The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-11-15
YAAKION DOCTORS FIGHT.
BITTER CONTROVERSY OVER pI.
AGNosIs OF CASE.
SMALL Pox OR CHICKEN Pox

Bitterness Terminates at the City
Council Meeting In a one-Round
Knock Down, One Doctor swattina
Another In the Jaw.
Yankton, s. D., Nov. 14.-when the
spots began to appear on the face of
j. M. Smith, a humble cobbler. a few
days ago he little realized that they
were Of enough Importance to stir the
entire community within a few days.
The climax of numerous curbstone
arguments as to the nature of Mr..
Smiths ailment GENE in the council
chamber when DR.. X. M. Doyle placed
a right hook on the left jaw of DR.. d.
w. Ridge, flooring him, whereupon
DR.. Doyle quietly submitted to arrest
at the hands Of Marshal w. F. jerks,
who happened to be on the spot.
The cobbler lives at the CONNER
cial hotel. His case first was called
to the attention of City Physician d.
V. Moore, who pronounced it chicken
pox, and said there was no cause for
alarm. This diagnosis did not satisfy
some of the nervous guests, who ap-
pealed to Mayor Thomas, chairman Of
the board of health. The mayor con-
suited with Alderman Binder, a men,
Der OF the board, and they sent DR.. C.
G. Gross and DR.. James Roane to in
vestigate the case. Both doctors pro-
nounced 1t smallpox.
The law gives the city health physi-
clan power to call in three physicians
to pass on case in dispute, and DR..
Moore acted upon this provision. He
called in physicians from Lesterville,
Utica and Tabor, and they declared
unanimously that Smith had chicken
poX. In the meantime nearly every
physician in Yankton had expressed
himself on one side or the other, and
some of the arguments rose to fever
heat. Poor Smiths physical ailments
were discussed with an abandon that
might have caused the cobbler embar-
rassment had he known about it. But
in the meantime he had been moved
to the pest house as a precautionary
measure, and he missed most of the
hullabaloo that was being raised over
him.
1t was finally decided to put the
matter up to DR.. r. e. Commit, of
Sioux City, formerly president of the
Iowa state board of health, and DR..
Commit arrived this afternoon on
delayed train. He Immediately pro-
nounced the case smallpox.
Then a special meeting of the town
council was called for this evening,
and aldermen, doctors and citizens
were gathering when the clash occur
red between DR.. Doyle and DR.. Rudge.
DR.. Doyle had been roundly criticising
the youthful city health physician, and
DR.. Ridge had taken his part. DR..
Rudge accused DR.. Doyle of being I'M
professional in stirring up strife and
meddling. Then 1t was that DR.. Doyle
used his fist.
The council session was held in
spite of the encounter between the
and both Dr. Doyle and DR..
Ridge addressed the council Ad-
dresses were made by others. Some
of the doctors took exception to the
ordinance which empowers the city
health physician to call in three physi-
clans of his own choosing in a case
of this sort. The matter was referred
to the ordinance committee with the
that the committee
should submit a new ordinance If it
should consider such action advisable.
The council then adjourned
Dr. Doyle was allowed to go home
with the understanding that he would
appear in court in the morning to an
swer for his assault on DR.. Rudge
In the meantime Mr.. Smith, the in
nocent cause of all the trouble, whites
away his time in the pest house.