The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-13
Atberton in Panic.


lage. The fate that has come upon its
leading citizen weighs visibly upon the
town: is the topic of every whispered
conversation, the cause of sickening
fears which lie behind every white
frightened face.
what are we going to do?"
That is the question which all AL
berton-and all Mineral county. for
that ms.tter--is asking. And the an
swer seems hey md reach.
Fear Wholesale Infection.
It was rumored in Superior. the
county seat, last night, that Senator
Willett was to be taken to San Fran
cisco, where there is a leprosy hos
pital, but county officials would not
verify this. They have hot decided
what to do.
But the disposition of the leper Is
not the greatest problem. Senator
Willett is a Milwaukee conductor. and
the fear that he may have spread the
disease is overshadowing interest IN
his fate.
That the leper has been allowed
his freedom during the several weeks
that have elapsed since diagnosis of
his disease amazed MissOula doctors
yesterday. Willett was pronounced a
leper last month by more than score
of doctors who examined him at the
Mayo hospital in Rochester. MINI. Yet
he was allowed to return to Montana
and to go absolutely free until Friday.
when Governor S. V. Stewart was In
formed of the case by Theodore Mart
in. an Alberton merchant acting as
Willett's emissary.
Is Undoubtedly Leper.
Governor Stewart took the position
that the case Is one for county author
tiles to deal with, but notified the
state board of health to assist Mineral
county officers.
There can be no doubt that Willett
is a leper-the first, perhaps. in Mon
tana. He has been troubled with tn
nlalady for a long time, it is said
but did not know what was the mat
ter with him. Finally he went II
Rochester and there learned the trutl
Twenty-Five doctors from the May'
brothers staff and from middle west
ern cities examined the patient an
were unanimous in diagnosing his cas-
as one of leprosy.
Willett returned to Alberton and fin
ally notified the authorities of his con
dition.
Missoula physicians say that Willet
could well have contracted the diseas
while in the Philippines. Many case
have been noted in which the period
incubation which precedes the viru
lent stages of leprosy bacillus growt
has extended over many years. AS
soldier Senator Willett campaigned
the iungles of the Philippines, whei
lcprosy Is not unusual.
Married Last Year.
The disease had not manifesto
itself when the soldier returned to tt
limited States. 1t was not evidel
even four years ago when Willie
came from Kentucky to Alberton. or
wear ago, when he was married.
Last winter, however, during the se'
sion of the legislature, Senator WI
lett was troubled by a mysterious al
ment. He sought in vain for a Gu
and went finally to Rochester. whe
- he was told the truth.
Most Dreaded Disease.
Leprosy is the most dreaded of
human diseases. and the most my
terious, Since the beginning of hi
tory it has been q plague abhorred a
feared, Lepers have been cast
from society since time began as Z
ings unnatural and doomed. No Gu
has ever been discovered. but to sol
extent the world has partly cured
self. Leprosy. for unknown reaso
has waned, and now Ia uncommon
western Europe and America.
The causes Of the disease are
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