Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-02

John R. Early. the leper, is back at his
former brick cottage home behind the
old workhouse at the Washington Asylum
Hospital.
He is locked up with W. NJ. Repetti,
keeper.
Early was taken in custody at local
hotel this morning, after he had tele-
phoned to the health department where
he could be found, by DR.. W. C. Fowler,
who had him arrested here when it was
first discovered that he was a victim of
the dread scourge.
Early has been in Washington since
Sunday afternoon and has been sightsee-
ing about the city; visited his old quar-
ters at 119 Pennsylvania avenue, where
he was residing when his condition was
first found to be indicative of leprosy; at
tended several theaters and moving-pic-
ture houses and has been at the Wash
ington monument and along the princi-
pal business streets.
Shows Ravages of Disease.
The ravages of the scourge are plainly
written on Early's countenance. His
forehead and face are severely furrowed,
his nose, ears and lips are bloated, his
eyes sunken and bleary. He has lost
much of his hair since he was here be-
fore. His hands are large and swollen
But in some ways there is an improve
ment in his condition. A large bunchy
growth on his left cheek has disappeared
Dr. Fowler commented that his face is
now typical of one afflicted by the dis
ease and that it resembles exactly some
pictures in medical text books
Early, himself. says that though medi-
cal science has pronounced him a leper,
the fact has yet to be proved to him. He
says that the principal troubles he ex-
periences are a tenderness about the feet
and rheumatic catarrh. He says that the
mental troubles he suffered when his wife
divorced him have preyed upon him more
than the disease.
Alone in the Cottage.
When he was at the leper cottage be-
fore. his family lived with him in the
house and associated with him on the
grounds. but he occupied separated
rooms and actual contact with his fam
lily was denied. He is now the sole oc-
cupant of the little brick cottage. and
the rooms he will occupy have been bar
red since he lived here before.
Early says his object in returning to
Washington is to stir up national agita-
ton that will force the establishment
of a national leprosarium. He says that
there are 800 or more lepers in this coun-
try, and that New York is the only place
where they are not quarantined and he
believes there should be some place pro-
, vided for them to which all states or
municipalities should be forced to send
those afflicted with the scourge
That he intends to stand for his rights
as citizen and have his case fought out
before the courts before he will sub
init to confinement, is the assertion of
the leper. who protests that his fight
is to be made solely in the interests of
humanitarian treatment of lcpers in this
country.
To Make Test Case.
Early says he is going to make the
District health office show its hands
in this matter before he takes further
action. He says he has made no def
mite plans for fighting for his freedom
except that he has studied about the
disease and the laws covering the
treatment and confinement of lepers
! DIR. Fowler says he is not prepared
| TO say just what the District health of
| flee will do until he has had n chance
| to confer regarding details of the
case with DIR. W. &. Woodward, but
that as far as he is concerned he
showed his hands when he took Early
back to the pesthouse and locked him
| up there.
That any court Will turn him back to
| the charge of the District health offlcer
| is the contention of Early He believes
that then the health office which has
| been cooperating in his case with the
public he.lth service will turn him over
to the latter service, establishing a
state could say to the government, You
accepted Early. you must also accen,
me-" and that the result would be the es.
| tablishment of national leprosaium
| even though Congress hesitated to es-
| tahlish one by Legislative action.
| There was a dramatic scene in the
room of the prominent uptown hotel
where Early had a room since Sunday
/! afternoon when DIR. Fowler entered In
response 10 knock Early called Come
! in" DIR. Fowler. accompanied by the
| proprietor and the house officer. strode
L