The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-05
AN OUTRAGE.
Serious Charges Against Sal
vation Army Hospital.
Did J. A. Zirkle, Who Died
There, Have Smallpox.
WAS NO QUARANTINE.
Authorities Act MysteriOusIy
About the Case.
Not Reported to the City Board
Of Health.
Immunes Handled the Corpse
and Took Precautions.

A mystery surrounds the death of J.
A. Zirkle, who died at the Salvation
Army hospital last Sunday afternoon at
o'clock His relatives say that his
death was caused by smallpox.
Zirkle was superintendent and part
owner of the Topeka Crematory. His
home was at Richland. He was sick
at the hospital for nearly two weeks.
His parents, his brothers and his part
ner, Thompson, were told that he had
smallpox and were not allowed to see
him. His relatives sent a man by the
name of William Owens, from Rich
land, who has had smallpox, to take
care of him. When the news of his
death was received at Richland two
men who had had smallpox were sent
to Topeka with a hearse and a coffin to
7 take the body to Richland for burial.
The hospital authorities would not al
low the body removed in the common
coffin and a hermetically sealed
casket was ordered. Later the unused
coffin, that had been in the hospital,
was burned and the hearse that trans
ported the body was fumigated. The
case of smallpox or Cuban chickenpox''
was not reported to the health officers
and the hospital was not quarantined.
Dr. Hammond, the house physician of
the hospital, says that Zirkle died from
pneumonia and typhoi fever and that
he did not have smallpox. Typhoid
| fever cases are required by law to be
reported to the health officers, but Zir-
kle's case, whether smallpox or typhoid
| fever, was not reported.
Everyone who had anything to do
with the case acts in a mysterious man
ner.
On New Years day people living in
the vicinity of the hospital saw two
coffins taken away from the hospital
| and their suspicious We're aroused. The
woman in charge of the hospital was
very mysterious. She would give out
no information and acted in a very
! strange manner. She denied that two
people had died from smallpox but fur
! ther than to make that statement she
| was silent.
Wallace Zirkle. a brother of the dead
man, came to Topeka several times to
| see that his brother was being properly
! cared for. He did not see him at the
| hospital, but was told that if he wished
! to take the risk of being inoculated he
| the sick man was getting along we'll
| and the friends and relatives at Rich
| land were surprised on Sunday night to
hear of his death.
Elmer Zirkle, a cousin of the dead
man, who lives at 1907 Kansas avenue
was the first to hear of the death He
| tried to telegraph the family at Rich
| land, but being Sunday night the tele-
| graph office there was closed. At nine
| o'clock he drove to Richlapd and ar
| rived there about II O'Clock He gave
| the family the first news OF the death.
! The Richland undertaken said he
| would not handle the body for a 81 00O''
| and two men who had had smallpox
were engaged to take the hearse and a
coffin to Topeka and take the body to
! Richland for burial. They started at
/ three o'clock in the morning.
When they arrived at the hospital
| they found that the body had been turn
| ed over to Knight. The hospital auth
critics objected to the use of the COM
| Theoretically sealed casket should be
| used for the body
H. NJ. Zirkle, an uncle of the dead
| man, said today: I'VE know that he
! died from smallpox and nobody can
| change our belief. We were told all
| along that he had smallpox. When he
! was taken sick he made his partner
! Thompson promise he would not tell
| his people where he was or what his
| sickness was We did not come to see
| him for the reason that he had small
| poX. The man that was sent here to
| take care of him has had smallpox and
| the two men that were sent after the
| body were chosen because they had
| smallpox. When they returned they
| burned the coffin that had been in the
| hospital, although not used. and the
| hearse was left outside of town and
| fumigated. He died from smallpox and
| we know it. He was one of eight broth
ers who are all of age When Elmer re-
| turned from Richland he telephoned to
the 1iOSp1ldl OOA COulo AAllO Jul very III
| tie about the case. The undertakelAs As
| bill was $3.50. We have not paid it,
A State Journal reporter who called
| at the hospital was treated coldly and
| no information would be given.
| This is a case that calls for more than
! ordinary action If the Salvation Army
| hospital situated in a crowded neigh
] borhood is to be made a pest house and
| plague spot it is time that some one
| should be before the criminal court
The fact that the public was kept in
ignorance increases rather than 1niti-