The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-05
Detention Hospital Inmates
Ordered Isolated as Result
of the Epidemic.
DRILL ROOM CONVERTED
INTO GENERAL HOSPITAL
Guards Not Permitted to Leave.
One Who Did Get Out Is
Victim.
Special to the Evening starI

RAILWAY, Feb. 5.--Despite the se-
crecy concerning the epidemic of diph-
iberia in the State Reformatory in this
city, the facts are gradually leaking
out, and as they become known alarm
is expressed lest the disease spread out
side the institution.
1t was learned this morning from a
reliable source that while the number
of victims to the disease is said to be
about thirty there are probably 200 OF
the prisoners whose throats, when ex-
aminod by the State Board OF Health
authorities, disclosed germs of diph-
liberia.
DR.. T. B. Holmes, who is health officer
as well as Mayor of the city, has or
dered the strictest care to be exercised
with a view TO keeping The disease
within the institution.
In spite of this, Joseph Morse, one
OF the guards of an outside squad, is at
his home on Leesville avenue sick with
the disease.
Not guard is now permitted to VISIT
his home and all visitors are excluded.
Captain Joseph Martin, superintca-
dent of the reformatory, has not lett
thee building for several days, but his
sons Manton Martin. chief clerk. re-
mains outside to look after matters
that must be attended to.
The drill room has been converted
into general hospital. and DR.. II.
Page Hough, the house physician, has
more than his hands full. Each day
the situation becomes more accentuated
on account of the crowded condition.
there being about GOO inmates In the
institution at the present time.
1t has been said that nothing is al
lowed to leave the rcformatory, but
Yesterday five cases of goods were
carted away by the truck of the instl-
tuition. AS an excuse for this ii was
said that it was an order that must
be filed at once, and that the goods
were packed before the epidemic broke
out.
II was thought that the Hahn legis-
lative committee, which conducted an
investigation of the Reformatory last
summer, would put q stop to some oil
the customs that had prevailed, such
as having the washing of guards ana
their families done at the laundry OF
the institution, but it required the cpl
demic of disease to shut it out, and
now all such service is performed at
the homes of the employees
DIR. Holmes has forbidden any OF the
attaches who are outside from again
entering the buildings until the scourge
has been checked, and close watch Is
being kept to prevent a violation oil
this order.
1t has been impossible to learn what
caused the breaking out of the disease
It is claimed that the sewerage system
is faultless, and that the city water is
pure. The only other cause to which
it can be attributed is the fact that
the institution Is overcrowded, or per-
haps that some prisoner carried the
germs in with him.
The situation has become so grave
that the commissioners are holding A
meeting this afternoon at Elizabeth in
the office of former Governor Foster
NJ. voorhees,, and an effort will be
made to wipe out the disease.
It has been customary for relatives
of the inmates to visit the reforma-
tory at almost any time, and especially
on Sundays, when the crowd is excep-
tionally large. This was not checked
until the epidemic became pretty gem
orally spread. and it is feared that
serious results may follow.