The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-13
SAM SINGS SAD PLIGHT.
THE LEPER TRIED TO ESCAPE AND
IS NOW n CLOSE PRISONER.


IS NOW 4 CLOSE PRISONER.
Fed In the Same Way = wild Beast Il Fed
Can Mosquitoes Inocuiate Jerseymen with
Leprosy Virus Obtained from sam Sing .
Can leprosy DO transmitted by mosquitoes
That Is, II a mosquito sucks the blood Of n
leper and then lights on healthy man and
sticks the same proboscis into him that no
used on the leper. Is there any danger OF trans
hitting the disease to the healthy man2 The
man who answers that question will lift load
from the minds of tho 1000 persons who have
to live on Snake Hill. N. j.. and will earn theft
everlasting thankfulness II he answers 1t in the
negative. while II he answers 1t in the affirma-
tive no will create panic. the like OF which
has possibly never been seen. Snake Hill is
overrun with mosquitoes. 1ttowcrs up right la
the middle of a swamp. which is tho breeding
ground of at least half the mosquitoes In Hud-
son county. Last year man got lost In the
swamp and was bitten by the little pests so
that he subsequently died. They have been
particularly thick the past season.
Sam Sing. the Harrison lcper. Is confined s
tho pest house at tho hill. Tho mosquitoes
have troubled him more than his disease.
When they get through with him they go Off
and suck the blood OF healthy victims through
the same proboscis that they used on him. A
great many OF tho 1000 persons ut the hill
argue that II lcprosy is contagious. no better
way OF transmitting 1t could be found than by
the proboscis OF ono OF these mosquitoes.
Thoy are frightened. They have been dread
ing mosquito as they would a rattlesnake.
and a band OF tho pests have on more than one
occasion created almost panic. Canopies
were unknown before Sam Sing came to the
hill. Now every ono who can afford one has
one. Some folks arc thoroughly frightened at
the possibility Of catching the disease from
the mosquitoes. and they go about continually
supposed preventives of mosquito bites.
Sam Sing ia officially declared nuisance.
and the e. ny will bos te r ID
the county OF his presence but it was. only to
iniiict himself on some other community and
On Friday afternoon newspaper man called
quarters. lie looked about for him: Ten min;
utes later he caught sight Of him flying like "A
possessed down the side Of the hin
aty Keeper stsrtsd after the iener Near
the, edge OF, the swamp Sam looked
stopped running and stood deiectsdiy where
he had stopped until the keeper came Hp and
no% IN soay win sma
there Until way can be found to get
keepers are afraid of him. They will not even
HE He has one niate knife and fork, and cup
and saucer. The man who feeds him is care
nr n Ga S o Kim or to %sn t
respect as If he were wild beast. They pre-.
his food and it. i time to !,
him. HTh Then they put ths iesd ep i and 20
washes hs Gshrs has noSg
read. no one TO talk to. and absolutely nothing
!ns st the hil Sty On SEM
Then sam would 90 ana lie under tie trees
tho foot Of the hill. His attempt to escape on
Friday has stopped that. and lie will get no
wh ne get Mafh Kim
and talked with him yesterday afternoon. He
was crouchcd up, in his cot and completely
Sum said he hated the place and the keep
said. From the iii w hers he was vas" exercising
he saw the houses in the distance. He started
"a in the direction where the houses looked to
limo right across the county 70 reach them
1t is well that he did not get further away than
got into the swamp he might have been bitten
e death by the MOSQUITOES; like the other man.
China. He would 60 to Vancouver and
ssheerf%%Iy when hs SPOKE PIE # this proGosYd
two New York lepers who Went to Vancouver
and were sent back in a sealed freight car be-
cause the ships refused to carry them. He
became Respondent Mt once. but he frightened |
up again when DR.. King told him he was going |
to try. and find n boat that would take him
from New York city. The disease is making |
rapid progress in Sam Sing. and ii he does not |
start for China very soon he may never reach |
there
The things that bothers u.s." said DR.. King |
yesterday, are the mosquitoes that bother |
SAM" The Doctor would not say whether he |
thought it possible for mosquitoes to trans |
nit the disease. There is IL chance for somo |
enterprising ship owner or master. who sails |
his ship from this port to China. to make |
money He can fix his price at almost any
figure. within reason and the Hudson county |
officials will pay it to get rid of Sam Sing. II |
he will take Sam Sing, he can probably also
take tx the two New York leperTs at North Brother
small part Of his ship for them and there will |
be no danger Of himself or any OF his men con- |
tracing the disease. They can simply steer |
clear Of that part Of the ship and when they |
can fumigate 1t. Very possibly the fare tina. |
could be collected from these three leper3 |
would pay a good part of the expenses of u |
voyage.