The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-01-24
SMALLPOX COACH
ASTRAY
Drunken Driver Deserts
Patients He Was Taking
to Snake Hill.
SUFFERING AND PANIC
Rescue by an Immune Citi-
Several New Cases,
One Death.
SUFFERING AND PANIC

Michael Kelly. an inmate of the aims
house at Snake Hill, was yesterday esnt
to West Hoboken in charge of coach
to bring to the pest house SIX persons
who were suffering from smallpox. Ths
regular driver of the coach was Ill and
on duty. and Kelly, being immune from
the disease. was put on in his place.
The man was sober when he left Snake
Hill and remained sober until he had the
patients in the coach. Then he stopped
at almost every saloon ON his way until
he became too drunk to know what he
was doing. The result was that the
patients were in the coach, locked and
crowded without food or drink and with
out proper ventilation, because of their
number, for almost four hours. While
they were not seriously i'll, they were
nevertheless in no condition to undergo
the experience they suffered and they be-
came panic stricken.
Kelly's last stop for a drink was in
Hutton street, and there he lost his
senses. He made his way to his seat but
Immediately fell asleep and the horses
remained motionless.
William Shepherd, of No. 79 Hutton
street, smallpox immune saw the state
Of affairs and having no fear of the dis
ease climbed on the seat beside Kelly and
tried to arouse him, but failing took up
the reins and drove the rig. Kelly and
all to the Webster avenue police station.
There Daniel Tierney, of the City Hos
pital staff. also an immune, took charge
of the coach and drove it to Snake Hill,
arriving there shortly before o'clock
A. , .osa
house for an ambulance to remove the
four small children of Mrs. Mary Schaf-
fsr of No. 515 John street, West Hoboken.
and Mrs. Elizabeth Nolan of the same
address. because all were suffering with
smallpox. Mrs Schaffer insisted on ac-
conipanying her children and she was per
mtted to do so. The call for the ambu-
lance was hurry one as the neighbors
were greatly alarmed. At the pest house
there are only two coaches and an ambu-
lance and all had been kept busy all day
carrying the sixteen victims stricken in
various parts of the county.
The driver of one of the coaches was
taken i'll. His place was filed by Kelly,
He drove off and must have reached John
street not later than 4 o'clock. The pa
tents were placed in the coach and 1t was
locked. Kelly had no such opportunity
to give his appetite for whiskey free
play in a long time and he made the
most of his liberty. He stopped at half
dozen different saloons and drank whis-
key
He was tricky enough to impress the
bartender with the character of his mis-
sion and most of them gave him an extra
drink on his promise to get out of the
neighborhood at once
Tierney wac enthusiastically commend
ed by the authorities at Snake Hill. They
had been greatly alarmed. The patients
were properly installed and this morning
they show no IL effects of their trying
ordeal Kelly is living on half rations
and is not enjoying as much liberty as he
has had recently.
Margaret Connaughton, 10 years Of age,
os No. 1863 Van Winkle street, died at tho
Pest House yesterday. She had been con-
fired there for six days.
yinent Kennedy of No. 36 Hill street
Vest Hoboken, the five year old son of
Robert Kennedy, was among those TAX
en- in yesterday. With him was traine
nurse who will remain with him during
his confinement