Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-14
DEMONSTRATION IN
DEFIANCE OF LAW
Officer Left Peaceably, He Says
TO Prevent a Riot in
the Town.
AUTHORITIES WILL ACT
State Board of Health Has Called
a Special Meeting TO be Held
Tomorrow.

a small proportion Of the popuia tiou
of GEORGETOWN, hut large enough tC
create trouble, last night brought TO q
climax their opposition TO the compulsory
vaccination order Of the State Board oi
Health, to the extent Of compelling Special
Health Commissioner Chester II. Wells
TO leave the town.
This was the climax Of DAYS activities
on the part OF MIR Wells who IS employed
bv the State Board Of Health and who was
specially charged with the duty Of seeing
that its orders are obeyed. fle had met
with opposition al dav. being unable tn
:perform his full duty un view Of the facts
rs he states, that he had been unable TO
find an officer OF the law 10 serve warrants
which he had issued for about a dozen
residents ol Georgetown, who had ad-
mitted to him during the day that they
hsd not been vaccInated
The element referred to hsd evidently
determined that II WAS superior IN author
ity to the Board Of Health and would
refuse by force 10 obey its orders. There
fore mob OF probably 300 persons
gathered on the public square IN the heart
Of Georgetown. about o clock LAST night,
for the express purpose of driving Health
Commissioner Wells out Of town, Il this
could be accomplished.
MI " N5is va = guest At tifS &pIlGh
Hotel, which tsces on the public square,
and st the time he wss sitting in the
office, facing 8 window on the square,
reading newspaper. Almost before he
reslized whst 1t al meant, the crowd
rushed into the hotel-thst is, as much Of
it as could get in-and got Wells In tho
midst OF the Jam.
You II have 10 leave town, the spokes-
rnsn, 3 mar IN military uniform, whom
somebody said was named Layton, told
Wells Others began to talk, and he
made il plain that they resented tho
presence Of Wells there or any other
person who canae to enforce the Poard
Of Healths vaccination order.
At the same time the crowd on The
square outside vas yelling run him ont
get 8 rope, we wont be vacCnated
and 50 on. Mr.. Wells managed to reach
the telephone and he called up some
friends, IN regard to the matter Presently
the mayor Of the town a peared and
advised the ciowd not to do anything that
would create disorder. 1t is none OF my
duty" he told the crowd. to rye the
vaccination warrants. but 1t Is my duty
10 do VIVA ] ca ~ preserve order
He also had talk with Mr.. Wells and
The latter decided that he would leave
Mr. Wells had been asked by one of the
nen u the crowd;
Viii YOU 60 peaceabiy For II you
non we u put YOU out Of town by force.
They told him that they had an automo-
bile out side, and SIS there were no more
trains out Of Georgetown hat night. they
would take him to Milford in the car. In
order not TO precipltate further trouble
Mr.. " ellis went TO his room. got his over
coat srtd hat and entered the waiting car
=
Is miles away. where he spent the night
~ the hotel.
REFUSED 9p REVEAL EpENTITf
Mr. Wells says he did rot recognize
anybody n the car nor did be know
whose car It was 1T Was covered with
mud he SAID "scd / could not even
learn the license number When asked
ne men their names they refused 70
;ell me.
i left Georgetown. Mr. Wells said
.oday because ] thought my FIRST daty
was to help preserve order there was
sat SIZED that If Rad resisted there would
have been 1 rao1
HEALTH BOARD no ACT
Mr. Wells proceeded TO Dover thls
morning and reported the incidents of last
night there 70 DR. L. ;. Conwell secretary
# the State Board OF Health, 81 his office
in the tate House and il was there that
an Every Evening man talked with Mir
Wells today.
Il was announced today by Dr. Con
veil that 9 special meeting of the Board
OF Health will be held tomorrow. either
N Dover or Wilmington, to consider
1.st night episode, and take surh action
Is may be deemed necessary The board
Is determined that its orders shall be
obeyed but the next step viii not Ire
determined until the matter has been
gone over at that meeting.
II Is regarded as likely that the matter
viii be brought to the attention Of
Governor Townsend.
The Governor who was III n Wilmington
fc-day, when asked about the matter
said he had not been officially inforfDed
Of the occurrence but that he would
probably consult Attorney-G General Rein
hardt before he left Wilmington
/ don't consider th's 3 persons .Inst- .
ter. said MIR Wells today II We the
State Board q Health-the way view |.
the Inatter-that was driven ont Of
Georgetown Last night III fact. J was told 4
that ! would have r. get out Of rbo town
and - would anybody else who came
there 70 entorcs tins order % the Board Of
Health They told iue they didn't pro- I
Pose be-lng yacciuated against their will. /
10 my mind it i nov question OF Iaw
1T seemed odd To me. he went on,
that could not find constable o. other
officer % serve the warrants that had
been issued Some OF the of GERS were
reported To be out Of town, and / was
jnable 70 locate any Of them
Mr.. Wells said nobody laid hands on
i'm but he did not doubt that they would
he hadnt consented 70 leave I,eaceably.
Two or three Of the cooer heads in the
-1I ;-11olg the1a tne mayor, pTevented d
Cor lfr.le7 ~. pt.e.e Il