The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-25
Horrible Scenes In q Sod Howell
Of Two Lepers.
GOVERNMENT AID IS ASKED.
United states Marshal Hnggart, OF
North Dakota, Tells of the Only
Leper Colony I'm the Northwest
Flesh Is Dropping From an ola
Mans Bope.-Three senses Are
Gone-InvestIgation Being Made.

situated on the lonely prairie. sixteen
miles north OF Edinburg. Walsh county,
N D., IN small sod hover tiaa
e. seldom visited. The nearest house Is on
the outskirts OF the town, and no regularly
Travelled road runs by the door
Travellers IN northeriy direction sve
II a wide berth, for II Is the home OF Two
lener. the only one situated In the entire
Northwest These two human beings. SD
lated from the world, are slowly but surety
crunblng before the ravages OF ioath-
some dfsease. one Is a Norwegian. aged
10 years. and the other swefe OF about
a. They are In a pittfui condition. IneH
ruh-terra home has but one small winoo~,
through which a tiny stream OF light pene-
trates and throws a beam across crude
cot on which II H. said may be seen almost
any hour OF the day or night the OLD man
In tho last stages OF the disease-b'inn'
helples.. and with the flesh dropping from
his bones. The younger is not SO TAR ad-
vanced, though the same stage has begun
10 set In. Still he Is abe TO walt on n's
companion.
rived in Seattle with forty-six Cinnamon
from Fargo last week. told. as best ne
knew the facts Of the miserable existence
OF the two auarantined men. The state
authorities are considering plans TO move
the men to some other locality, where they
viii be treated more like human beings.
Dr Engstad. OF the state board OF heal,h,
visited the Mace a few days before the
marshal left home, and win make report
TO Senator HanshrouRh. asking him 20 use
hfs Influence TO have one of the abandoned
North Dakota military reservations ses
apart as a home for ieper colony. III
this may not he done the state viii PROB
ably take the matter In charge ana estao-
lish a colony at some suitable place where
Nnx mt
their misery.
with the exception OF DIR. Engstad. not
a soul. II Il said. has ever visited the 500
home of the unfortunates In months. Day
after day they attend TO their own wants.
the younger man doing what little work Is
absolutely necessary. II was most mis-
cradle sight. and beggars description
portion OF the flesh on the old mans race
was gone. leaving the Jaw bare. His body
II In a no less pitiabie condition, yet he
makes no complaint. Occasionally ne Is
assisted TO a chair. where he will SIT Tor
few hours and then be transferred hack TO
bed Feeling has left his body. The sense
Of smell Is gone, and sight has forsaken
hi, eyes forever. He has LEFT OF his fve
senses fast fading power OF taste. while
the organs Of hearing are as good "A ~
any time In hts Mfe
On a little farm twenty miles rom the
hovei live the old mans wife and ave chill
dren. He contracted the disease nve years
ago. but where has never been learned ana
the stricken man himself processes iEnor-
ance. The younger man IL unmarried. ana
went TO the hovel two years ago
Walsh county bears the sxpense OF nrp-
plying food and clothing to the two un-
fortunates This Is delivered once every
month, and deposited on the prairie hum
drea yards from the howell. to which II Ia
tahen by the younger man.