The Washington times., 1908-08-25
LEPER IN SUSPENSE.
DONNCAST BY RAIN
No Reply Received From
North Carolina Health
Officers About Case. i
NOTHING TO BE DONE
PENDING ANSWER
John Early Kept Closely Guarded
in His Tent Near Eastern
Branch-Reads Bible.

DianCIl-ReaQS blOle.
John Early. he lonely leper Of Wash
ington, is spending another drearv day
IN his little tent just without the Ma
tons Capital
While ne waits. the Yards OF official
red tape are being unwound from the
ticker that holds the doomed mans
hopes and his fears-for upon its answer
depends the leper's future home and sur
roundings. It may be with wife and
child back Ia Lynn. n. c., whence he
came It may be tn a leper coloay,
Tar removed from every one he loves,
though Early says he courts death
rather thar this
The Health Department has not re-
ceiyed a reply 10 its written request
that authorities Of North Carolina
agree 70 have the stricken man taken
there Until this answer comes. the
local authorities can do nothing for
Early except make him as comfortable
as possible. This is being done. Zach
hour an answer is expected bearing Joy
or disappointment tc WaEhington's iso-
lated charge.
Answer May Be Delayed.
Commissioner West said this after
noon that he understood the cf1cisI in
charge OF such matters for the state
or North Carolina is absent from his
ofice. and that it might be several days
before any disposition could be made of
the unusual and unfortunate case IN
the meantime Early. his Bible in hand.
puTsues the even tenor Of the Ieper's
way, asking for nothing but sympathy
and understanding that even this must
be at a distanCe-fOr he is unclean
The dTeary rain and somberness OF to-
day has made the hours OF suspense
doubly hard on Early. Since ne was
discovered in a Pennsylvania avenue
boarding house on Friday last. sick
with lepFOsy. but not knowing what
allied him, he has remained fairly cheer
Etiis ana mas spent a great deal OF TIE
time in the sunlight about his little
tented home. To-Day, everything is
changed, FOR Ihe leper must remain in
doors, the guards nave With6ra wn FUR
lher away 10 seek protection from the
rain. and the isOlated man Is, indeed,
an object OF pity. only the possession
of his Bible and a number of magazines
contributed by newspaper nen ana
other friends makes the day bearabIe-
Spends a Lonely Day.
A lonely day Of thought. Of reading. OF
%
The days pass sooner than one would
suppose, however" said the .nfortu-
nate man today. "I manage to get elong
fairly well and with Gods assis,ance
to avoid thinking about nay troubles.
The craving for my wife and baby IS
the one thing that haunts me-
Z can sleep at night, too. I general
Iy go to bed at o'clock and sleep
4 ~
have no conscience to trouble me. I
expect. even with this diseased old body
of mine I am better off than many =
man to whom sleep is denied. There
fore, 1 cry 10 look upon the brighter
side"
Early's day, the time OF the leper Of
Washington, In whom every citizen IN
the city has evinced interest and SYM
pathy is as follows.
Z a. N. Morning bath.
7.30. Breakfast
8 washes his dishes. makes bed and
attends TO little tent-keeping duties.
10 p Reads Bible and papers. talks
10 guards.
Noon. Lunch.
12:90. Washes dishes again
/ 10 G. Reads, takes nap. or sees
physician.
s 10 8. Reading BY lamplight or con-
versing with guards.
8 p. m. To bed again.
Resorts to Prayer.
At intervals during the day Early re-
sorts to prayer in the solitude OF his
tent. He is allowed 20 occupy his time
lust as it suits him, and spends a con
siderable portion OF It walking back
and forth within the narrow space in
which he is permitted to roam, Just
around the tent
Occasionally, Early win play the part
OF wasn-wonlan and wash out articles
of wearing apparel drying them upon
the greensward overlooking the Poto-
mae. He bathes IN vessels purchased es-
pecially for that use. the water used
being afterward thrown over the ground
Just to the east OF Early's tent.
Yesterday afternoon, employees Of the
Health Department added an additional
sheet of tening 10 the mans tempo
rary home, IN order that he might be
thoroughly protected from the inciement
weather. Mosquito nets were also put up
inside, making the tent mosquito proof.
This was done, an Official OF the depart
ment explained, not that danger OF In
lection through mosquito bites was
feared. but IN order to make the leper
more comfortable, the insects along the
marshy Eastern branch being very
vicious at this season. The health of
ficer said that there was no case on
record. so far as he knew, where the
bite of a mosquito had spread leprosy.
as is the case with yellow fever
Commissioner West said this after
noon that in event North Carolina
should refuse 70 receive It's Ieper cit
izen that the District would continue 10
care for the man FOR the present until
some disposition can be arranged. AS
the weather grows colder the tent will
be abandoned FOR a small house, pro-
Vided the ieper remains under the care
OF the District.
DR.. W. /. Robbins, a wall-known spe-
cialist and lecturer on mental diseases,
said today:
little Danger" Says Doctor.
''The people of the District should be
reassured that there is very little dang
er of infection from leprosy. Ancient
history has taught US 10 regard the
disease with more awe, so far as infec-
ton is concerned, than is justified.
Many times persons who come in pro-
longed contact with a leper never con-
tract the disease and mere Incidental
eoulacL such as some Washingfonians