The Washington times., 1906-08-06
.LEPER AN EXILE
IN LONELY TENT
UnClean Man, Banned by
Society, Banished to
Wild Mountain.
HEALTH BOARD IN QUANDARY
West Virginia Authorities Think of
Sending Unfortunate Man Back
to Pennsylvania.

BALTIMORE. Md. Aug. 6-After hav-
ing batlied the United States Govern
ment four State governments, and one
OF the greatest railroads in the land.
George Rossett the Syrian Ieper, has
been unceremoniously dumped. to die by
inches, in the uninhabited wilds Of
West Virginia mountaiuside.
For the last four days he has been
living in a tent la the wooded noun
t1ins of Randolph county. W. Va, over
looking the town of EIkins, whence he
started on his shuttlecock journey
Steps Will be taken by the board OF
health of Randolph county w Va,
against both the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad and the State health authori-
tics compelling them 10 remove ROssett
from the county the board having de-
termlned on a damage suit as a protec-
ton FOR citizens
Acting under legal advice. the board
proposes 10 quarantine ala that part OF
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad which
traverses Randolph county should the
company fail to remove the leper from
the county
Considerable feeling has been aroused
against Governor Dawson for his action
In ordering the leper 30 be brought back
20 Randolph county. The people near
the leper's retreat are panic-stricken.
Story of Lepers Wanderings.
What purports to be a fpH history OF
the case came TO light yesterday. ROs-
sett is tWenty-one years old, and came
70 America -FOUR years ago. He was a
peddler in Maine Tor "A time and then
obtained employment in a cotton factory
in Waterviue, remaining there a year.
His wife. 20 whom he was married IN
Syria, Joined him at Wateryiue about
eighteen months after he came to this
country About two years after the ar
rival Of Rossett sores appeared on his
face, which became so serious that he
was compelled To quit work in the fac
tory. Then he went to Michigan City
Ind, where he remained a while, and
then moved 70 UuiontOwn, Pa. his wife
IN the meantime peddLng-
He next went to COnuellsville. ana
from there 10 Clarksburg, W. Va. Al
Clarksburg he was in a hospital for
three weeks. Leaving there, he went
10 Redwood, and finally reached Elkins
on june last,
Bathed in River; Panic.
For two weeks previous TO leaving FL
kins. Rossett had been housed by the
authorities In tent on the county fair
grounds. While there he bathed in the
Valley river and a panic resulted from
the spreading OF this information as he
washed near O point where the town
draws its water supply.
While the Ieper was on his way from
Elkius 90 Cumberland, Md, he stopped
al West Virginia Junction and Keyser,
where he was informed that there was
no hospital 10 accommodate him. The
coach I'm which De rode was cut loose
and fumlgated.
The whole county board OF health met
the man when he reached Cumberland
He attracted such crowd that the
police reserves had 20 be called out He
made his way down 20 Brunswick. Md,
where the crowd pressed him so closely
that he mounted a pile Of railroad ties.
which looked as If IL had been arranged
as his funeral pyre- Al this point Ros-
sett entered his Iow-famous box car
and was haulJed down toward Baltl-
more
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
thought the best way out OF the sltua-
tiCu was 20 assist the man TO New York
where he hoped 20 get INTO q supposed
leper colony lie remained IN Ea!u-
more few hours, and was lheh hurried
ON 20 Philadelphia. The City OF Broth
eTly Love gave him his first setback
by tacking a big leprpsy sign on the
car he occupied and shunting him back
To- Baltimore
He was sidetracked seven miles cut
side the city, and state and city health
officials got busy. They telegranhed,
wrote and phOned in all directions, but
government science and charity every
where had nothing TO orer.
Knowing that New Jersey, because OF
its law would not let the man go East,
and that West Virginia would not lct
MN come IS est. he was q prtDlcIn on
the hands of the health officials. He
slept on straw on the bottom of the car,
Struggled Back to Home State.
The railroad and health officials soon
got into a controversy as 10 who was
responsible for the man. Rossett ate
and slept in his car under police protec-
ti0n for a week. Late one night Rossett
and his car disappeared from the siding.
Dr John s. Fulton was smuggling the
man back into West Virginia.
This physician accompanied the man
as far as the Maryland and West Nir-
ginia State line. where he left him.
Rossett was tlcketed through 10 Clarks-
burg, w. Va, not far from Elkins, and
il was the idea of Dr Fulton to place
the leDer IN the hands of the West Vir-
ginia board of health The conductor
or the train however, put the man of
AT Earkersburgr w. Va ROssett went
behind the station and SAT- on the grass
under a tree for two days The train
crew We're fined for bringing a con-
tagiOus disease into the State.
Next the West Virginia health officials
appeared on the scene and stated that
the problem was not theirs but one be-
longing 10 the county in which Parkers-
burg is located
Parkersburg decided it did not want
the man and shipped him toward Eil1ins
When the Randolph county medical Of
icials received him back they gave him
some food and q tent and isolated him
a mile from the railroad station af
FICkcns, IN the mountain forest, where
he arrived Friday.
VENQLQ QnniAIlQTQ'