Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-17
SMALLPOX PATIENT IS DEAD
Brother Evades Quarantine and Races to
Town fora Doctor.
poLIctMAN's REVOLVER HOLDS HIM At BAY
Enort TO Find a Phy-icinn for Dying
Mnn IL without Avnii-Guards
Withdrawn from Places
where Disease Exists.

| Harry Houser aged rs years, one OF the
six members Of the Houser family in Gar
ner township suffering from smallpox, died
at an early hour yesterday morning. lie
was said to have the disease in much
more severe form than any Of the others
of the family.
When the family realized the desperate
condition OF young Houser one Of the qua rds
| watching the house was dispatched to town
| to secure the services Of the physician
who had been attending the family. The
guard states the physician in question re-
| fused to go out to the house, but this Is
denied by the latter, who states he never
received the message. The guard called up
another doctor, who, on learning that the
cases were being attended to by another
/ physician, refused to go out and see the
| patient On the guards return. David
| Houser, the man who created considerable
excitement a few days ago by coming into
town and visiting a barbershop and several
saloons. decided that, smallpox or no small .
pox, he was not going to see his brother
die from want of medical assistance and
saddled horse and rode into town. He
appeared at the police station about 3
o'clock in the morning. much to the con-
sternation of the nightwatch. who ordered
him outside OF the building, 1t Is said. at
the point of revolver. Houser claims he
was threatened with arrest and transpor-
tation to the pesthouse IL he did not at
once return to his home. BY the time he
reached home his brother was dead.
1t has been reported that the guards who
are watching the Houser residence were
asleep and could not be aroused and that
for this reason David Houser had to come
! to town to get medical assistance for his
brother. This, however, was denied by the
trustees OF the township, who were in town
yesterday afternoon making the necessary
arrangements for the burial OF Harry
Houser. Chief of Police Albro drove out
to Garner township yesterday afternoon
and satisfied himself that the guards had
not been derelict in their duty.
Dr. Bellinger reported to the authorities
last evening that the 6-year-old son OF
Otto Plunkett OF Hardin township had
! smallpox and that the township authorities
had not taken any steps to enforce quaran-
tine. The case Is said by DIR. Bellinger
to be a mild one. The child has been sick
for seven days, but a doctor had not been
called until yesterday, as 1t was thought
he was only suffering from chickenpox
Plunkett stated to DR.. Bllinger that nc
one had been to the farm since the child
became sick.
Mayor Jennings decided yesterday tc
take off the guards at the woman's Chris.
tian Association hospital and the SchouI
residence as a matter OF economy and ex
poets to do away with the guards at tn,
Meneray residence in few days. Tn,
guards. however, will be maintained fo
the full period OF quarantine at the At
lantic house on Main street. The quaran
tine on the hospital will be raised on Sun
day next.
The members of the Schoup family hav
promised to conform to the quarantin
regulations and the mayor beiieves ther
is no necessity for maintaining guards ther
any longer. This reduction Of the specia
officer force has been decided on by tn
mayor owing to the small surplus left II
the appropriation for the maintenance o
the police force.