Imperial Valley press., 1924-04-19
FOUR RUSHED TO
HOSPITAL; MANY
SUFFER HARDSHIP
Continued from page 1)

woman was about to give birth to
Il child, four were so i'll that it was
necessary to rush them across to
the hospital ut Yuma despite quar-
antine measures. There were ba-
bieS, but few days old, crying
with fever and having no attention
further than an occasional cold
cloth, which frantic mothers would
/ dash into the meager supply of
j! water.
"The men in the camp were in
an ugly mood. They declared that
they had worked from II to 16
| hours, daily in helping officials
| construct the fumigation station,
] which according to Arizona officials
would allow them TO continue or
F.! their way. When the station was
finished, the officials refused to
allow anyone to proceed because
they said the governor of Arizona
had issued orders tt keep the line
| closed - the district attorney said.
| Odle Makes Threats
"We found a fumigation station
| built III the highway at the srot
where the tourists had clustered in
expectation of being permitted TO
90 on. There was no water to be
Z had within :. distance of five or
! six miles. There was no food, many
! Of the people being entirely with
+ out anything to eat, and Il chain
I stretched across the road stopped
all attempts to push on.
t.1.i.- Uo nt n
tine barriers, the district attorney
and the sheriff tore down the chain.
ordered the Arizona officials 20
] stand aside and TO refrain from in
terfering with Imperial county
j highway traffic. They led the
! weary and worn ont procession of
I tourists eastward to Yuma bridge
where water and food are available.
r. l.. ndle. superintendent Of the
Yuma Indian reservation, was at
FIRST inclned to be friendly, the
/ district attorney said, but later he
appeared to resent the efforts of
the Imperial County officials to
, remedy conditions. He even went
so far as to threaten the arrest of
Mr.. Utley and Sheriff Gillett, ac-
cOrdinglv TO the district attorney.
''We told Superintendent Odle that
he might 90 ahead and place us
under arrest if he cared to, but that
! prisoners or free, we would do eve
/ rything we possibly could to keep
/ the roads open. "We had no
thought of interfering with the
federal reserve, and we have been
only concerned in keeping our coun-
/ ty highways open to travel.
After the district attorney and
sheriff had brought the tourists to
the Colorado river, where several
cottages were turned over to them,
word was sent back here for addi
tional men from the sheriff s de-
partment to assist in policing the
camp. The district attorney and
Supervisor Stewart returned for a
conference with other county super
visors last night. The sheriff and
all his deputies except two or three,
are at the camp, where they are
protecting the tourists as long as
:hey rem&in i'll this county.
Late last evening, DR.. STAN, state
veterinarian of Arizona, came
across the line and in the presence
of one of the deputies called the
sheriff and district attorneys, vile
names according to Mr.. Utley. The
sheriff, hearing of the remarks,
later, went to the bridge and sent
word across that unless the veteri-
marian made an apology he would
ho r,l1coJ t,u1ar arroC+ Il AZ q alxy
lie set foot in Imperial county. The
district attorney said that DIR. STAN
apologized.
Arizona Alone Responsible
. As far as the accusation made
} against Imperial County by Arizo-
e ma officials in which it was said
that this county had refused 20 feed
- or care for the tourists, is concern
ed, it is false, Mr.. Utley declared.
"Imperial County people did not
know of their plight until county
, officials went to the camp and dis
covered what was being done. The
fumigatiOn station and orders to
close the highway were the work of
Arizona, in cooperation with Super
intendent Odle of the Indian reser-
/ vatiOn, and upon them rests the en-
/ tire blame for conditions" he said.
"The situation is merely this:
} That Arizona did not care what
= happened to the travellers as long
. as they were in our back yard, but
as soon as we shifted the RESPONSE
biity by bringing them to the front
, door of Arizona, there was a great
stir, and means of getting them
across the border are being worked
out at once.
The foolishness of the entire
quarantine proceedings was review
ed by the district attorney this
morning. He said that Arizona citi