The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-25

Deeter Detected Case Of Smallpox
and You'll Allow None to Leave.

Ladies and gentlemen" said a tall.
brewn-beared. well dressed and distin-
gIished looking man backing up to
the door of a Court street car in
BROOKLYN ON Wednesday. there Is a
q Of smallpox on this car. The per-
son whs a The disease will please say
So"
The car was filled with men and wo-
Men who looked I'D in amazemen. at
the extraordinary anouncement One
smart citizen made a faceticus re-
spouse
No" said the man Il the door quiet
Nv. Il am neither a drunken man nor a
crank / am a physician who has had
great deal OF experience with small
pox. and / recognize the odor tina Is
i~nseparable from The disease at a
certain stage. There is nc possibility
of a mistake, and again / call GA who
ever has the disease 10 make il known"
Two men and a woman made a rush
for the front door of the car. They
was the broad back Of the doctor. There
was no exit.
Nobody may leave the car said the
calm man Of medicine. until the case
of smallpox Is located. II the person
who has it does not reveal himself /
will be obliged to examine everybody
on the car"
He waited several minutes, u there
was no response. The passengers glanc-
ed at each other fearfully and each
tried to shrink from his neighbor. No
body doubted now. Meanwhile the car
went on
Il get off here" said a woman as
the car reached a corner.
II am very sorry, madame, but no
body will be allowed to leave the car"
said the doctor.
stood barring the steps against intend
ing passengers and ignoring the signals
made him to stop.
Very WELL" said the doctor, 81 will
have to everybody in the car.
Let me have your pulse. sir"
Down he car went The doctor peer
ing into every face in turn, and wher-
ever a blotch or pinple the least bit
suspicious appeared. making a careful
examination The passengers generally
submitted quietly, it did not seem pos
sible to resist the masterful man with
the handsome brown beard h a
taken command Of the car so naturally.
Each passenger as the doctor dismissed
him, sighed with relief.
The doctor had gone the whole length
Of the car without finding anything
and stood opposite a stout regress,
who's veil was down.
Raise your veil, madam"
ST won't"
"Then I'll have to raise 1t for you"
The doctor laid his hand on the veil;
the woman grabbed it. There was a
brief struggle and the veil was torn off.
1t did not take an expert to tell where
the disease was then. Her face was
covered with the dread pustules.
"I amt got no smallpox; that's only
a rash." protested the woman
There was a stampede to the other
end Of the car. and almost a panic, but
the INDICATED doctor quieted the pas
sengers. He told them, however, that
the car would go to the car stables
without q stop.
The man who had detected the dis
ease was DR.. E. D. johnson of Will
liamsburg. who was with the army in
Cuba. and who is an authority on yell
low fever, smallpox and other conta-
gious diseases. He had detected the
telltale o as soon as he got on the
ear, and had notified the conductor
that he had smallpox aboard and must
let nobody on or off The car. He also
told him he must be allowed tn examine
the passengers. The conductor at first
demurred, but the doctor ha0 his way.
The gripman was directed to go right
to the car barns and to keep the door
at his end of the car shut. These in
structions were all carried out, and the
identity of the sufferer discovered as
told.
From the car stables the board of
health was notified, and a v~accinator
was sent there and the health author
tiles took charge Of matters. The col
ored woman was taken to North Broth
er island. The people wer. not allowed
to leave the car until all had been vac.
cinated. Then they were all fumigated
and the car was disinfected and with
drawn from traffic.
All submitted with good grace ex-
cept the gripman, who said a vaccina-
ton might prevent him working his cal
and that he could not afford to lay off
He was told no exception could be made
and he was scratched with the rest
Then the passengers began to thank
DR.. Johnson, who had barred his seal
pei and taken part in the general vac
rination. They wanted to pay him fol
his services. to raise a purse for him
and that sort of a thing. but he would
not have it. and. as usual. had his way
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