The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-20
NO HOFFMAN ISLAND FOR Hin
OHIO MAN OBJECTS TO DISCRIMI-
NATION AT QUARANTINE.

You Don't Send he First Cabin Passengers
From Havana 70 the Island, Says He.
and You Shant Send Me-But They
Keep Him Alone In Custody on the Ship.
Edward Hotohkiss, cheerful but deter
mined, arrived in Quarantine yesterday
morning aboard the Ward liner Havana,
from Havana. He owns q plantation near
Santiago and has been down there looking
it over. He came second cabin, not because
he had not the price to pay first, but be-
cause there were only second cabin berths
left when he boarded the ship and he did
not want TO wait for the next one.
The rule Of this port is that first cabin
passengers from Havana are supposed
10 be more responsible than second cabin
and steerage passengers and may come
up to the pier provided they report there
at the end Of five days from the time OF
their departure from Havana n let a
doctor Of the Health Department examine
them. Meanwhile their baggage is held
at the pier to insure their coming back.
Mr.. Hotchkiss is a very fervent American
from Oberlin. Ohio. and says he is a friend
Of Paul Cravath, the lawyer. When he
was asked at Quarantine to step aboard the
Health Officers boat and be transferred
to Hoffman Island for observation because
he had not been five days out Of a district
where yellow fever existed he said he
would rather not. Another second cabin
passenger, Edgar Mccormack, also de-
clared that he would not leave the ship.
Finally Mr.. Mccormack gave way. but MIR.
Hotchkiss was obdurate.
DIR. Doty reasoned with Mr.. Hotchkiss
and the commander OF the Havana, Capt.
Stevens, also pointed out to Mr., Hotchkiss
that IL was customary for second cabin
passengers on a three day ship to submit
to removal to Hoffman Island for two days
observation. completing the FIVE days
supposed to be necessary for the develop
ment OF yellow fever. Mr. Hotchkiss
said he was a second cabin passenger be-
cause he couldn't be a first. He was
willing to have his temperature taken. but
declared that discrimination was being
shown, and that because he had come
in the second cabin was no reason why he
should not. as an American citizen and a
native one at that. be treated in precisely
the same way as persons who arrived in the
first cabin, some of whom were not Ameri-
can citizens.
There was some warm language between
'le pOil captain Oh lHe warn Lille anu Mr..
Hotchkiss. who sail that the only way he
could be taken TO Hoffman Island was by
force, and that if anybody laid a hand on
him that person might get into trouble.
Nobody thought it wise to do 10. After
more than an hour Of argument. IN which
some cuss words were used, DR., Doty
decided TO let DIR. Darlington, president
of the Board Of Health, take charge of Mr..
Hot ~. tho - Ta NFn - n the awVn
at her pier at the foot of Wall street.
DR.. Darlington sent Policeman Michael
Connor of the sanitary squad to the pier
with orders TO arrest Mr.. Hotchkiss il he
attmpted to leave the ship, Mr.. Hotch-
kiss greeted the sanitary cop smilingly
n said that he did not want to leave the
pier il it was against the law to do so. but
that he would be hanged If he was going to
Hoffman Island simply because he happened
to be a second cabin passenger. The cop
said II was one of the best assignments
he ever had. being much better than chas-
ing suspected cases of everything infectious
and contagious through the tenements of
the town.
Mr.. Hotchkiss said that he thought he
had just as much right to come up TO the pier
as first cabin passengers and that he would
employ a lawy or, maybe Mr.. Cravath, to
test the right of DR.. Doty and the Health
Department to discriminate against any
American citizen because he did not come
III III IIbI CABIN.
DR.. Doty said that he had made an effort
TO treat all passengers fairly. First cabin
passengers whose references and standing
we're satisfactory and who were responsible
persons were allowed TO go ashore when
the ships docked. But they were not al.
to leave the jurisdiction OF the Health
Officer. Their baggage was retained at
the pier and they we're obliged to return at
the expiration OF their fifth day from Cuba
and permit a doctor to take their tempera-
If they were found to be all right
they were permitted to land. All first cabin
passengers, as a class. we're not exempted.
who 1t was suspected might not re-
turn for examination were sent TO Hoffman
Island.
Il talked to Mr.. Hotchkiss,T said DR..
Doty. -and tried to convince him that his
detention was for the purpose Of protecting
the community against possible %contagion.
We " not extended the same privileges
to the second and third class passengers
are extended TO the first because they |
are not regarded, as a rule. as 30 responsible. J
II they rave little or no baggage we have
no way of telling whether or not they will
return to the pier after We nave allowed
them to land. We could not break the
rule for Mr.. Hotchkiss. II was not our
fault that he was unable to get a berth
IN the first cabin"
Mr.. H%otchkiss will be released at 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning. He said last night
he was getting all he wanted TO eat |
that he had no doubt that he could sleep
veil aboard the Havana. either in a first
Or second cabin stateroom. The COP was
delighted with life on s~hipboard ever il
the ship was tied up at her pier.