Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-09
DIR. pAGBY's STATEMENT.
Goes Into Detail Regarding '
Position.
Newport News Press)

Newport News, Va, August l. 1879
Believing that the citizens Of Newport
News are misinformed and resting UNI
der an erroneous impression as to the
facts and circumstances of my suspen-
sion as president OF the Board of Health,
and trusting that public excitement has
sufficiently subsidized to give an impartial
hearing TO my statement of the facts Of
the case:
| have TO say. first, that as consider
able criticism has been made because
| of my absence from town when the
| news of the fever at Soldiers Home
| first reached town that my absence was
due TO the fact of my attendance upon
! a patient with typhoid-fever in Glouces-
! ter county. on my return to town on
| Monday morning | was informed that
the Mayor. president Of the Council, ana
the secretary of the Board of Health
| mad been over to Hampton and held
conference with the Board of Health
| of that place in reference to the lever
situation and quarantining arrange
monts, at which time it was decided to
! recommend to the Board of Health that
| Hampton Phoebus, Soldiers Home, Old
| Point. and the Normal School be quar-
| antIned.
In the mean time a meeting of the
| Business-Men's Association was held 10
discuss the situation. AT which meeting
! a committee of five was appointed to con
| FER with the Board of Health. On Mon
day afternoon a meeting of the Board OF
Health was held to perfect plans and ar
| rangements by which a thorough system
Of quarantine should be inaugurated
| against the places above mentioned. AT
| this meeting a resolution was passed au-
thorizing the president and secretary OF
the board to issue passes TO residents or
the city who were at that time on the
outside of the quarantine line, and also
| to persons employed In town and living
elsewhere. The passes were TO be valid
| until II o'clock noon on Tuesday, August
| LIST, and after that time no passes We're 10
be issued except by special resolution.
Passes were issued in accordance with
the resolution by both DR.. Ayler and my
self. Messrs. Bickford. Jones, Greasy,
Garrett, Ford, the committee OF the Busi-
ness Mems Association, and also the
Mayor and Officer Hobson,
were present at this meeting and con-
CURED in the action of the Board OF
Health. So far as L know. no passes were
issued except in accordance with the pro-
visions of the aforementioned resolution.
Certainly, | am prepared TO say most
positively, that none were issued by me,
nor from my office, that were not In ac-
cordance with the said resolution.
1t has been charged that special provl-
sion was made for Mr.. George a.
Schmelz. L have to say in reply TO such
charge that L understood the resolution
Of the Board of Health TO apply TO all
persons who were engaged in business or
worked I'm the city of Newport News, and
who wished TO remain there during the
time OF quarantine. Complaint has also
been made that Mr.. Schmelz was permit
ted to bring his family and a lot OF bag
gage. l can see no distinction between
Nh Schmelz's family and baggage pass
ing through the city coming from Hamp- |
ton, and DIR. Presley and Mr.. Peyser ana |
their families, who returned TO the CITY
with their baggage from BuckrOe Beach
The names of these were specially men,
toned at the said meeting Of the Board |
Of Health on Monday afternoon as one |
reason why such resolution should De
passed. / wish TO say further that at the |
earliest possible moment l rode arouhu |
the quarantine line in company with the |
Mayor and we, deciding that the numoeF |
of guards was not sufficient 10 absolItely
quarantine the town. proposed to instruct
the Chief Of Police to increase the num-
Der Of guards and place them at points |
where the line seemed weakest.
BEFORE this could be done l was re- |
quested to appear before the Common
Council to answer charges winch Ia" |
been preferred against me. |
In conclusion, / beg leave to say that
i'm no manner, shape, or form did Nlo- |
late the letter or spirit OF the resolution !
of the Board OF Health. as passed at its !
meeting on Monday afternoon, as / un-
derstood il, save in making the nominal |
charge for passes Issued, which honest- |
~ thought l had a right TO do. as un- !
derstood il was customary for all officers, |
both State and municipal, TO charge extra |
pay for extra work. Certainly 1t Is evi- I
dent TO every honest and fair minded |
man, that / did not intend to evade or |
violate the said resolution Of the Boar
of Health, for II was done openly ana
any one who felt aggrieyed had the pflVl- /.
lege to complain TO the proper authority |
as was done. Certainly II Is evident, dI
this time after the excitement has IN |
degree subsidized, to an honest. Ialr-
minded. and intelligent public, that |
mistake was made by the Board OF
Health and those present, as aforesaiu' /
participating i'm said meeting, in issuing /
passes at all. / am entirely Wiling 10
bear my portion of the blame consequent
thereto. but it does seem UNJUST lhat l
alone should bear the burden, Whlle o'hyIs
at fault should 90 entirely free' j. Noulu' ,
indeed. be a corrupt man VINO could lol
so small a consideration. be brlbed anu .
thereby lose his own self-respect and that .
of his fellow-man II would seem that
if the right-minded citizens of Newport {
News could so easily believe such 10 be ;
the case. that my seven years residence
among them and my character for hon
estv and integrity has been but TO lttle
purpose Very respectfully
JOHN II. BAGBY, NJ u.