The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-04-19
STRICT GUARD KEPT
OVER WOMAN LEPER
ISOLATED FROM HUMANITY EX.
CEPT FOR HER HUSBAND WHO
is WAITING UPON HER.

Columbia, April 14.-Special: Con-
fined in house near Mccormick, iso-
lated from humanity except for her
husband, and kept under shotgun
guard, is negro woman leper. She
is kept in one room of the house and
in the adjoining room is her husband.
who Is waiting on her. The county
officials furnish the leper and her
husband with supplies, and there she
IS IN lonely confinement, as complete
ly isolated as if she were on one Of
the islands of the South Sea.
The negro woman was sent from
Abbeville County to the State Hos
pital for the Insane, supposedly
because she was insane. When she
arrived at the State Hospital Super
intendent Williams, always careful,
noticed the popularity of the skin
disease and had her isolated for ex.
animation. Several examinations and
tests were made, and finally the Hos
tital authorities called in Dr.. Lynch,
of the State Medical College staff,
who was doing some research work
at the State Hospital, and after q
most careful and painstaking exami-
nation and investigation the woman
was pronounced a leper. Immediate-
ly the officials of the State Hospital
for the Insane, notified the board of
health that the negro woman was not
insane, but was suffering from lepro-
sy, and that they could not keep her,
as she was not insane.
Could Not Go On ,Tkaiak
The question then aroSST1 NAAt
to do with the negro woHS1 ~ y
ing from a fully developad SRiS ~
leprosy. She could not be tSaAIS6x
back to Abbeville on the trsiAs tS
there is special rule of the StatS
board of health forbidding the tSaAs.
portation on trains of people suAsr.
ing with leprosy. The AbbeviHe al.
thorities were consulted, and finally
it was determined to transport the
woman back to her home by automo.
bile. It is said that the supervisor
of Abbeville arranged for an auto.
mobile, and in this the woman was
carried back through the country TO-
her home and there confined in an
isolated house, closely guarded day
and night. It is said her husband
lives in the adjoining room to his
wife and waits on her, and that the
guards place supplies for them at
convenient points, which is gotten by
the husband, who is caring entirely
for the wants of his wife.
It is said that the automobile in
which the negro woman was taken
from here to Abbeville County was
burned along with the clothes worn
by the men who took her back.
Abbeville County has been guard
! ing the woman and furnishing the
supplies, it is said, but now the bur-
den will be transferred to the newly
formed county of Mccormick, for it
is said that the woman is confined in
a house in that section and within
the bounds of the new county.
1t was on the first of the present
month that the woman leper was re-
moved from the State Hospital to her
home in Mccormick County. The
news of this situation first reached
the ears of this correspondent some
days ago, but it was only to-day that
the facts were confirmed sufficiently
to justify publication. DR.. G. Fred
Williams, superintendent of the State
Hospital for the Insane, this morn
ing admitted the fact that the negro
woman had been pronounced leper
and taken back by automobile to her
former home.
1t is said that the people of Able
vile and Mccormick counties are
much concerned over the fact that a
leper is in their section, but every
body has manifested reluctance to
talking about the case.