The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-08-02

YellowFever in NewOrleans
Stirs Up Old
Stories.

The outlook Of yellow fever in New
orleans brings to the memory OF Col
onel Frank c. Prouty, Representatives
from Lincoln county in the last legis-
lature, thoughts Of the time when he
was a nurse in New Orleans as an
immune" Of the First Regiment OF
United States volunteer infantry. Col.
Prouty was clerk ot Company A and
had escaped all guard duty, but was
caught on the occasion which is given
in full in the Lawton Democrat and is
as follows:
THAT yellow fever outbreak down /
at New Orleans reminds me Of an in
cident that occurred during the Span
/ ish American war" remarked re
minlscent citizen this morning. You
probably remember the fact that there
was a regiment OF troops organized
known as the "immunes. 1t was sup
posed to be made up entirely of men
who had had the fellow fever, and con
seauently were immune to the dread
disease. heuce the name of the regi
ment
Frank Prouty. who used to be in
the newspaper business here at Law
ton. and who premed tatedly and with
malice aforethought. and with the de
sign and intent to appropriate the
. property to his own use and benefit
broke into the last Oklahoma legis-
!lature. had been trying to enlist in the
e army but couldn't find an opening.
But when the regiment of immunes
we're called for. Prouty saw an opening
r. to bare his bosom upon the altar of
z. his county. and to grasp fame and
!, glory and everything else that wasn't
IS nailed down"
Now Prouty had never had the
yellow fever. nor had he ever seen
person with it. but he answered the
e necessary questions. passed the exami
'e nation and was enlisted in the regi
p ment of "immuues" II so happene'
!. that the regiment was stationed a
,s New Orleans and there were mum
In Der of cases Of yellow fever in tn
sS hospital. and it was impossible 90 ge
!, nurses. whereat the military commar
der issued an order to each capital
of the Immunes 10 detail so many me
from each company to act as nurses
th When this information reached tn
pt hnmunes there was terror In that reg
=, w ment The men were all drawn IL
re in line. and volunteers were called fc
yn to nurse the sick at the yellow feve
ss hospital Not single man yolui
=, teered. Then the order came ior ever
eh fourth man to step two PAGES forwar
"a to be detailed as yel'cw tever nurses
re- "Tnat settled IT. There was Just
M moments hesitation and then eyei
fourth man wheeled and h@l to q
swamp about a quarter from the cam
70 Prouty was among them and he spe
ice the night 30 mud aud water mp TO h
sas wais- He was captured next aior
md ing by the guards, anI after he HI
~" changed clothes was measured O
lunder guard to the yellow fever h'
pital. He knew he was goin gto CO
sh tain death and the prespriat on roll
ant on Inn in grea- big drops
"As he neared the hospital he
termined TO make another dash
liberty prefering to run the chances
ms being shot than to walk into cert'
the death in the yellow fever ward +
me before he could p,ake up his mind
my arrived at the hospital. At the dc
ing of the hospital he was met by the h
md pital steward who informed Pro,
lid and his guard that Prouty would
las, excused from duty as the man Re b
me- been detailed TO nurse had just di
ich That was the happ.est moment Pro-
D a ever experienced in his life In spe
rip ing Of t afterwards he said not M
the than one man In twenty-five IN q
ID" entire regiment Of immunes had g
to had the yellow fever