The San Francisco call., 1898-05-11
Sacramento'S First Blow for a Pure Water
 Supply.
Prison Official to Be Arrested at the Instance of Trustee
 Paine.
Will Test the Law's Power to Pre- vent the Pollution of 3 Stream
 by Sewage.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SACRAMENTO. May 9.-To test the power of the civil authorities to prevent the pollution of American River by sewage from Folsom Prison, warrant will be issued tomorrow for the arrest of Warden Aull. The warrant would have been issued tonight but for the ab- sence of the District Attorney. It will be sworn to by City Trustee Paine.
 The State Board of Health will join The Call in it's efforts to procure for the people of Sacramento remedy against the evil now threatening them. Doctor Matthews, a member of the State Board, in speaking of the crusade against the pollution of the Ameri- can River said to-day:
 T am pleased to see the stand taken by The Call in this matter of river de- hlement. It is a service the people will some day appreciate, if they do not now. There is no subject before the people to-day more vital than this one involving the purity of the water used for drinking purposes in municipalities. I am credibly informed that there are more cases of typhoid fever in Sacra- mento than have ever been known here before, and I am not surprised at it,
  described in The Call The State Board of Health stands ready to aid in seek ing deliverance for the people of Sac ramento from the peril which is threat ening them
 When asked what remedy he would apply the doctor answered: There IS a State statute which covers the ground and in my opinion should be invoked. The authorities at Folsom should be held amenable, and if they have no means of caring for their sewage, the Board of Examiners, in conjunction with the Prison Board, should make some arrangements whereby the money could be raised to construct such sew age plant as the Warden has recom- mended. There was a bill introduced at the last session of the Legislature which failed to pass. This bill, l be- lieve, provided for an appropriation of $15, ,000. Now, if 1t acquires that amount it should certainly be secured in some way. How can you expect the board to enforce sanitary regulations against cities, towns and private individuals, when the State itself maintains a nui- sance more dangerous than all the oth- CTS combined?
 Any citizen can ask the enforcement of that law 1 have spoken of, and the District Attorney of Sacramento would no doubt gladly see that the law was
 
 called to 1t. You may say that the State Board of Health has declared the sewage of the prison at Folsom men ace to the public health, and whatever evidence the District Attorney may re- Quire will be furnished by. members of the board"
 Frank D. Ryan, the District Attorney of Sacramento County, when asked if the law could not be invoked against the Warden of the prison, replied that it could, and if any reputable citizen would bring the complaint he would prosecute the persons arrested just as he would any other person charged with violation of the law. MT. Ryan said he had succeeded in convicting private citizens of violations of the section referred to. There had been one case in the Superior Court where he had convicted a person for dumping dead animal into the American River.