The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1901-03-11
msksouHiE INVESTIGATED


The board ~ health last Saturday
night was treated 10 a burlcsaue per-
Torrance. by Or, MeKechnie acting
~ chlef comedian, with a II" re-
porter. engaged for the purpose.
playing a supporting role.
hekeehnie. having ascertained by
. survey % the Nom In which the
board was meeting. that no star rep.
resenmtiye was present, rose. and
assuming fierce expression. declar-
ed that he had been maliciously ac-
cussd Of failing TO attend 10 his du.
ties as health officer. lie pro.
duced and rvad two letters signed by
John Wehber and ]. ". Tawgart. dis
creditiug statements which the star
had published concerning smallpox
cases IN which tins writers had fiRur-
ed prominently. Then. with no one
90 contradict him, the health officer
endeavored 20 prove his innocence.
As there Was only one side repre-
sented, the board 81 health took no
Official notice % the matter. There
was no possible way for Il to take
action without having previously
given notice that Nc Kechnle was 10
b. Investigated.
Having played his spectacular part
20 hts own satisfaction. McKeehnia
tipped the wink to his "P.-I.s man.
who wrote the following untruthful
statement which was published
Sunday morning under the head
Charges Not Considered Board OF
Health upholds city Physician Me.
Kechnie':
II had been anticipated that in
formal charges against ur. NE A.
hekeehnie, the health Officer. No4tlf
De Investigated. but the only refer.
enee 20 such charges was made BY
DR.. Mekechnie himself. and the haari
evidently considered them too trivial
for serious Consideration.
After the regular business Of the
meeting had been consfdsrea Or
Mckechnis stated that he wished To
call the attention of the board to one
OF two charges brought against him.
He then Rad letters from two men
VINO we're alleged 70 have given IN
tervtews deruwAfery 20 the health de-
partmeut. Roth men denied the
statements attributed to them, aud
stated that the use % their names
bad bean entirely unwarranted. The
board heard the letters and discussed
them informally, but took no action
renecting In The least upon the health
ofioer.s
No greater quantity Of mIs-inforrn-
alton ooald have been condensed into
such . small space. The two letter
writer's. webbsr and TagKart. 90
whom the ..P.-r.- refers, never were
quoted IN ''fntsrviews- in the star.
All that was sasd concerning web
Der Was that he admitted that she
story given out by the police was
true. He said ssat quarantine ON.
GER wss stationed at his house, ana
that no one was permitted 70 enter
while his daughter was sick" THE
police story was 20 the effect that
Weber. by leaving his hou~e while
u was guaranteed. had given the
smallpox TO Callahan. the bar-tend-
er at tire American house. Nat.
uraily Webhsr felt sore over the pub
licatfon. and hastensd 20 help Nc
Kechnie out OF his hole. The star
claimed then. and claims now, that
Weber ought not 20 have been al
lowed hy McKechnie TO 60 from
plasueinfested house 10 a place Of
business where he might infect 9th
ers.
But the Star Ia able 10 clsnch Its
statement that webber did admit
thar the police story wss true. de-
spite any dsnia@ which he may now
make. The reporter who interviewed
webher took with him witness. one
Of the most reputable officers on the
police force. who will make a state
rnent when the proper time comes.
As for TasgaFt. the other letter
writer. he had smallpox himself and
people were allowed TO 20 in and out
OF his plague-strIcken home. The
statements which ne IL credited by
the Star with having made. were
brought direct to this once by
neighDor who stands ready TO relter-
ate his assertions. The Star did not
claim 70 quote TaTgart. II stated
explicitly at the time that a reput-
able citizen. whom II named. was
responsible.
II may be further noted that
Health ofHcer McKechnle has been
going around from one 20 another Of
the many persons who have taken
ground against him I'm the Star. ask.
ing them to disown their published
statements and has utterly failed 10
secure such action on their part.
As long as the health officer seem
ed so anxious for an Investigation
by the board Of health last Saturday
night, when no one was present 10
state anything against his official
acts, II may be just as well to accom-
nodate him In future.
The Star viii prefer charges
against Health Officer McKechnie.