The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-04-07
GAVE HIS life IN
HELPING OTHERS
Priest Contracts Leprosy and
Dies of 1t in Hawaiian
islands.
DID MISSIONARY LABOR
Was Scion Of a Wealthy Belgian Fam
lily, and Deliberately Sacrificed
His Life in Effort to Be of
Use to Sufferers.

New York special: Iii letter re-
ceived in the city came the announce
ment that Brother Serapion Van Iioop,
member of a wealthy Belgian family,
who two years ago went to the Ha-
waiian islands to take up the work be-
gun by Father Damien in the leper
colony of Molokai, has himself fallen a
victim to the disease.
The letter came from the young mis-
sonary himself TO the Rev. Father
John j. Dunn, head of the local bureau
for the propagation of the faith the
Roman Catholic Missionary bureau. 1t
was originally sent to Il close friend in
Belgium. It's text was as follows:
Il have at last summoned sufficient
courage TO write you Il few words. For
the last six months I have lived through
days of such anxiety and melancholy
that | had not the courage to talk with
YOU. You will pardon me for not re-
plying more promptly to your well
wishes for happy New Year I felt
1t necessary at last to break the 81
lence and let you know of my condition.
You will kindly break the news to my
brothers and sisters, because l cannot
tell them myself
Elbow Numb.
"a little While after your last letter
came | discovered that l had no feel
ing in my elbow. l remarked the fact
to the Rev. Father Maxine, who COM
manded me to go to our physician. Aft
er he had examined me he declared the
want OF feeling appeared to him to be
symptom OF leprosy, but to make sure
he took from my elbow some pieces of
flesh for microscopic examination.
After few days he came to see me
ana informed me that very probably it
would prove to be a case Of leprOSy
lie dld not care to decide definitely
however, as all cases of the kind are
left to doctors in Honolulu, to whom
he suggested that I should go. Our
very reverend provincial had been stop
ping with us for fortnight, and on his
return to Honolulu / accompanied him.
When we arrived there I was examined
by Doctor Herbert, who also took a
piece of flesh from my elbow, causing
me quite a little pain. The operation,
however brought no result.
1.-TWO days later there was a similar
operation with similar uncertainty The
following day was examined by an
other doctor in the hospital, who
brought in consultation a member of the
board of health. This time a small por-
ton of skin was taken from a red
patch which had appeared on my cheek
as we'll as a piece from my forehead
In both of these culturessthey found mi
crobes of leprosy. There is no doubt of
it. l am a leper. These experiments
were made on the 18th of the month
That very night I left Honolulu to re-
turn to Molokai, where l will be com.
| PEELED to remain for the rest of my
| days.
To Live in Hut.
you may be sure that this last triT
was not exactly very pleasant one
Just as soon as 1 arrived at the Lac
aratto house my first care was to turf
over all my affairs of the house to Faith
er Maxine, with whom l had lived VI
to that time. I then took up my resi-
dence in a little hut, where I must iv,
alone. 1t is certainly very great tria
for me, but I am sure that God will
not forsake me-"
The letter concludes with a reques
for prayers. Brother Serapion Val
Koop is Is years old. In all likelihood
he will never live to see his thirty
first birthday.
Until the day of his death, as he Sc
forth, he will live alone in a little hu
of the leper colony. He can have III
companions except those similarly af
hicted, and as there are natives O.
Chinese there will be nothing Of com
partnership for him. Books he will av
and letters from home. but he may nev
er answer those letters except through
a third person. Occas ionally he will Sc,
a fellow human being, some courageous
missionary, who Will come to take hi
place. but the danger of infection il
so great that they will only speak at
distance Helplessness and letharg,
that accompany the disease will COM
upon him after the end of the frs
year. He will then be able only t.
crawl about the hut. Death will be
welcome relief to him.