Celebrating History: Spanish flu claims Havreites

By Emily Mayer

The Spanish flu continued to sicken citizens as well as claimed lives. The Havre Plaindealer reported in its Dec. 7, 1918, edition of two deaths in our town.

MRS. QUIGLEY’S FUNERAL WAS HELD THURSDAY

Funeral services for the late Mrs. H. N. Quigley were held Thursday under the auspices of the Rebekah lodge of which Mrs. Quigley was a member. Mrs. Quigley died Tuesday night, leaving a baby only 24 hours old, besides another child. The death of Mrs. Quigley followed that of her husband by only a few days, the funeral of Mr. Quigley, who was also an influenza victim being held last Sunday.

It was hoped, however, that the flu was waning, and life could get back to normal.

WILL PERMIT PUBLIC GATHERINGS MONDAY

Influenza Epidemic Ban Will be Lifted Next Week

At a meeting of the city health board last night it was decided that unless there was a decided change for the worse before then that the flu ban on public meetings and the early closing of stores will cease Monday. During the week there have been less than 20 new cases reported and the daily number has been decreasing. Nearly 2000 have been vaccinated and more are being daily inoculated with the serum at the city hall.

Each person who applies at the city hall for the serum treatment will upon the second inoculation, receive a card showing that he or she has received the treatment and only persons possessed of these cards will be admitted to the theatres. An officer will be stationed at the entrance of each place of entertainment or public assemblage to see that these cards are exhibited before entrance is permitted.

Considerable satisfaction is expressed at the firmness of the health board in opposing all efforts to secure premature lifting of the restrictions on public gatherings.

In other positive news, the water bond election was opposed by only nine people, which meant Havre was going to get upgraded and expanded water services, and sugar restrictions on sugar in homes and businesses had been lifted.

In addition to the flu, life in Havre was not all rainbows and unicorns. Three local youths, ranging in ages from 10 to 14, were convicted with a bad check scheme, forging checks using the names of well-known men and stashing their loot with plans to take off for Spokane or Seattle. Two of the boys were paroled, but the ringleader was held in the county jail, from which he promptly escaped. Law enforcement personnel were searching trains and other routes out of town in the hopes of finding the boy, so he could be sent to reform school to serve his sentence.

More news in the negative column was printed in the paper, this time concerning a report demanded by Montana Attorney General Sam Ford concerning the “moral conditions” of Havre and Hill County. The lengthy article stated:

“One outstanding feature is the great increase in statutory rape during the period following the closing order. Another feature is the improvement in conditions that apparently followed after war conditions went into effect.”

The report included that twelve abatements against alleged houses of prostitution were served, seven of the cases being won, four lost and one was pending. During a twelve-month period after the Attorney General’s closing order, no less than twenty-five cases of statutory rape were charged, with four of the girls between the ages of 14 and 16 being infected with venereal disease. During the five years prior to closing houses of prostitution, there were three cases of statutory rape, with no cases of venereal disease among the victims. Two of the three drug stores in Havre reported no noticeable increase of medicines used to treat venereal disease, but the third reported an increase of one-third after the closing order was issued, however all three reported a drop in such business after the war started, as did doctors in the area. In closing, Hill County Attorney Victor Griggs stated:

Whether or not the above conditions immediately following your closing order were the result of such order, is of course purely problematical, and whether or not the situation at the present time is due to war conditions is purely speculative, and I am merely presenting these facts for what they are worth.

Griggs received more praise from the Plaindealer, with an article on the number of cases he won and lost. The breakdown of cases in justice court were interesting, so here they are:

In the justice court there were 91 convictions as follows: Adultery, 2; assault, 20; buying second hand goods from minors, 2; carrying concealed weapons, 2; cruelty to animals, 1; driving auto without permission, 1; disturbing the peace, 14; driving cattle from range, 1; failure to support family, 3; failure to keep registry of second hand goods, 1; illegal search and seizure, 1; malicious mischief, 9; offering beef without hide, 2; petit larceny, 2; selling liquor without license, 1; selling cigarettes without license, 1; violation of game laws, 2; violation saloon closing, 4; violation auto law, 1; residing in house of ill-fame, 1.

Eight insanity hearings were heard, 3 placed under peace bonds, and 15 delinquent children cases handled.

In closing, let us remember what day it is today. Thank those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, be grateful those to rose to the call of duty and nation, be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy today, for Pearl Harbor Day should always be remembered by American citizens.