with Flying Colors.
Shows He Should Be Praised
Instead of Censured--Ryan
Well Cared For.
Supt. Helm Goes Beyond His
Authority and Oeca-
SiOnS q Row.
The Committees RecOmmen-
dations All in Favor Of
the Health Officer.


The pest house investigation in Min
neapoliS yesterday assumed proportions
that bordered upon the sensational.
After the adjournment of the inveSti-
eating committee Thursday afternoon,
Aid. McArdle, its chairman, applied to
Superintendent Helm, and asked that
John w. kidwell, the hOStler employed
at CarlSon'S livery stable, who drove
Ryan, the smallpox patient to the pest
house, should be watched and prevented
from leaving the city. Mr.. McArdle for
the same reason fancied that Kidwell
would not appear before the committee,
and so wanted him Shadowed. The
superintendent acted with a prOmptineSS
and vigOr that was neither expected nor
intended. He at once sent couple of
inspectors TO CarlSOn'S stables where
kidwell was at work and without any
ceremony arrested him and locked him
up. kidwell, who had previously heard
that he was TO be arrested, managed to
get word to Health Officer kilvingtOn.
That official at once telephOned police
headquarters as to why kidwell had
been arrested. No one seemed to
know. Inquiry at the lookup resulted
in the discovery that he was incarcer-
ated, and, although no charge had been
made against him. his release could not
be secured that night. Yesterday morn
ing DR.. kilyington instructed Judge
HOllins to apply for a writ of
habeaS corpus for KidwelfS release. He
next visited police headquarters and de-
manded TO know why man who had
committed no crime should be arrested
without warrant. Supt. Helm did not
appear to know just why, but he was
certain that Kidwell would stay behind
the bars until o'clock. DIR. Kilvington
offered to bet $500 that he wouldn't and
slapped the cash down on the table. He
further gave Supt. Helm just twenty
minutes in which to release Kidwell.
Commissioners Hoy and Baxter ap-
peared, and after consultation, Kid
wells release was ordered.
IN THE AFTERNOON
the investigating committee again met.
Health Officer kilvington opened up the
bali with speech that was a companion
piece to the attack of L. II. Lucas upon
the committee the day previous. He
said he was there to be investigated, and
not ''whitewaShed," if any charges
were to be preferred against him. He
had gone ahead with his work indie
pendent of any trade and labor as
sembly, and was not afraid of any
barking dogs at his heels. He
further did not care to make
any statement that would enable these
hounds to injure him. He wanted to
know whether he was to be investi-
gated by joint committee from the
council and the Trade and Labor as
sembly, or by the council committee,
or Trade and Labor committee.
Ma r(lln hot hn hn6
heard that Ryan had been put into an
open sled and driven to the pest house
by a drunkard known as Whisky
Jack" who was supplied with liq-
nor, took his way, upset
the sled. and tipped the
patient out in the snow; that at the
pest house Ryan was kept in room
without a fire, and was otherwise neg
lected. This started the health officer
out upon an explanation, or rather a
statement of the case, that occupied
nearly an hour. He repeated the particu-
lars of the attention given Ryan. which
coincided with the statement made by
DR.. Gibson at the committees previous
meeting. The pest house had only been
put in his charge the day before the
case was discovered. He was willing
TO admit that its accommodations were
not adequate, and that the person
in charge was not competent; but he
could not help that. He had dressed
Ryan very warmly, covered him with
five blankets and two comfortables
in a sled we'll filled with straw. The
driver missed his way to be sure, but
the man was not tipped out, but was
simply obliged to get out of the SLED
while it was righted. He had sent DIR.
Gibson to accompany the patient, but it
appeared that the doctor had stopped
for medicines, and the driver had gone
ahead. thinking he knew the way. He
had worked day and night to prevent
the disease from spreading, and had
done everything in his power to have
Ryan properly treated and the public
protected. Concerning the statement
that Ryan was in a cold room,
he said here was a stove there,
but that Ryan complained of
the heat, and was calling for air
continually. Further, Ryan died of ma
lignant continent smallpox, form of
disease that is almost certain to prove
fatal. With semi-confiuent smallpox
about sixty out of 100 persons recover,
but IN the case of malignant continent
smallpox not one recovery in 800 cases
had been reported. He was glad of the
investigation because it would enable
him to give the public some idea of
some of the
NEEDS AND DIFFICULTIES
of the board of health. He had not the
authority to fix up the pest house as it
should be, but now felt certain that he
would be allowed to go ahead and do
what is necessary. He intended to get
man and his wife to take charge of
the pest house so that patients could be
cared for, and to have a cow there so
they can have milk.
He gave a graphic description of
Ryan's condition, which, he said. was
positively hOrrifying, so much so that a
nurse who had had the smallpox had
refused to put the corpse into the coffin.
although offered S25 to do so. DR.. Glib
son, AID. Gleason and himself had per-
formed this unpleasant task, and had
buried the body themselves.
The foregoing is in substance what
was said by DR.. KilvingtOn in reply to
inquiries. DR.. Gibson verified this
statement, and added that if any fault
was to be found, it should lie with him.
He had ordered the driver Kidwell to
go ahead with the patient, and he
stopped for medicine. Having a sleigh
he expected to catch up easily, but the
driver mistook his way; hence the delay
in reaching the pest house.
John w. Kidwell, "Whisky Jack" as
he has been dubbed, who drove the
team, said he was not drunk, and had
not been drinking. He had missed his
way by taking the first turn to the right
after passing Lake Calhoun. He did
not tip over, but the kingbolt gave way
and the patient got out while the repair
was being made. Charles Carlson testi-
fed that he had employed Kidwell
some three wears and considered