Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-08

the authorities of North Carolina to as
sumo the care of John r. Early. the
leper. citizen of that state, and now
isolated in this city, was received by
Henry Clay Mclean, acting health officer
of the District, yesterday afternoon.
After consultation with Mr.. Mclean
today Commissioner mcfarland said he
will refer the legal questions to the cor
poration counsel in order that he may
have his advice upon what may be done
to force the North Carolina authorities
to accept Early. Mr.. Macfarland is firm
In the opinion that there is no reason
why the District of Columbia should be
at the expense and inconvenience to keep
this North Carolina citizen in quaran-
tine.
Laws Aid to Be Invoked.
In regard to the attitude of the North
Carolina authorities, Commissioner Mac
farland said:
1--WE must wait until advised properly
by our counsel. On the face of the papers
the North Carolina authorities seem un-
willing to take care of North Carolina
citizen who had the leprOsy before he left
that state to make brief visit to Wash
ington, of course, with the intention of
returning to his own domicile.
III may Cost tllc blSlllCl |o,JVo 81 Ooi
tax during the remainder of Mr. Earlys
lifetime, possibly many years TO come.
Mr.. Early states that he is perfectly
comfortable" Mr.. Mcfarland continued,
"and prefers to remain where he is. The
health department will, OF course, nave
to maintain the quarantine until some
thing else can be done.
but, in my judgment. he is not prop
erly a charge upon the District Inc
North Carolina authorities seem to think
Init government
dealing with the matter, and that IL
should do SO because he was in the mill
tary service of the United States.
"Of course, the United States govern
ment is not handling this matter, when
is purely one for the District government
under the law Therefore, there is no
special obligation upon the Dlstrlct grow,
ing out of the fact that Early served
in the United States Army IN me Spa.lish-
American war; enlisting from North Caro-
lima.
North Cardinals Attitude.
In letter to the Washington health
office. President Thomas Gillette OF the
North Carolina state board OF health SAID
he did not suppose. ordinarily, that either
Mrs Early or her child is infected with
leprosy. but that this could be proved
conclusively by a microscopic eXamlna-
ton. He said that if this was negative
effect there could be no objection to Mrs.
Early returning to her home IN POLK
county. He intimated that II TINS pre-
caution were not taken it would be i'm
possible, on her return, to save her from
strict and Immediate quarantine
Regarding Early himself, Mr.. Gillette
said he understood, from the newspapers,
that Early had been granted pension
To his mind the case was Identical with
that of any other soldier permanently
III IN, SnrN-irp
was on the War Department to care for
Mr.. Gillette added that it was mani
testify impossible for Early to return to
North Carolina.
Mr. Gillette inclosed with his letter the
legal opinion of Assistant States Attorney
Hayden Clement in which the same con-
illusions were set forth at greater lensth
and with more legal verbiage. The gist
of the whole communication was that
Early was outside of North Carolina, the
state could not be forced to take him
back and that it was up to the united
States government to care for him as a
disabled soldier, who had been lncapacitat-
ed in the line of duty.
MI. McLean's Opinion.
When asked for an expression of his
views upon this attitude, Mr.. Mclean
made the following statement:
1.-The assistant attorney general of the
state of North Carolina has, in reaching
his decision, labored along the lines of
reasoning as to why Mr. Early should not
be returned to North Carolina and lg-
nores the reasons that exist as to why
they should willingly accept him. He ad-
mits that Mr.. Early is a native and citi-
zen of North Carolina; that he has been
living continuously for the past two years
with his wife in Lynn; that while a
few DAYS visit to Washington he was dis
covered to be suffering with leprosy, all Of
which is unquestionably correct.
HE errs however in holding that Mr..
Early was placed in quarantine by the
United States government and that it Is
the federal authorities who are DESTROYS
Of returning him to his state. The dis
covery of the disease was made by the
local health department, the quarantine
was established and is being maintained
by said department and. as the temporary
head thereof. l Immediately communicate
ed the facts to the president of the state
BOARD of health, advising him of our
wishes respecting the return or the pa
tient to his native state.
1.-The appeal was that of a District Of
fetal, not federal officer. who then
felt, and still feels. that it was his duty
as a public servant of the District of CO.
lumbia to spare this community of what
ever risk 1t may be running by the pres
ence of the leper. and to terminate, if
possible, without delay the expenses that
are now entailed upon us.
THE assistant attorney general says:
The state of North Carolina is not re-
quired to support its sick who are with
out the bounds of the state. nor is it the
duty of the state to send for and receive
it's citizens in the state, nor to support and
care for them He then proceeds To
argue that he considers IL the duty of the