The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-11
TROLLEY CAR a PRISON.
Doctor. Detected the Disease and
Would Allow Nome to Leave.

Doctor Detected the Disease anu
Would Allow None to Leave.
From the New York Journal.
Ladies and gentlemen" said tall,
brown beared, WELL dressed and distin-
guished- looking man backing up to
the door of a Court street car in
Brooklyn on Wednesday, there is a
case of smallpox on this car. The per-
son who has the disease will please
say So"
The car was filled with men and wo-
men who looked up in amaZement at
| the extraordinary announcement. one
smart citizen made a facetious re-
Spouse.
No" said the man at the door quiet
ly. II am neither a drunken man nor
crank | am a physician who has had
great deal of experience with small
pox, and / recognize the odor that is
inseparable from the disease az
certain stage. There is no possibility
of a mistake, and again l call on Who
ever has the disease to make IL known;
Two men and a woman made rush
for the front door of the car. They
found it locked. Against the other
door 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 If the person
who has it does not reveal himself
will be obliged to examine everybody
on the car.
He waited several minutes, but there
was no response. The passengers glanced
at each other fearfully and each tried
to shrink from his neighbor. NOBODY
doubted now, Meanwhile the car went
on.
Not Allowed to Leave.
II 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.
On the rear platform the conductor
stood barring the steps against intend
ing passengers and ignoring the sig
nails made him to stop
Very WELL" said the doctor, Il VIII
| have to examine everybody IN the car
Let me have your pulse, sir.
| Down the car went the doctor peer
| ing into every face in turn, and Wner-
| ever a blotch or pimple the least DIT
| suspicious appeared, making a carelui
examination. The passengers generally
submitted quietly, it did not seem pos
sible to resist the masterful man with
the handsome brown beard who had
taken command of the car so naturally.
| Each passenger, as the doctor dis
missed him, sighed with relief.
The doctor had gone the whole length
of the car without finding anything
and stood opposite "a stout negress,
| whose veil was down.
Raise your veil, madam"
| II won't"
Then I'll have to raise it for YOU
| The doctor laid his hand on the veil;
the woman grabbed it. There was
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.
Victim StOutIy Denied II.
81 amt got no smallpox; that's only
a rash" protested the woman.
! There was stampede to the other
| end of the car, and almost a panic,
but the indicated doctor quoted the
| passengers. He told them, however,
| that the car would go to the car stables
without 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 con-
tagious diseases. He had detected the
| telltale odor as soon as he got on the
car. 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 to exam
inc the passengers. The conductor
at first demurred. but the doctor had
| 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 instructions were all carried out,
and the identity of the sufferer dis
covered as told.
From the car stables the Board OF
Health was notified, and a vaccinator
was seen there and the health author
tiles took charge of matters. The COL
ored woman was taken to North Broth
er Island. The people were not allowed
to leave the car until all had been vac
| cinated. Then they were all fumi
gated and the car was disinfected and
withdrawn from traffic.
All submitted with a good grace ex-
cept the gripman, who said VAGINA
ton might prevent him working his
car 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
cination. They wanted to pay him for
his services. to raise purse for him
and that sort of thing, but he would
| not have it, and, as usual, had his way.
|