The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1920-02-07
EPIDEMIC CLAIMS
MANY VICTIMS
THREE DEATHS IN MADISON
AND ONE IN RAMONA IN
"a HOURS.

| "S SSAAooo oto6S VI lhC plCtdll-
ing epidemic of influenza and pneu-
monia has been reached. Since yes
terday three deaths have occurred in
the city of Madison and one at Ra-
| mona.
People are beginning to be aware
of the gravity of the situation and
with sobered reflections are wonder
ing who next will be laid low by the
power of the dread invader.
The shock following the reports of
death after death in this city and vi
cinity is forcing the question, Can
anything more be done than is now
attempted to stop the spread of the
epidemic?" Ministers, teachers and
business men are realizing the impor-
tance of using every possible meas
ure against further inroads of the
disease. Public funerals have been
prescribed and now possibly we face
the alternative of closing down our
schools and curtailing business to a
limited degree until such time as the
situation becomes improved.
George j. Simpson.
AT an early hour today George J..
Simpson, a young man of exceptional
business ability and trusted employe
of w. HI. Buck, gave up the unequal
struggle against the fell destroyer,
death, and passed into the great un-
known
About two weeks ago the deceased
was taken ill with mild form of in
fluenza that caused him to lay aside
his work and seek the aid of a physi-
clan. Gradually the transition set in
and pneumonia began undermine
every vistage of strength the yol
man possessed. Only % years of a.
a former student of our high school
and with an education received at our
state normal, it is lamentable that
Mr.. Simpson, who has been married
but three years, should be removed
by death in the very prime of man.
hood. His going is the first i'm the
family circle and there are left to
grieve their sad plight a young wife
and son, the latter year old. Mrs.
Simpson was formerly Neva Bondy,
OF Leroy township.
Funeral arrangements have not
yet been made.
Mrs. Griff Owens.
The shock and attending grief
caused by the death of her husband
one week ago yesterday, coupled with
severe illness first from influenza
and later from an attack of pneu-
monia took Mrs. Griff Owens past the
confines of mortality at As minutes
past 6 o'clock this morning.
The deceased, who leaves five
daughters and one son, was born in
Spring Valley, Mimi, A years ago.
She and her husband came to South
Dakota in 1880 and settled on a farm
west OF Junius. Last fall Madison
was selected as place of residence
with view to the facilities afforded
for the education of the children.
This makes the second death occur
ring in the Owens family in little
over week. Yesterday and the day
before there seemed to be some inn
provement in Mrs. Owens condition,
but relapse in the early morning
hours foretold in part the coming
event that would not only leave the
children fatherless, but motherless
too.
The funeral will be held from the
family residence at .. m. tomor-
row. The Rev. Blakeslee of Grace
Episcopal church and the Rev. Olson
of the First Methodist Episcopal
church will officiate at the hour men
toned.
James Seten.
Watchers at the bedside of James
Seten, a respected and well known
citizen, waited in vain the past few
days to discover any improvement in
the condition of the man who lay
seriously i'll from a set of complica-
tions that finally undermined total
strength.
James Seten breathed his last at 3
o'clock yesterday afternoon at the
family residence on Harth avenue N.
For the past two years the deceased
had been doctoring for a bad condi-
tion of the throat. Four weeks ago
he took to his bed only to have infIu-
enza as an additional threat to his
enfeebled state.
Mr.. Seten was past Al years OF age
and there are left to mourn over him
q wife and five children, four daueh-
ters and one son, the latter being now
quite seriously i'll from an attack OF
whooping cough and influenza. The
wife Is doubly afflicted in this the
loss OF him who was her chief protec-
tion and because Of her present state
Of illness from influenza.
James Seten came to this country
from Norway in 1880. He first
worked. in Flandreau then spent Is
years on . farm near Ramona. He
was united in marriage to Bertha
Johnstad OF Lake county. In the year