The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-13
Wednesday, June 13, 1900.
IL This Official Crime?

The authorities in charge of the health OF
the penitentiary, and presumably at war with
the health Of the public. are acting strangely
and so far as the medical authorities are con-
cerned, contrary to all the known laws and
usages adopted for the preservation Of the
public health. If ship arrives at one of our
ports with a contagious or infectious disease
aboard, not only the patient, but the whole
ship and all aboard are quarrentined. Ii
case Of small pox breaks out in the neighbor-
hood OF cotton mill, is not the cotton mill
forthwith held out as place OF danger, and
one to be avoided?
But right here in Columbia, in the State Of
South Carolina, doctors having commissions
from the State Of South Carolina, ask the
Governor to send abroad in this land patients
afflicted with the most deadly disease known
to laymen or medical sc-called science. They
are not only poverty stricken but are unable
to take care of Themselves In the matter OF
food, clothing and medicine.
The State is asked to shirk a duty which
we do not see how 1t can honorably avoid
doing, namely: To provide for Its sick pau
pers The State is asked to send out these
patients to spread disease more dangerous
and more to be dreaded than the bubonit
plague. Some sufferers from the plague re
cover their health, but the man who is at
tackled by consumption makes tracks straight
to the grave.
The honorable and humane thing to do, i!
to provide house separated from all others
where the State may furnish good shelter
and medical attention without endangerine
the lives OF innocent citizens.
Read the following, and believe If you can
that the State of South Carolina has medica
mea so reckless of the public welfare:
The State, June II.
Today Gov. McSweeney will relieve the
State Prison Of five oonvicts reported by the
physician of the prison TO be in 8 dyins
condition. Four OF them are In the last stage!
of consumption and their presence there II
regarded as menace to the lives OF tht
of riddinE the prison OF these menaces fo
some time, but not until yesterday did the
proper papers reach his hand. The pardont
Will be Issued today.
In May last the board OF directors OF tht
institution adopted the following: . a.,
Resolved, That the physician OF the
penitentiary be requested to at once make
out list OF the hopeless cOnSumptlves now
confined in the penitentiary, giving their
names, the counties from which they came
the terms of imprisonment and the crimes
",
delivered to his excellency the governor, and
that we, the board OF directors. hereby re
quest and recommend that they be at once
pardoned, believing that their further conflne
ment would be menace to the health O.
the prison.
At the meeting a few days ago the board
adopted the following:
Whereas DR.. Sturkie, physician of the
penitentiary, has reported to the board o.
directors that one Pedro Myers is now suffer.
ing with dropsy that his case Is incurable
and that the said Pedro Myers can live only
very short while, and whereas DR.. Sturkie
has recommended the said Myers as fl
subject for executive clemency, be 1t
Resolved by the board OF directors, That
pardon the said Pedro Myers at once.
DR.. Sturkie yesterday filled the following
report with the governor:
Dear Sir: In pursuance OF resolution
passed by the honorable board of directors
Of the South Carolina penitentiary, q copy OF
which is hereto attached, hand you a list OF
the hopeless cases, the first four suffering
Myers. suffering from disease OF the heart
and liver causing sscites or dropsy Of the
bowels. He is advanced in age and the In
tensity OF his disease renders his cure as
hopeless as those who are suffering from
tuberculosis. You will also find resolution
passed py the board of directors relative to
bis case. / have made diligent inquiry as TO
good reasons to believe that neither OF those
are gHilty OF the crime Of arson with which
they are charged.
All five of the above are hopelessly i'll, and
hope you will grant them pardons.
Respectfully,
l.. X. Sturkie,
Physician S. Z. Penitentiary.