The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-12
BUTTE News.
DR.. HANSON is ARRESTED
Charged With Concealing a
Smallpox Case.
TREATED FOR PNEUMONIA
Will Not Reveal Name or Hiding Place
He Insists That the Eruption Is
the Effect OF Certain
Drugs.
TREATED FOR PNEUMONIA

What may terminate in a serious
complication of affairs arose yesterday
in connection with the SMALLPOX stu
alton and, as a consequence of it. DR..
H. H. Hanson was arrested on charge
of falling to report a case of smallpox
ITO the health department.
Dr. Hanson had been treating man
for pneumonia for four or five days.
Yesterday morning DR.. Alexander hap
pened to see the case by accident and
at once pronounced it a case of small
poX. On inquiring into the case he
learned DR.. Hanson was treating the
man for pneumonia. and having once
had an unpleasant experience through
diagnosing a case as smallpox which
another physician said was not, he de-
cided to reinforce his opinion with that
of other physicians He accordingly
called Drs. Johnson and MacNevin to
give their judgment on the case, and
they concurred in his opinion.
Dr. Alexander proceeded to the city
hall for the purpose Of having an Off
&c" call on DR.. Hanson to inquire why
he had not reported the case. In the
meantime DR.. Hanson learned of the
fact that his patient had been pro-
nounced smallpox patient. and imme-
man was staying and removed him.
Learning of this, DR.. Alexander sent
Detectives Murphy and Ray to DR..
Hanson to ascertain where he had re-
moved the patient He replied to the
inquiry of the officers that he had not
treated smallpox patient and refused
to reveal where the man could be found.
Officers Murphy and Ray reported tn :
result of their errand TO DIR. Alexander,
who thereupon consulted City Attorney
against DR.. Hanson. Accordingly a
complaint was filed in the police court
charging DR.. Hanson with violation of
the ordinance requiring physicians to
report to the health department all
cases of contagious diseases. A war
arrested He gave bonds for his APP
pearance. and there the matter stands
till the case can come to a hearing.
DR.. Hanson, when seen, refused to
give the name of his patient. With
reference to the case, he said:
Il have been treating the man for
pneumonia, and gave him a new kind
of pneumonia serum, which produced
the eruption which caused the case to
be pronounced smallpox 1t has acted
the same way in two other cases l
have used it on. The eruption is moth
ing more nor less than a drug erup-
ton
DIR. Hanson stated that he had called
for the opinion of two other physicians,
Drs. st. Jean and Molleur, and they
had pronounced the case to be as he
stated.
1t was DR.. Hanson who expressed
the opinion to the school board, when
that body was investigating the matter
of the advsabiity of closing the
schools, that there was no smallpox
in the city.
The grave side of the controversy
lies In the fact that IF the man lis AL
lowed to remain secreted and his
friends are allowed to see him, the
smallpox situation, which is already
becoming alarming, must necessarily
be aggravated, provided the case is
really smallpox.
The prosecution of the case against
DR.. Hanson is likely to raise a peculiar
trial three physicians will testify that
the man has smallpox and three others
will probably say he has not. Whether
the court will feel like taking the opin-
ion of the one side as against the other
or not, and what is to be done if the
court should not feel like doing so and
DR. Hanson should still refuse to re-
veal the wherea bouts of his man, puts
the matter in a most peculiar posi-
ton.
The identity of DIR. Hansen's patient
was learned last evening. His name is
Charles McCants, and he was found
last evening at 1913 South Main street
where he was visited by DR.. Monroe
who pronounced the case as unques-
tionably one of smallpox.
There was another controversy yes
terday in connection with one of the
smallpox cases. 1t was the case of
j. V. Lindsay, who was discovered
with smallpox at the Metropole lodging