The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-27

they are verv sure there are not aboard in
advance of them cases Of infectious di.
sease. 1t took some time to run down the
body Of the smallpox story. II had even
been said that there were positively cases
aboard before the Mogul went to SEA-
When the first hint came Sunday there
was not the least indication that the ru.
mors could be authenticated. Everybody
seemed struck with dense ignorance when
anything was said about the matter. and
some officials. who are supposed to know
al about such things. were clever enough
to invent plausible explanations for the
existence of the rumors. 1t looks now a.
though some Of the men who are sus-
pected of telling little truth about the
matter will have their official heads
chopped off as an example to all others.
But this smallpox rumor started ont
with . side partner, which, if a. much
could DO learned as has been told of former
smallpox cases, would cause another sen.
sation. A man who was at the wharf
before, and has been there since the Mogul
got away, said today: II am of the opinion
that about all the Cinnamon who got away
aboard the Mogul were dead" When
asked what he was talking about, he said
ne was suspicious enough to believe that
on the night before the Mogul left about
all the Cinnamon who were not admitted
got away at the coal bunkers. When the
customs officers had got through with the
Mogul she went over to the coal bunkers
and worked coaling till morning. 1t il
said only one officer was left to watch the
Cinnamon who wanted to get ashore 50
badly. 1t is a pretty dark place around
the bunkers, and as the Chinese smugglers
were here in force that night, it is claimed
that they could have assisted their men
ashore If they wanted to do so. and no one
seems to doubt their intentions and de-
sires in the matter.
Deputy Customs Inspector Bidwell left
tonight for the East, and it is intimated
that his head is the first to come off in
Connection with the Mogul.s Chinese cargo.
Just what he did or did not do is not
stated, but he has gone. Some of the OIL.
GERS may have been censured for allowing
Cinnamon to escape while the Mogul was
at the coal bunkers. Some of them seem
to have got away in the darkness. For
the balance of the Cinnamon aboard one
inspector was offered aEy amount OF
money. He was told to name his price.
but he refused to do so.
PoRT TOWNSEND, April 26.-[Special. -
Collector Wasson said today, with refer
ence to the rumor that smallpox had
broken out among the Chinese passengers
on the steamer Mogul before she sailed for
the Orient, that he did not give any
credence to the report. He said that one
OF his inspectors first informed him of the
rumor the day after the Mogul sailed.
when it was too late for an investigation.
He was positive that no deaths had oc.
CURED before the vessel sailed, and that il
any Chinese were afflicted the cases had
not developed into smallpox. He said
that himself and his subordinate officers
had personally conversed through an In.
terpreter with nearly every Chinese pas
senger on tho steamer. and no intimation
was had that any of them were suffering
with smallpox until after the vessel sailed.