The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-26
For Several Days She Has Been Reck-
IessIy Exposing Many Persons
to the Contagfon.
EMERGENCY MEETING CALLED
CITY HEALTH BOARD MAY PREPARE
NEW ORDINANCE.
DIR. George ID. KahIo, of the Board,
Makes N POint-Dr. Il. w. Fox
worthy on the Situation.

About o'clock yesterday evening City
Health Officer Joseph List walked into a
North Side grocery store. and. stepping up
10 a colored girl who was standing at the
counter with a pitcher of milk in her hand,
quickly removed from her head the envel-
oping folds of shawl. The girl made a
rapid movement to hide her face, but the
officer prevented her. Her face from her
chin to the roots of her hair was covered
with the red marks of smallpox in it's most
dangerous stage. and the officer noticed a
peculiar odor which is present only in cases
Of smallpox Of the most pronounced type.
Mr.. List placed the girl under arrest and
accompanying her to her home. No. 81
Cora street, he called the City Dispensary
ambulance and had her removed to the
pesthouse of the City Hospital.
The discovery made by officer List was
partly an accident, partly the result of an
afternoons hard detective work. For three
hours he had tramped the streets hunting
for the girl. guided only by the single slen-
der clew that her name was Bessie He had
found by dozens Of inquiries the house in
which she lived, but no answer was made
to his summons to open the door. and he
had gone to the grocery to obtain informa-
ton, If possible, from the proprietor. 1t
was then that he noticed the colored girl
leaning against the counter. her face con-
cealed in manner so unusual that his suS-
picions were aroused He jumped to the
conclusion that he had at last found the
girl he was looking for. and developments
justified his conclusions.
LOOKING FOR THE GIRL.
officer List started on his round OF inves-
tigation as the result Of a telephone mes
sage to the office Of the Board of Health
from DR.. G. V. Wooden. The doctor called
up Chief Clerk Carter, of the board. yes
terday morning about IL o'clock and in
formed him that he had noticed some pc
culiar eruptions on the fact Of a servant
girl that had been working at his residence
for about a week. He had suspected that
the girl was afflicted with varaloid or a
more pronounced form of smallpox and he
asked the board to make an immediate in
vestigation. Acting on the orders of Mr..
Carter. officers of the board fumigated the
house OF the doctor, at No. As West TWEEN
ty-first street, and then started on the hunt
for the girl.
Mr.. List ascertained that a brother-in-
law of the girl who is employed by Mr..
at his residence. 1923 North Meridian street,
knew something of her whereabouts and
although he says the coachman evaded di-
rect inquiries, the officer was able eventu-
| ally to learn where the girl lived. He
| found at the same time that Jordan
| coachman has been accustomed to spend a
great deal of time in the same house and
that he has undoubtedly been exposed 70
| the disease.
Chief Clerk Carter, of the Health Board
said last night that the case is one of the
worst that has been discovered this month
and that the results 10 be feared from il
are of the gravest nature. He pointed out
that members of the family of Dr. Wooden
have been exposed to the girl, who proba-
bly, had smallpox while working at the
doctors house; that Mr.. Jordan's family
has also been exposed. since the coachmar
had worked around the residence and sta
bles and had driven the family. and that
besides these, the family of Mrs. Martha
| r Hammond. of lib Park avenue, had
/ told officer List that she had gone to Mrs
| last to visit sister who works for Mrs
Hammond and that she was sick wher
/ she was there.
In addition TO these, the officers say that
| hundreds or other people, white as we'll as
| colored. have been exposed to danger since
the girl has made effort TO remain
| within doors, but has gone out visiting
relatives and friends has made severa
/ trips to grocery stores and meat shops anC
| has spent a good deal OF time on the
street. They say that for the last four OF
| five days the danger has been present anc
/ that any one that associated with her OIL
/ was near her runs good chance of havins
| case of smallpox. 1t is stated that the
| families OF DR.. Wooden and Mr.. Jordan are
much exercised over the danger TO which
| they were exposed through the Ignorance
| or carelessness of the girl.