The Cairo bulletin., 1912-05-02
LAST Of LEPER
PRIESTS SLOWLY
DIES IN HIS HUT
Pere Dupuy Not Expected to Live
Year. Another Expects
Disease

1AS~ASN
Following close upon the news
Just received from the JeSu Is In for
cign mission fields that a distinguish
cd one of Their uun,5er, rere lSa-
dore Dupuy, who holds the much
coveted medal of the Legion OF
l.oncr in France. had been stricken
with ieprosy and Is now. dy MS in
hut in the ioper colony Of Mariana,
Madagascar, coats word from
Brother Dutton. in .tolokai. the last
of the renowned pioneer leper nurses
that he too, is expecting To be stunt
larly stricken and in consequence
las already prepared his work .or
his successor,
In 81 letter received yesterday by
Father Wynnc, editor OF the Cath
Ollie Encyclopedia, Brother button
indicates that he is awaiting his
fate With characteristic stoicism and
religious feryor of his famous prRde-55
cesso7. Father Damien. the. Apostle
of leper nurses. and others who met
like end.
Disease Virulcnt
When lcper nurses are stitken theT
invariably arc afflicted with the dis
case in IT'S most virulent form
death following very shortly after
ward Like Pore Dupuy one solacc
is held out to tbemthat durins
their period of exile from ciyiliza-
ton. so long as their strength viii
allow, they are permitted to say
mass in their crude huts which
served as death chambers to them.
Symptoms of the disease were
noted last February and after being
put under observation for short
time Perc Dupuy was pronounced a
leper. lie is the tenth priest ae-
tually engaged in foreign missionary
work during the last half century to
be stricken with the naiady. Many
lay brothers have met a like fate.
The list of the leper dead Is headed
by Father Damien, whose, death after
life of almost inhuman SUFFERING
arong tho Iepers in Molokal, arrest
cd the worlds attention. Others
were Father Conrady, Brother scro-
pin and Father Gregory
Brother Button Veteran.
Brother Button. or Captain Ira
Barnes button, as ne was known be-
fore entering the missionary fields,
is Civil War Veteran. ,sIn his LEI
ter to Father Wynne, one OF the best
known Jesuits In this country. he an
nounees that the e. A Il. has just
sent him large bronze medal He
began work at an early age at the
printing trade and was librarian in
Methodist and Baptist Sunday
schools. Enlisting as a member OF
the GAINESVILLE City, Vt, Zouave Ca
diets, he worked his way through the
ranks to the position Of Captain,
doing duty at New Orleans in 1851
until the final muster out, 4 year
later He was afterward chief clerk
of the Louisville & Nashville r r,
and Investigating agent of the war
department In adjustment of war
claims In Tennessee Kentucky AMI
Ohio. Later he Joined the Domini-
can Fathers at Memphis. He was
afterwards in a Trapist monastery
and with the Redemptist Fathers,
until hearing of Father Damien's
work, he set out to Join him at Kala
wac in Molokai Here he has since
remained ministcring to the needs
of the lepers, having succeeded
Father Damien upon his death In
1889.
Three Die. Two Stricken.
1t is a peculiar fact that Father
Damien and two other lcper priests
died, and that Pere Dupuy and one
other brother were stricken in the
month OF April Brother Dutton s
letter comes in the same month.
Molokai Is one of the group Of
Islands formerly known as the Sand
witch Islands, or as the Kingdom OF
Hawaii, and einee its annexation by
he United States, as the Territory
OF Hawaii. 1t is one Of the most
picturesque Of all islands and world.
wide attention has been attra<ed to
il since Father Damiens' heroic sac
riiice. II Is about thirty-eight miles
in length and seven miles wide. 1t
was larger in its original volcanic
formation. The mountain backbone
was split or displaced, tho northern
part being submerged In the ocean;
land there now remains a line nj ma