St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-12
Three Cases OF the Virulent
Disease Unearthed in the
Heart of the City.
Two Employees Taken From
the Merchants to the
Pest House.
Doctors Suggest the Tempor-
ary Closing of the Popu-
lar Hostelry.
The State Board Of Health
Meet To-Day to Discuss
the Situation.

Once again that dreaded pestilence-
the small-pox-has appeared in our
midst. For two years the city has been
free from contagious diseases to any
extent, and when any signs of an cpl
demlc were apparent, prompt and eff
heient measures were taken by Health
commissioner HOyt and his able corps
OF assistants, and to ST. PauPs health
department great credit is due for the
low death rate in the past. For what
reason smallpox should develop in our
midst. Its cause or origin, at the COM
mencement of the summer season, it is
hard 10 even conjecture. but the warm
weather IS mighty factor in quickly
putting down what might, in cold
weather, become epidemic. As it is,
there Is absolutely no cause tor alarm,
as a rigid quarantine has been institut-
ed, and every precaution thrown around
to protect the public and those in prox-
unity TO infected places.
Waiter DawknS, a colored boy. has
been employed at the Merchants hotel
Tor some time past III the capacity of
bell boy. About the middle of last week
he complained of not feeling well, and
Friday was compelled TO give up his
work and remain in bed at his boarding
house on the corner of jackson and
Ninth streets. As he did not improve
DR.. Paxton was called and prescribed
for the young man. It was not until
Wednesday. however, that the ailment
reached such stage as to show signs of
being ylrulent contagious disease, and
then 1t was plainly discernable that the
young man was suffering from small
poX. Health Commissioner HOyt was
at once notified, and upon visiting the
place
Saw at Glance
that a serious case of smallpox was
raging. He at once summoned his dep
uIieS, who quaIantined the house, aud
late at night removed the unfortunate
TO the pest house OH Dale street. 10
this summary removal DawkinS strenu-
ously objected, and even went so far as
to attempt TO escape EN- route, but was
frustrated by Health 0f1icer Sinks. In
the meantime the infected bedding and
furniture OF the room was burned,
and the landiady, Mrs. Jennie Adams,
and two other inmates vaccinated.
There were several other young
men roomlng in the house, but they
were placed under strict surveillance.
and Will not have chance to mingle
with the public for the next nine DAYS,
Health Officers Green, Scannell. Le
Clair and JarShshek standing siX-hour
watches in guarding the quarantined
house and its inmates. One of the male
members got somewhat refractOrvat his
enforced imprisonment yesterday after
noon, and undertook 20 leave the house
without regard TO the officer, who
warned him to keep within doors, but
the sight of pistol III the officers grasp
suftced as peremptory warning, and
the IellOW quickly hied him to the inner
portals.
Hardly had this case of smallpox been
digested than Health Commissioner
HOyt was hurried post haste to the Mer-
chants hotel, as it was feared that three
other employees were sick with the
noisome disease. Upon his ar
rival he found CONSERVATION reign
ing among the help, and it was
hard to tell who was afflicted
with the cOntagion and who was not.
He found, howeyer,afLer rigid search,
that Mary Hempton, chamhermaid,
and Casper Peter, who has been in
charge OF the hotel billiard room,
showed unmistakab!e signs of small
pox, and he Immediately had them
placed in an ISOLATED portion of the
house, and guard set over them. An
other woman was subsequently taken
sick, and it was nOised abroad That she
also was smallpox victim, but this
was found TO be untrue, as she had but
an ordinary complaint. Proprietor Welz,
of the hotel, did his utmost to guard the
quarters where the sick ones lay, aud
prevent further spread of the disease,
and thereby greatly aided the health
officers in the discharge Of their duty.
At $50 o'clock Health Officer 1Oyt and
officer Sinks made preparations for the
removal OF the
Man and Woman
to the pest house. Upon the arrival Of
the pest wagon Peter, who was able to
dress and walk down stairs. was placed
in the vehicle and rapidly driven to the
smallpox hospital, and an hour later the
woman was taken out.
When interrogated by GLOBE re-
porter ON the matter last evening DIR.
Hoyt said: "Of course it is hard to tell
just how far this disease may possibly
spread, but L hardly think we shall have
any more unless some one wantonly
spreads it. Where Dawkins contracted
the disease it is hard to say, as there
seems to be no possible chance for him
to have got it from any one in the hotel.
These two last cases are of mild form,
and it is more a matter of precaution
than of necessity that | caused their re-
moyal to the pest house."
After the removal of the sick people
from the hotel Officer Sinks thoroughly
fumigated the rear portion of the house,
and used every precaution to prevent a
further spread. A rigid watch, how
ever, will be kept on the hotel for sew
eral days to come.
In view of the fact that in 1872 an
epidemic arose in the hotel from small
pox and spread TO a considerable extent
about the city, the local physicians are
of the unanimous opinion that DR.. Hoys
should at once order the Merchants
hotel closed and quarantine it for a
time in order that no risk as to further
spread of the disease about the hotel be-
caused.
DR.. Hoyt is determined at any cost to
prevent the possibility of further
spread and proposes to take extreme
measures if necessary.
Dr. Ancker, to whom is entrusted
the medical care of the patients. says
that while Dawkins has a virulens
type Of smallpox, his condition is such
that his recovery is fully expected.
The Kempton woman and Peter are
very light cases and will undoubtedly
be well in short time. Besides the
sick woman there are eleven girls EN-
pl0yed and in daily contact with her,
who are IN danger of catching the dis
ease. and these have been placed in
strict quarantine. and an officer keeps
guard over them.
A special meeting OF the state board
of health will be held to-day. at which
DIR. Hoyt will be present and the sitga-
ton : = its phases fully discussed.