The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-22
YELLOW JACK LIAR ABROAD
Those Spreading False Rumors
viii Be Arrested.
Mr.. MlLSTEAD WAS CAUGHT
He Was From Montgomery and Intended to
Take Refuge in Birmingham-Put in
an Empty Car and Guarded.

Chief Deputy Quarantine officer Steve
Virgins is determined to suppress the
false rumors that ans being circulated
In Birmingham in regard to yellow fever.
For the past several days wild rumors
as to the existence { the disease in this
city have reachsd his ear and he has
made a personal Investigation of every
case and found it false in every instance.
Yesterday 1T was reported to him that
r. c. Gonzales, who resides at I'll North
Nineteenth street, had just returned
from New Orleans. and was sick. Off
GER Virgins at once went to the place
and found MIR. Gonzales i'm the b:st Of
health and in possession of a certificate
signed by A. H. Gleman Of the United
States Marine Hospital Service certify
ing that Mr.. Gonzales had besn held at
the detention camp at Mount Vernon
barracks for ten days as required by the
regulations and giving him clean bill
of health.
Comemncing this morning Chief Dep
uty Virgins has instructed his MIN in
the city to take into custody any person
reporting the existence of fever, accom-
pany them ito the location reported or to
persons from whom they obtained their
information, and If it cannot be sub
sbantfated, to ait once place them under
arrest for circulating false reports.
To an Age-Herald reporter last night
officer Virgins said:
81 am determined to stop the circula-
ton of false reports. And any person
who is guilty of circulating them VIII
be dealt with to the utmost limits OF
the law. A number Of reports have come
to me which on investigation l have
found absolutely false, and l will arrest
any person who cannot substantiate any
rumor he is guilty of circulating.
IF on investigation I find that vel
low fever exists in the city, or that any
person who has been in any infected
district within ten days is sick IN tbs
city, the fact will at once be given to
the public. The people of Birmingham
can rest assured that will not suppress
it for one moment If find it true"
The quarantine officers are doing eff
fective service, and it will be impossible
for any person to get into Birmingham
by railroad route without making an
absolutely false statement.
Yesterday J. A. Milstead, who has
been in Montgomery during the past
three days, was taken in charge by Of
ficer r. H. Fowler on the Southern train
from Atlanta, which arrived here at
11:45 a. m.
He was not allowed to leave the car,
which was at once ordered removed to
Irondale by Chief Virgins, who placed
him in charge of City Officsr Frank Ev-
ans, Jr. Milstead was held at that point
until the train that leaves here at
o'clock for Atlanta arrived when he was
transferred to an empty baggage car
and sent out of the state. Several days
ago officer Fox, of the city force, saw
a copy of a telegram that was sent from
Calera to Milstead in Montgomery, tell
ing him that if he could skip the state
officers he would have no trouble in get
ting into Birmingham and staying, and
he was no doubt acting on this informa-
ton when he boarded the train at An
niston yesterday