THE SMALL-POX SCARE

THE SMALL-POX SCARE

The captain of the steamer Euryalus has been committed for trial. This is Colin McDonald, and his offence consisted of bringing small-pox to Australia. From preliminary evidence the case appears to be a hard one. A man was taken aboard at Calcutta named Walter Clark, and some time afterwards developed the disease. Captain McDonald swears that he did not know that this was small-pox. All the same, Clark was attended and supplied with medicine, and when the ship arrived at Adelaide was well enough to go ashore. It is significant that the ship was passed in the usual way. Evidence was given yesterday at the Water Police Court by a number of witnesses, the actual charge being that the defendant had given false answers to certain questions in Port Jackson on march 8th last. Eventually Captain McDonald was committed for trial and allowed out on bail.