The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-08
He WANTED LIBERTY
Mr.. Pratt, a Gentleman From
Out of Town
WANTED TO 60 HOME
In Spite of Quarantine at the
Keystone,

A man named Pratt furnished a vast
amount of amusement to a large crowd
on North Main street yesterday after
noon This gentleman is from out Of
town and is one of the unfortunates who
were quarantIned at a popular hotel. He
didn't like being quaranttned-he regard
ed he proceedings as a direct thrust at
his personal liberties, and resented them
70 he full extent Of his very resenSuI
soul.
Il seems that for some time Mr.. Pratt
has been very desirous Of leaving the
city and going to his home, but was pre-
vented from doing so by the quarantine
regulations He has fretted and fumed
under this hateful restraint until he had
accumulated such a store Of wrath
against the city of wichita that yester-
day ne broke forth in a voIley of violent
demonstrations. Mr.. Pratt stood up in
the front windows Of the hotel and shout
ed out his accusations 70 the passers-by.
Among other things, he said:
Has liberty rOtted, dried Up and blown
away? We people are in here anu are
not allowed 70 get out There Is no
smallpox in here, and never has been. I
defy any doctor TO come here and fnd a
case. and yet We are kept here and not
allowed to send out even a letter. Now,
I want 20 get out / want to go home.
I want 10 90 this evening and I've got
u get out I've got a letter TO the mayor
Who'll take IL 70 him? There's a. $500 fine
for doing 50. Who'll take it to him?"
Some small boy in the crowd said: TIL
take 1t for a dollar"
Mr.. Pratt did not reply 10 this timely
offer. but the crowd took IT up and COM
pelled him to reply. He said: II have no
dollars. This city has put a stop to
my making them. The man who takes
this letter viii have TO do it for nothing.
But I want 10 go-hCme. This amt home
by a d0g-goned sight. If they'll only let
me out, III go away and never come
back Is this freed5m2 Where's your
liberty Here an. can't get home when
want To- Can't even get the guards TO
take a letter out Of the place. I call this
oppression. This man here says he viii
not give US another meal, and I like to
eat. Where's my free3om2v
The shouter OF violent phrases had by
this time worked himself into a fine state
Of frenzy and seemed to be getting 70 the
point where he was liable to jump out
of the second story window. Just at this
stage Of the game Chief Of Police Cub
bon arrived on the scene and at once or
dered the man to be taken from t. vim
dows and the windows closed. The guard
did this and then went to attend to
something else: but he had scarcely got
cut Of sight before Pratt had opened the
window and was again making his ap-
peal for some one 10 take his letter 70
the mayor and~hen pay the $500 fine. He
evidently was Iaboring under the impress
sion that Wichita was crowded with such
kind cf martyrs.
BY this time Pratt was 50 worked up
that he resisted the officer who tried 20
take him away from the window, and
had 70 be pulled away. In view Of the
fact that the man seemed determined ID
blockade North Main street by gathering
a crowd. Chief Cubbon decided 70 take
him to a safe place and 50 called a CARR
age and drove this would-be spreader Of
smallpox 70 the detention hospital where
he could vent his stored-up antaganism
against the quarantine without being
unite &, much of 4 public nuisance.