The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-22
Stood 'Twixt Plague, Inocula-
ton and HighbinderS.
THEY GATHER IN MOBS
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TAKE
HAND IN QUARANTINE.
Celestials Gather About Consuls
Home and Insist That Doctors Be
Kept From Them-Dispersed by
Police-All Oriental Merchants
Close Their Stores in Fear.

San Francisco, May 21.-Chinese high
binders and the board of health have
had clash over the bubonic plague
question and up to the present time
the highbinders seem to be ahead. By
threats to assassinate any Chinese who
submit to incubation against the
plague they have prevented the Chi
nese from taking the treatment
There are %. 900 Chinese in the Chi
nese quarter and they are terrorized at
the prospect of vaccination with the
Haffkine brophyIactic. It was stated
at a meeting of the board Of health to-
day at first the Chinese were willing to
undergo the treatment but that the
highbinder element circulated the re-
port that the whites had cOnSpiFed to
Kill off the Chinese and had adopted
this means TO do it. This story had
immediate effect and it viii require
force to make the Chinese submit. The
Chinese merchants have closed their
stores, not on account of fear of the
vaccination, but for fear that their
stores VIII be wrecked by the ignorant
Chinese masses who hold them respon-
sible for the action of the board of
health.
No New Cases Found.
So far as plague cases are concerned
there have been no DEVELOPMENTS and
no new cases have been discovered. The
board of health met today and listened
to attorneys employed by Chinese. who
argue against forcible attempts to
make the Chinese submit They stated
that the opposition to the treatment
was universal among the Chinese and
that unless they could be persuaded to
take the treatment voluntarily there
would be violence and destruction of
property.
Federal Official Acts.
DR.. Kinyoun, federal quarantine Off
Ger said the federal government had
instructed him to take action to pre-
vent Chinese who had not been inOcu-
lated with the serum from leaving town.
He had made arrangements with the
transportation companies to this eff
feet.
DR.. Day of Honolulu, who battled
with the plague in Hawaii at present
and said that a, daily house-to- house
inspection was the best means of pre-
venting the spread of the disease.
President Williamson said that the
board of health would consider what
was to be done and that some measures
would be taken very quickly.
Try to Kill Rats.
An attempt is being made to kill rats
in Chinatown by putting poisoned fish
and other materials IN the sewers. The
alarm in this city seems to be confined
entirely to the CHR ese and they are
afraid of the measures taken to prevent
the plague and not Of the disease it
self.
Ho Vow. the Chinese consul general
in this city, said today that the Chi
nese would not submit to incubation;
that many of those who have under
gone the operation are deathly sick and
that each case adds to the terror of the
Chinese.
A Chinese clerk in the employ of the
consul, and residing in Berkeley, was
fOTcibly compelled to submit to inocula-
ton before he was allowed to cross the
bay to his Berkeley home. He has since
been very sick. A high fever is raging
and his life is despaired of.
Mr. Vow stated that he was in com
municatiOn with the Chinese minister
in Washington, but that no definite ac-
ton had been decided upon. The con-
sui stated that his people had twice
surrounded the consulate, demanding
that he prevent the doctors from in
oculating them. The demonstrations
were of a violent nature and the police
were called upon 20 dispense the mob.