The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-03-18

Mr.. J. n. Nicholson Fined 800 and
judgment = suspended--Othcr
News In Legal Way.
MIGHT HAVE KILLED FAMILY

/
+. Nicholson for the alleged failure
to report the existence of smallpox
resulted in a very unusual case. II
was alleged that Mr.. Nicholson had
smallpox and that he and DR. Boyd
failed to report IL. There was no
evidence presented at the trial in
police court today that Mr. Nicholson
had smallpox.
DR.. Boyd did not know Il. The
only time DR.. Boyd saw Mr.. Nichol-
son was January 10th when he was
summoned. He told the patient to
notify him the next day II he was
worse, but the evidence showed that
Mr. Nicholson was out on the street
and worked day or two after he had
called a doctor. He then became Ill
again. and a few pimples appeared
on his hands and face. He remained
in his room, had no doctor and has
no means of telling whether he had
smallpox or not. as he Is well now
and there is no evidence that he had
| II.
As a precaution he said he thor
oughly fumigated his apartments af-
ter he recovered.
Judge Sanders promptly dismissed
the warrant against DR.. Boyd, and
said there was nothing to show that
he knew anything about Mr.. 'Nichol-
son having smallpox. in fact, there
was nothing to show that Mr.. Nichol-
son had IL. He assessed a fine of
sio0 against Mr.. Nicholson. however.
and suspended it until such a time as
the court. after an investigation, is
smallpox and concealed 1t. This
probably means a dismissal as there
is no way by which a diagnosis can
now be made.
The evidence in this case develop
ed the stupid, careless manner in
which the health authorities some
times look after their work in Padu-
cab. There has for several days
been complaint of the kind of quar-
antines maintained in cases where
patients, instead of being sent TO
the pest house, are allowed to remain
in thickly settled localities and me-
mace the health of scores of people.
The evidence in the case tried to-
time ago burned in the Smith barber
shop under Mr.. Nicholson's home in
order TO fumigate the barber shop.
a large quantity of sulphur for sew
eral hours without notifying Mr..
Nicholson and his family, and that
during the night they were awaken
ed almost suffocated by the fumes.
and forced to leave and go to a ho-
tel The blunder in not ascertaining
that people lived upstairs. and noti-
flying them, might have cost them
their lives.
The evidence also showed that the
Nicholson case. over which they took
out a warrant against DR.. Boyd, i'm
pressed the health authorities with
such force that they never fumigated
the place after they found that an
alleged case of the disease had ex-
listed there. They simply took Mr.,
] 70 hnf h.
done 1t.
Several doctors testified that II the
fumigation of Mr. Nicholson's apart
ments has not been done we'll, per-
sons going into them may contract
the disease. II II was smallpox. The
health officer stated that he heard of
the alleged facts ON which warrants
were not issued until yesterday, ten
days ago, and when asked by DIR.
Boyd why he did not come around
or call him up and ask him about II,
and get the facts, the health officer
said that II wasn't his business TO do
so.
A number of local doctors say that
one reason smallpox has lasted this
long In Paducah, is the way Il has
been handled, That frequently, so
they are Informed, the persons at
whose home the disease has appear
ed, are told when Il comes time to
iumigate. to burn sulphur, and the
health authorities often take II for
granted that Il will be done, and
done right. when as a matter Of fact