The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-03-03
JACKSON Held
BY EPIDEMIC
OF DIPHTHERIA
Schools Close And Mayor
May Shut Town off From
Outside World.
TOWN NOW HAS
CASES; 2 ARE NEW
School Board and Health Body
Meet To Outline Plans
For Fighting.

With eleven cases of diphtheria. two
of which developed in the last two
days, schools closed and all public
gatherings discouraged. Jackson last
night faced virtual quarantine
against the malady to prevent its
spread.
1t is possible that if the disease is
not checked at once, 4 hard and fast
quarantine prohibiting all ingress and
egresS may be placed upon the town
by special action of the City Coun-
ell and the Mayor.
The Board of Education yesterday
afternoon net with the Board of
Health to plan ways and means Of
combating the diphtheria that has
started in Jackson. BY a resolution of
the joint boards, it was decided to
close the public schools there for an
indeterminate time until the disease has
been completely stamped out of the
town.
A recommendation also was sent to
Mayor f. g. Sibley by the Joint con-
ference, urging him to issue a procla-
nation closing all public gatherings
81 any description for the next ten
days.
The Mayor last night announced
that the Jackson City Ordinances do
not permit him to make such proc
lamation, so that the public gatherings
may rot be stopped by law, but he
urged all such gatherings to be dis
persed with voluntarily on the part of
the people as safety measure for the
towns citizens.
A notice will be sent around this
morning, requesting all families with
children, to keep them indoors to as
large an extent as possible for it is
believed that the spread Of the disease
IS more liable to occur through the
agency of the school children than in
any other way.
Tire members Of the Beard of Health
which took the decisive steps against
the malady are: DR.. K. T. Henderson,
J. c. Heinberg and F. f. Kies. The
members Of the School Board are: l..
A. Goodwin, C. l.. Grant, William
Waggonar Jr., o. L. Hoffman,, w. c.
Cracraft and J. c. Caldwell.
Four of the eases now on record in
Jackson have existed for the last
two weeks, four of them have been III
for q week and the others have be
COME III within the last few days.
In each case the malady is being
fought by the aid of diphtheric anti
toxin and in virtually every case, the
patients are said to be improving at
present.
In the family of AIr. and Mrs. ]. H.
Poe the following are sick: Miss Mabel
Poe, about Il years old, who has been
i'll a week; Percy, Paul and Elizabeth,
who have been Ill two weeks. They
have improved to a great extent and
yesterday Mr.. Poe was allowed to pass
through the quarantine lines about his
residence TO go to the business section
of the town to transact business
In the family of l.. A. Goodwin The
following are i'll: Hiss Helen Goodwin.
who is about Il years old, Mary,
Frank and Roy Goodwin, who are
younger. They still are qGarantined
and are impriving.
Helen Sanders, d daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Sanders the hard
ware dealer in Jackson, has been i'll q
week. Her illness was diagnosed as
diphtheria Monday.
Edwin Sanders, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. John Sanders became i'll Wedne5-
day, with diptheria. He is 4 cousin of
the Sanders girl who is i'll.
Gilbert Headrick, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Alexander Headrick has been i'll
since Tuesday or Wednesday with