The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1899-05-18
AN EXPLANATION,

which Is sell explanatory, ana IN
Justice to Mr., Hinton and the citi-
zrns Of Lumberton we give ~ to
our readers:
MIR. j. r. Oiphapt.
Editor FREE PREss.
PorlarvlIle, Miss.
My dear Sir
j have just noticed in your paper
yodr editorial IN the subject VI small.
pox, also comments on the actions
of The citizeLs oil Lum0ertou ia
sendi"g case of smallpox TO
Poular,ille, and from your under
standing OF the situation perhaps
you are entirely right, aud | simply
write Ia correct false impression
that seems TO prevail in regard to
this matter.
A negro with a we'll developed case
ot smallpox appeared in Lumber
ton last Sunday morning week
ago hunt, & a county pest house
coming from somewhere IN the
lower part of this county (accoIdiug
to his own reporI. We had no
place TO take care OF himand know,
ing it would be an inhuman act to
drive him away to perhaps die in
the woods of starvation and also be
the means of cau>ing others 10 be
exposed az he would undoubtedly
90 t. some house tor something to
eat, we dpcrded after consultation
among ourselves that as he county
had Il regularly paid hes tn officer,
and as the laws of the State provi-
ded that he should look af'er such
cases. that he proper thing to do
wonld be to send him to this Heat h
Officer and arranged to do So. One
party went to provide transportation
aud an immune guard 10 take him
down, while the writer went to
prepare letter 10 DR.. Hunnicutt
explaining that this negro guard
would stop with him a mile OF two
out OF town 50 a. 70 expose no one
and report tn Dr.. Hunnicutt, but
before thus letter was prepared, the
nj gro who had the case in charge
had driven away with him unkuo " u
to us, and as il was ate in tie day
and believing that the mail woul q
arrive at PnplaryIle before the
negro mailed the letter 10 DR..
lIunnicutt. The only error | made
as ] see it now was that | did not
telegraph him but it lis very d fficult
to gp5 message over the vices on
Sunday.
This was not done with any desire
to impose anything dtsagreeable Oh
the citizens of PoplaIviile, but
/ because we supposed that the paid
and regularly appointed health
( officer OF the county would take
cha.-r ut-o~rry sucn case, and
, because We beliey ed aud still believe
that the law au, horlzes him to do 50
and VII compel the proper au-
thoririrs 20 provide him the means
with which to. do so.
AS t. the action of the Board OF
Supervisors in rejecting thr claims
of my Company Cor money speut
! in taking care Of aud iSOiatiug
cases of smallpox prior 10 this
which action was t4ken under toe
| Instructions of the properly c0nstl
tuted health officer of the county.
have nothing hnt supreme con
temp, but am willing to let the
matter go at that feeling snre that
the time will come when the respec'
! table citizens OF the county vii
administer to these narrow minded
people such a rrhukr az will retire
them to private life. II Is only AT
act Of humanity to take care %
people so affl cted, and when sUcE
has been done by citizens actin
under the Instructions OF the prop
erly constituted health officers anf
claims have been rejected like ours
was, it is simply case Of hold ar
leaving US iden,ically in the position
of man held up by highway mer
and his money taken from him
and when the properly constituted
officers il tnpunlsh the highway
man there is nothing left for us Il
do but suffer the consequences.
1 simply write this to clear our.
selves Of any intention Of, in any
way, blaming the good citizens OF
Poplarville for this or doing any
thing to expose them to the dread
! ed disease. Yours truly.
j. H. HIN TON.
Lumberton, Mis-, May rs, 1899.