The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-06-21
A TRUE HERO.

The Wonderful Devotion and Self Sacrifice
of Father Damien-One OF the NobleSs
Lives the World Has Ever Seen.
The world has lost hero. Father
Damien, of Molokai, died at Kalawao,
Hawaii, on April 10; he is leper no
longer. And who is Father Damien?
All the world ought to know; all the
world does not; but time will spread
his name and fame the globe around,
and these will survive pylon and pyra-
mid, outlasting all memorials OF the
cunning hand of man.
Born in 1910, and reared in the Ro-
man Catholic faith, in 1873, when but
thirty-three years of age. Damien,
then in full possession OF health and
fortune, a man of education and refine
ment, "a prince coming to his king
DOM" deliberately offered himself as
missionary to the Outcast lepers OF the
Sandwich Islands. knowing full we'll
that he, in time, would become
leper, too. In 1884 the first symptoms
of the horrible disease manifested
themselves in Damien, and since that
time the heroic priest has been dying
the most lingering and frightful death
known to mantle death to which he
willingly condemned himself. His
decease has been daily expected for
months past.
Molokai. generally spoken of as the
leper settlement, is an island of the
Hawaiian group. and Kalawao is
village on the island. The settlement
is simply prison hospital, none of the
people living there being permitted TO
depart-as none have ever escaped.
KalawaO is three miles long and mile
wide. 1t is treeless and exposed,
Naked to the full force of the north
east trade wind. During the winter
months the climate is bleak, cold and
rainy. In the summer the sun beats
down fercely. The mountains hang
over it like giants.
The lepers were brought there in
1866. For decades before 1860 leprosy
had prevailed in the Hawaiian Islands,
but not extensively. In 1860 the dis.
ease became a scOurge, and few years
later the leper colony was established,
and all the lepers on the Sandwich
Islands were ordered to be removed
thence. Parents were separated from
their children, husbands from their
wives, and brothers and sisters
! from each other The friends and
relatives of those infected with the
| disease, in many instances, secreted
| the sufferers, and the officers charged
with inforcing the "law of segrega
tion," often had TO capture their vic.
y Tins by stealth in the dead of night.
In nearly every case, the officers had
to use force. In April of last year
there were 749 iepers there. 1t was a
settlement of despair and death.
The condition of the leper settlement
at the first beggars description. The
poor wretches had no houses but fimsy
huts, no decent clothing. no medical
attendance worthy of the name, and bul
the poorest kind of food. The oldest
of the miserable features sank into 6
sort of apathy. and laid down and died.
Among the youngest, after the first
few years had killed hope in their
hearts, began what may only be termed
the orgies OF despair. They aban.
doned themselves to excuses. They
made native alcohol and ki-roOt beer,
The outrageous hula Hawaiian Gov.
eminent paid no attention TO them. Il
is doubtful II there was upon the face
of the wide earth. at the time of Da
mien's coming in 1873. such a scene o.
madness, Indebtedness. and despair
as at the settlement OF Kalawao.
1t was in 1864 Father Damien went u
join the Roman Catholic missionaries
in Hawaii He was then twenty-four
years old, a young man OF marked
ability. for whom his superiors pre-
dicted great future; he has attained
a greatness they little dreamed of
One day. after having passed min,
years in Honolulu. be heard his BishoI
express a wish that some priest would
volunteer 10 20 out among the leper,
at MolokaL Damien pondered Owe,
the matter for a week. during which
time 1t was clearly brought TO his It
tention that II he vent To Molokai h,
must not only stay there forever. bu
must. in all human probability. die !
leper's death. He offered himself 70,
the place. and his Offer was accepted
The horrible scenes he met with =
first appalled, him There were .,
many people IN the last agouics. an.
Damien spent 80 much time with them
that for time be was not able 10 bull,
himself u hut, and he had 10 alec
under a tree. The Hawaiian Govern
ment treated Damien with riror
He was not permitted 20 20 out to an
Of the islands near b. Is meet = broth
er priest for confession, and the sheri
! at MoloGal had orders 10 pat the prizes