The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-04-12
BY ALTMAN

medical profession and this phys
I ician pronounced both OF them in
perfect health and free from disease.
When | went out TO the sfockade
To see my clients | beheid one Of the
worst and most disgusting sights
that had ever witnessed: right here
In civilized Seattle were elghteef,
men said 10 be Guaranteed because
they were alleged by the Health De-
partment to be sick men. They were
all locked in a filthy. ramshackie.
rodcntridden shed. 1880 feet IN
size: their bed blankets had not been
changed or cleaned in months. dur
ing which time many different men
had used them.
About eight OF these men were free
from any disease whatever. two Of
them were insane, two had tubercuio-
Sis. and the Others had infectious all
ments OF different kinds. They all
had to wash with the same soap:
wash their clothes in the same tub:
drink out OF the same cup, there
was absolutely no prctense made for
sanitation or to prevent cross infec-
ton In fact. the clean. healthy men
who were kangarooed into this quar-.
antine hell were In danger of contract
ing tuberculosis. and none Of these
men were being properly fed ard
nourished IL they were HONESTY
quaranuned by the health tftpart-
ment as sick men.
As soon as l talked with thes..
men knew that some ought 10 ba
in state institutions for their mental
condition: others In tuberculosis san.
itariums; others should be treated
for infectious ailments: while about
eight had been railroaded in there
without notice or hearing OF any
kind and in violation OF every law
and constitutional guaranty OF the
land.
1 concluded that II would b. inn
possible for any physician to justifv
or excuse himself for keeping human
beings In such a foul. vile. rotten
den. and / wondered what Ole would
say when he went out and saw with
his own eyes. and heard with his
own ears what conditions were. and
that the health commissioner had
not been out there in months. and
that some OF the men there had new
err even been given a physical exami-
nation. II.
Hanson had been in office about /.
three months. and he had talked to
me so much before his election about !,
giving everybody a square deal"
cleaning the city hall. lock. stock
and barrel" never betraying a
friend in his life" and never passing
anyone on the road who was broke
down or stuck I'm the mud without
stopping and trying to help them =.
out. that I believed him and had 4
faith in him and. IL he did half as q
much as he promised to do for Seat =
tie. l could be very well satisfied fcrFZ
having gone before the people and
asked them to make Ole Hansoits1
mayor. -
l called at the Mayors office thSfaf
next morning after had visited the
stockade and said to him. "Ole. have 4
you been out 10 the stockade since
you were elected?"
mo, Doc. / have not and IL is
shame the way l have neglected the
boys out there; let's go out rightsN
now" III
/ could not go just then. II was,,1
1880 n. m. but we started for the z.
stockade at 1880 that afternoon and
a reporter for the Union Record went
with us.
In my next article will tell what :.
the Mayor had to say to the ouaran. =
tined men and to me about the Z.
stoclSade that is still there. Yes, the u
seat of all filth. disease. degradation' =
and disgrace to Seattle is still there n
or was the last time 1 was allowed %
In 1t. Seattle's quarantine has beer, u
so vicious and rotten under Hanson
that they fear to allow citizens tbs
see the torture and he'll on earth
that human beings are subjected to-.
The facts are that the stockade and,s
quarantine under Ole Hanson Is farw
more vicious and inhuman than its4
was under the late mayor. Hiram c..
Gill.
emenu