The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-31
SMALLPOxlT IS.
Dread Disease Breaks Out in
State Senate.
An EmplOye Sent to the Pes
House.
MAY CLOSE THE DOORS
City Board Of Health to Consider
Necessary Steps.
DR.. Powell Says There Nay Be
an Epidemic.
Effort Is Made, to Keep Affair
Quiet.

A o. Hughes, an employe of the SEN
ate, was sent to the pest house last
night sick with smallpox.
Hughes is clerk of the senate COM
mittee on printing and has been in the
senate chamber and has exposed the
senators and employees to the contagion.
Hughes came to Topeka from En-
poria ten days ago and only yesterday
was in the senate chamber and reeeiv-
ed his pay voucher and took it to the
state treasurer's office and received his
pay.
Hughes is about Is years of age. He
had been feeling i'll for several days and
had consulted several physicians They
told him he was suffering with grip.
Monday he called on DR.. Powell, who
at once diagnosed the case as Smallpox
and ordered him to the pest house.
! There has not been an epidemic of
smallpox in Emporia and Hughes does
not know where he contracted the dis
ease Hughes is not suffering and can
1 hardly realize that he has smallpox.
The matter has been kept very quiet
and only few senators or persons con-
nected with the senate knew this
morning that senate clerk was in the
Board of Health Meets.
/ The board of health of the city of
Topeka has been called together this
afternoon to consider the possibilities
of an epidemic of smallpox in Topeka
land to take such steps as may be
deemed advisable to prevent an cpl
demic if the facts seem to indicate
! that such measures -re necessary
There is talk of closing the senate, but
this may not be done.
Hughes came to Topeka. one week
ago yesterday on the same train with
/ DR.. L. NJ. Powell, of this city. He was
complaining of feeling i'll, and thought
T0r~ Il
vised him to take good care and to
come and see him if he did not begin
to feel better soon.
During the week which Hughes has
been in Topeka he has been moving
labout town from his rooming place to
1.-THE state house and through the state
house at will. Although DR.. Powell
asked him to call on MIN a. week ago
yesterday, the young man did not put
in an appearance till yesterday. DR..
! Powell met him at the door of his
office and at once recognized the eVi-
denceS of smallpox. He at once took
him to City Physician Storrs, and the
city physician has placed him in the
pest house and has quarantined the
young mans rooming house.
I'm my opinion said Dr. Powell to
a reporter for the State Journal to-
day. "only the interposition of Provi-
dence will prevent an epidemic of
smallpox.
1.-THE young man is in the postular
stage. and his face is broken out with
the disease. He is suffering from
light attack of the disease, but never
theless it is sufficient to expose others,
and inasmuch as he has been moving
about among people unrestricted, it
would seem that others must have
been exposed.
DR.. Storrs. the city physician, is i'll
at his home and is therefore unable
to take care of the matter. A re-
porter for the State Journal asked
him over the telephone what would
reporter was informed that the mat
ter has been called 10 the attention
of the city board of health and that
a meeting had been called this after
noon to consider tn ematter.
DR.. c. F. Menninger, member of
the board of health, was asked in re-
gard to the matter He refused to
talk. He said he was not familiar with
the facts in regard to the matter and
ne would therefore have nothing to
say at the present.
No doubt the quarantining of all the
members of the senate would be i'm
practicable, but if the board of health
decides that the facts warrant such a
proceeding, it is not outside the range
of possibilities
Stubbs Isn't Scared.
Smallpox has no terrors for w. R.
Stubbs since he went through siege
of grip When it was suggested today
that the house and senate might ad-
iourn for few days on account of the
smallpox scare in the senate, Mr.Stubbs
said:
mo. we won't adjourn. Smallpox is
not much had rather have the small
pox twice than a case of grip
'.It really makes it seem like home to
mo TO have some smallpox cases
around 1 have been working along
with smallpox for the past 20 years in
my construction camps, and it has no
terrors for me- There is no reason for
an adjournment"