The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-06
CASE OF MRS. DOSTER
COUNCIL HEARS REPORT or A
 COMMITTEE.
City onicials We're Not to Blame for introducing ~mallpox Into Her Home-Relief from Or
 ganixed Charities.

The petition of Mrs. Ellen Doster te inc City Council of Montgomery. pc tition at once peculiar and pathetic did not result in her securing from the city the relief that she sought, pu' 1t did result in her obtaining . saus' factory, voluntary offering from tns Organized Charities.
 The Judiciary Committee or tn' Council, which investigated Mrs. Dos ter's petition. found that her misIo,, tunes had come to her through no faui' of any city oficial, but the members of the committee impressed with the fact that circumstances had made hei an innocent sufferer, interested them selves in securing voluntary onerine to her from the Organized Charities
 Mrs. Doster is the mother or two sons, both of whom were recent sur ferers from small pox. One or her sons was taken i'll with boil on his neck it is said. A physician certified to the City Sanitary Department that the boy was suffering from smallpox. He was carried to the pest house, but after re- maining there a week It was ascer- tained that he did not have smallpox and he was allowed to return home. several days after his return home. he was stricken with smallpox, which it was said he acquired in the pest house. His younger brother was also stricken with the same disease. acquired from his brother.
 Mrs. Doster was employed as . dress maker by a down town merchant As soon as it was learned that she had had small pox at her home she was quarantined from her place of employ ment. Both of her boys had been wage earners, and in the unfortunate combination of circumstances, the to- tai earning capacity of the family was wiped out. There was no family income for several weeks.
 This was the statement of facts made to the Council. and the Judiciary Com mittee in Investigating the matter, found no errors in the statement. Alderman Gunter from the Judiciary Committee reported to the Council that no blame could be attached to any city official in the matter. It had been cer- tified to the Sanitary Inspectors that the boy was suffering from smallpox, and they i,ad. as the law required them upon the certificate of physician, re- moved him to the pest house. While the city was not to blame, Mir. Gunter said, the Judiciary Committee had taken the matter up with the Organ. ized Charities. and had received assur- ance that a substantial donation would be made Mrs. Doster.
 Alderman Jackson said that the case was peculiar one.
 Mrs Doster," he said. has suffered great hardship, very great hard ship. It came through no fault of hers. She was not to blame in the least. Nor were the Sanitary Inspectors to blame. "A reputable physician certified to them that the young man was suffering with smallpox and they removed him to the pest house.
 T have in mind" the Alderman went on, when we have settled the insur- ance question over the burning of the pest house. the establishment of de- tention hospital at which persons sus- pected of having smallpox shall be de- tained until the disease develops or 1t is shown that the suspected person is not suffering from smallpox. If the doctors cannot agree when a man has smallpox something should be done to safeguard the people who may be sus pecfed of having smallpox. They should not be placed in a position where they are bound to catch the smallpox whether they have 1t or not"
 Alderman Sullivan did not want to accept the report of the committed The city of Montgomery, he said should do something for Mrs. Doster. He was not willing to admit that the city offi- cials were b1ameiess. It seemed to him that further investigation of the case should have been made. He was firm ly of the opinion that the city should give Mrs. Doster some redress. He moved that the matter referred to the Judiciary Committee.
 He later withdrew his motion and the report of the committee was adop- ted.