Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-30
DEATH OF WILLIAM OWENS
The Smallpox Claimed Its Third Victim
This Morning
No New Cases Found Today and the
Health Authorities Pleased With
the Situation.

SITUATION Delng the death OF VIM. owens
this morning and the discovery of a case
Of the disease at Hyattsville. Md, In the
person of Van Buren, Norwood. an employe
of the Interior Department. There was
rumor today also of a case of another en-
ploye at Garrett Park, which could not be
verified.
Two suspicious cases were reported In the
city. but neither of them proved to be
smallpox. At o'clock this afternoon
Health Officer Woodward was well pleased
with the situation. No new case had been
discovered today nor was there even
suspicious case which needed investigating.
Thus far he was satisfied that all the cases
had been infected from the Coston family,
which showed to his mind that there Is no
epidemic, and he hopes that the last case
has appeared.
sent In the bulletin: 'The patients are all
doing remarkably WELL"
Another Death.
civilian Owens died about o'clock this
morning Others are all doing WE'LL" This
was the . o'clock bulletin posted in front
of the health office this morning.
THE smallpox situation Is encouraging
said Health officer Woodward to a Star re-
porter soon after the bulletin was posted.
The death Of young Owens has caused no
great amount of surprise, for his case has
been regarded as the most serious case in
the smallpox hospital. Being a mere boy,
he did not seem to fully realize the danger
of his disease, and DR.. hewitt experienced
considerable trouble in giving him proper
treatment.
Yesterday he became much worse, as was
shown in the bulletins received from the
hospital, ard his death was not unexpected
Besides this one death. making the third
yesterday. The victim Is Samuel Munde
colored. forty years old, who lived at 433
4th street northeast. He Is an uncle Of
Mary Mundel, the domestic In the Coston
family who died in the hospital last week.
Case at Hyattsville.
In addition to this, another case has de-
veloped. The patient in this case Is Van
Buren, Norwood. a census office employe
He is at his home in Hyattsvile. Surgeon
Gen. Wyman sent word to DIR. Wells ut
Hyattsville last night and the latter turn
ed the case over to DIR. Richardson. This
morning word was received at the health
office that DR.. Keenan, of the census office
had been out to see the patient and had pro-
nounced his case one Of smallpox.
Looking for the Woman.
Concerning the reported death Of Lettie
Mundel at Pisgah, Nd. the Maryland OFF,
GERS have been unable to even find the wo-
man and could not therefore verify the
rumor. Surgeon Gen. Wyman. however, is
determined to find the whereabouts of the
woman and ascertain just what is her con-
dition If she has not died. To this end ne
sent one OF his corps of surgeons to ely
mont today with instructions to make a
thorough investigation.
A sad Ending.
VIM. NJ Owens, the young man who died
at the hospital this morning. was the
youngest son of the late Colonel James f..
Owens. a famous hotel proprietor, for many
years at Atlanta, Ga. He was a rather
delicate boy of seventeen years old last
January, and was the support of his
mother and always a kind and loving
son. When he was taken sick last Friday
night he was most tenderly and carefully
nursed by his mother and sister day and
night until the following Wednesday, when
the nature of his sickness was discovered
for the first time, and he was then removed
to the hospital, but against the desire or
wish of his mother and sister. The shock
of his death this morning was terrible
one to his mother and sister, as we'll as to
his many friends in the city and among his
associates in the Interior and Census De-
partments.
When the death of young Owens was
made known at the health office the ques-
ton of giving him a decent burial was dis
cussed 1t seems to be the general impress
sion that all persons who die in the hos
pital must be buried in potter's field. but
such is rot the case. Physicians. as a rule,
body after death and the health officer
said that the wrapping of the body in a BIZ
chloride cloth would be sufficient. He would
not permit n public funeral, nor would he
give permission for the removal of the body
from the city. The body of the deceased
was taken to the dead house soon after he
expired. Today arrangements were made
for the interment, which will take place in
Congressional cemetery about o'clock this
afternoon. The body will be removed from
the dead house to the cemetery by the
health employees at the quarantine station.
Another Nurse.
Another trained nurse was sent to the
smallpox hospital yesterday. DIR. hewitt
Is the only physician there, and he now
has two trained nurses, as well as the as
sistance of the man and his wife who &C.
cupy the hospital when there are no "a
tientS there. Everything at the quarantine
station is In good working order, and the
steam fumigator and the steam disinfec-
tor arrived here today from Philadelphia
They will probably be in working order this
afternoon or tomorrow morning.
Getting Vnccinntcd.
Pupils in the public schools who have not
been vaccinated are being kept away from
school, the result being that there are
many vacant seats in the schools just now
Reform school.
In view of the smallpox in the city the
authorities of the reform school think 1t
advisable to request the parents and friends
of the boys not to go out to see them until
the health officer of the District declares the
city free from the disease. In this the
physician Of the school concurs, who has,
by direction of the president of the board
of trustees, vaccinated all the officers and
boys who have not heretofore been vacci-
mated.