Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
STATE AID SOUGHT
TO CAP PURE EARLY
Marshal and Sheriff Called
on to Help Remove Leper
From Mountains.

Federal authorities may have to
take an army into the mountains of
North Carolina TO remove John Early,
National Leper Home al Carville. La,
several months ago and is now being
guarded by friends and relatives.
Early, who first was sent to the
leprosium from Washington 10 years
ago after having been in the custody
of District Health officers for several
months, has made his escape on sew
eral occasions, on one of which he
walked into the District Building
after having been sought by the police
for several weeks.
DR.. Hugh S. Cumming, surgeon
general of the United States Public
States Marshal Brownlow Jackson
and the State authorities to help linn
take Early.
In letter to Senator Simmons, DIR.
Cumming said:
II am making an effort to secure
the cooperation of legally constituted
peace officers in the vicinity where
Early is supposed to be, to ascertain
his whereabouts and effect his return
to the National Leper Home. 1 am
prepared to send an officer immediate
ly to obtain his custody upon receipt
of definite information as to his loca-
ton and assurance that the medical
officer will be protected from outside
interference in the execution Of his
duties.
Object to FOrcible Arrest.
Marshal Jackson reported to the
Department of Justice that his depu-
ties object to experimenting the said
Early. by reason of the fact that the
arrest will probably have to be made
by force and would require personal
contact"
Last Spring. when Early left the
nome at CarVille and returned to his
old haunts near huntsville, threats of
Violence were made, but Public
Health Service agents finally pur.
suaded him to accompany them with.
out resistance. DR.. Cumming reports
that at that time Sheriff McFarla nd
OF Polk County, advised his represen.
tative that it would be very danger.
Gus to try to force Early, as his
brothers had announced they would
resist such action with arms.
Under the present circumstances
it is not anticipated that Early will
agree to voluntary return" declared
DR.. Cumming, land l feel it neces-
sary to have assurance, either from
the sheriff of the county or the
United States marshal that the nee
essary cooperation will be provided
and the medical officer protected from
violence and outside interference.
while l regret very much that
John Early has again escaped from
Carville, and shall take the utmost
precaution TO prevent a repetition of
his escape when we have once more
removed him to the home, 1 think it
not unreasonable to expect the
sheriff or the deputy marshal or other
persons to give the necessary co-opera-
ton and assistance so that when a
medical officer is sent to Tryon or
other designated points. there will be
no delays or exhibition of violence to
circumvent him."
Recently Bought Land.
For many years Early has rambled
about the country, at times slipping
here and there without being recog-
nized. Recently he bought a small
tract of land in the Businesses of the
mountains Of western North Carolina
and established a camp for himself,
and announced that he Will have to
be dragged every foot of the way back
to Carville."
People in the Tryon neighborhood
feel that Early's presence Is interfer-
ing with tourist trade of the popular
resort.
Simmered down, the situation
seems to be that both Surg. Gen.
Cumming and the sheriff of Polk
County are reluctant to take the ini.
tiative in getting Early.
Surg. Gen. Cumming, 1t was learned
last night, intends to stand pat" on
his decision to send for Early when |
he Is safely in custody, and not to
risk the life OF one Of his agents by
sending him into the mountains for |
him. He will wait until the sheriff |!
gets him before he sends for him, 1t |
was indicated.
Meanwhile. the sheriff seems to be !
waiting for aid from Washington be-
fore going into the mountains.