Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-06
PREFERS A PEST HOUSE.
1irs. Todd VIII Resist ReinE Returned
to MoIoEai. the Lcncr Colony.

Mrs. L. NJ. Todd, q leper IN the San Fran
cisco pest house. SAYS that If she is deport-
ed to the Hawaiian Islands force will have
to be used to put her on board vessel
She says she contracted the disease nurs-
ing In a hospital in San Francisco, and
that she is entitled to remain in this coIn-
try. Mrs Todd has gone so far as to ap-
peal to ". c. PickersgiIl. the British con-
sui general at San Francisco, and he has
Interested himself in the case. Mrs. Todd
says she Is "A British subject, and that this
country has no right to dcport her. Mr.
Pickersgill wrote to Commissioner Powder
ly. calling attention to the womans story,
and giving it as his opinion that she con-
tracted the disease in the United States.
and that she ought not to be sent away.
Commissioner Powderly wired the consul
general yesterday asking what he would
do for the maintenance of Mrs. Todd If she
remained in the United States, or would
he consent to her being sent to Canada, by
which country she entered the United
States.
The consul general declines to he respon-
sible for the maintenance of Mrs. Todd.
and says that she has an income of $40 a
month.
Something of the story of Mrs. Todd $
case has heretofore been given in The Star
In 1872 she was a nurse in San Francisco.
She claims that she was called to nurse
smallpox patient at the pest house. While
there she drank out of the same cup as
leper girl named Anna, not knowing the
girl was afflicted with the disease Her
clothes were also washed by the same girl.
year and half later the fearful spots
which indicate leprosy appeared on her
body. After consulting American physi-
clans she decided to go to Hawaii to con-
suit the celebrated japanese specialist, DIR.
Colo.
He pronounced her disease leprosy. She
was Immediately detained by the Hawaiian
authorities and sent to Molokai, the leper
island, where more than 1000 lepers are
confined. She had some money, and by the
use of this managed 10 make her escape
about ten months ago. She could not get
vessel direct to the United States and
shipped to Japan. From there she shipped
back to Vancouver. After leaving Van
couver she made her way overland to San
Francisco.
As she came around by Canada. Mrs.
Todd cannot be sent back to Hawaii on the
same steamer. This being impossible. the
immigration laws provide that she shall be
shipped at the expense of the United
States The next trouble, however, is that
no vessel leaving San Francisco will carry
such a passenger. The immigration au-
thorities at San Francisco are now trying
to arrange with Gen. Shafter to allow the
woman to be sent to Hawaii on one of the
government transports going to the Phil
ippines. What Gen. Shafter will say to
this is not known. 1t is claimed that she
could be confined in some obscure corner of
the ship without making the disease con-
tagious
Mrs. Todd says that Molokai is a second
Devils Island. She describes it as the most
horrible spot in the world. She says that
she was the only white woman on the is
land She had rather live at the San Fran
cisco pest house, where disease and misery
go hand in hand, than to return to the
place she regards so terrible.