The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-15
A DAMAGE SUIT
AGAINST SELMA
1t Grows Out of the SmaIi
Pox Situation.
kM0IiN1 ASKED is 0t0. DOC
AMOUNT ASKED is $40, 00O
AND THE SUIT Is BROUGHT By
A RALEIGH MAN.
Mr.. BEL. CHARGES CAHEtESsNEss
Says He Mas Confaed in a House With Sinai
PIX Patient and Was Not Even sup
piled With foed. The His
tory Of The Case.

4 most novel damage suit was started
yesterday IN Wake Superior court. II
grows cut OF most unusual Slc:d"ai
too
INC .aint;f1' in the suit Is X. l;n.:
a resids-n, % has city and fireman *;
the southern railway. The defendants
are: Inc town OF Selma; |ohi Harh'-t.
It's mayor: the board of commissioners,
and Loard OF health of Johnston county.
Alr. Bell asks $4,000 damages f'r IL"
ing coifineti III Il boarding house a.
Selm3i with Il smallpox patient ant fo1
being neglected While held N his vi
nnement He is represented ~ Mr.. i.
G.. Strong. OF this c!iy. who yesterday
liked the complaint III he case.
Ii VIII be remembered that on Feb
ruary 9TH it was told in these columns
how four white men, employees On tn
Southern railway were in the pest mouse
or this city. Paying their own expenses
having gone there voluntarily the mgnt
hefQIe. These men We're:
Il. &. Bel, Of Raleigh, fireman..
Fl. I. I'iper, eli Greensboro, engineer
j. II. Fowler, Of Mebane, hagman.
i. q. Jackson, Of Selma, Hagman.
Eel srd Fowler having just b~ecn sue.
cgss tuliy yacCinated, they we're thor
otl-h!y iumigated next day, given COM
pSate now outfit of clothing and released.
ire9. and jackson remained III the
rest mouse until yesterday morning whet
Trey also were released.
he history of their presence IN the
pest house. under these renlarKabie CIR
canlatunctS, WAS as follows:
Is 4 man named jackson. who had fot
several days been sick IL his mother =
boarding house at Selma, was found to
have. smallpox. Boarding in the house
NJ the time were Bell. Piper, Fowler,
Jacks,n and about II dozen others 80
when the presence OF the disease Waf
discovered the house. with everybody III
il. Was aGarantined. This quarantine,
was kent M for !. few days then Mayer
Parker took the guard away and tod
ihute in the house they could go wheae-
ever they pleased, provided they lei
S+Slllla
II here the others went Is not hnow:i.
but Messls. Bell, Piper, Jackson and
I'ov l,.r. knowing there was IA pest house
here set out IT once Tor this city. They
walked 70 Wilson's. Mills and there they
found freight train, and rode on tht
rt-st horec, II mile and !, half from the
tity. il slowed Up ard they dropped off
They went Immediately 70 the PEI.
house md notified the health authorities
Of their presence. and Of their desire Il
be allowed ito remain there at their owI
EXPENSE rihil they were sure they did
not Layt. the disease.
OF course the request was granted, anG
the health authorities and city physician
supplied The wants OF the men. and die
all they could 10 make their quarantin.
as pleasant rs possible.
This is the history Of the matter, and
the ground on which the damage suit
il based Is SET forth in the following
extract from the complaint filed her,
Yesterday in the oeficc OF tho clerk
court:
Tint about il O'Clock on the morning
Of February lst. 1900. the mayor anc
commissioners OF the t0wn'of Selma and
the county officials confined the plaintiff
Bell in the house Of one j. III. jackson.
which was used rs q boarding house.