Pod Insights American Scandal The Plague of San Francisco | The Wolf Doctor | 2 About this episode With plague spreading in San Francisco, Dr. Joseph Kinyoun faces fierce resistance from a city and state desperate to protect its image. Unwilling to back down, Kinyoun's (KIHN-yuunz) relentless efforts to contain the plague put him at odds with powerful opponents determined to silence him—by any means necessary.
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0:00 Lindsay Graham? Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. It's May of 1900 in San Francisco, California. Dr. Joseph Kenyon walks quickly through the city's cramped Chinatown, the epicenter of a local
0:44 Lindsay Graham? outbreak of bubonic plague. For the last three months, 39-year-old Kenyon has struggled to convince people here to take the threat of disease seriously. After a disastrous attempt to quarantine Chinatown, Kenyon has settled on a new plan: the inoculation of everyone in the affected area. The Hafkin Serum is the only weapon doctors have against the plague, but whether Kenyon will be able to deploy it remains to be seen. Chinese-language newspapers have started calling Kenyon "The Wolf Doctor" and accused him of planning to poison the people of Chinatown. So Kenyon tries to keep his head down as he weaves through the crowds, but across the street, a group of men stop and stare, their eyes flashing with recognition.
1:26 Lindsay Graham? Kenyon quickens his pace, casting occasional nervous glances over his shoulder. So he's grateful when he reaches his destination, the Chinese consulate on Stockton Street. Kenyon is here to meet with the Chinese Consul General Hou Yao to try and secure his support for the inoculation campaign. Hou Yao stands and extends a hand for Kenyon to shake. The consul is a dapper man in his early 30s who speaks impeccable English. Ah, Dr. Kenyon, a pleasure to meet you. You know, you've become quite the celebrity here in Chinatown. Yes, well, some degree of public scrutiny is to be expected at a time like this, I suppose. I'm afraid you're now public enemy number one here, but on the bright side, I'm sure
2:10 Lindsay Graham? the mayor is more than happy to yield that honor to you. When reports of plague first emerged, San Francisco's mayor, James D. Phelan, came under fire for authorizing the quarantine of Chinatown. But now Phelan is playing down the threat of disease, and Kenyon has become the focus for people's anger instead. Kenyon smiles tightly.
2:30 Lindsay Graham? The mayor and I don't agree on many things, Mr. Ho, but he has voiced support for this inoculation campaign, and I'm hoping you will do the same. Yes, I received your telegram. I must admit I have some concerns. I'd love to hear them. Well, Dr. Kenyon, the way the Chinese community has been treated in these past weeks, the forced quarantine, the disregard of our rights, frankly, it's been disgraceful. Is it any wonder that talk of mandatory vaccinations has caused such fear and resentment? Well, the thing to fear is the disease, Consul, not the measures designed to control it. Perhaps, but many here in Chinatown no longer believe your government has their best interests at heart. And that's exactly why I need your help. You're the Consul General. They trust you. If you came out in support of the inoculations,
3:15 Lindsay Graham? people would listen. But you said it yourself in your telegram, this serum is far from perfect. It only reduces the risk of infection by what? By half? Yes, it doesn't guarantee immunity, that's true, but it will slow down the spread of the disease and buy us the time we need. Please, Mr. Ho, there have already been eight confirmed victims of the plague in Chinatown. The true number is probably far, far higher. And every day we don't act, the danger will only grow. Ho Yao is silent for a moment. But just as he opens his mouth to speak, a rock smashes through the window, landing on the floor at Kenyon's feet in a shower of broken glass. The two men spring to their feet. An angry mob has formed on the street outside.
3:58 Lindsay Graham? They're yelling and hurling more rocks at the building. Kenyon pales as Ho Yao looks to the exits. Doctor, you must leave now. But what about the inoculations? Will you help me? Doctor, we don't have time. There's a back door. I'll have someone show you out. Please, Consul, I won't. I'm sorry, you must go.
4:17 Lindsay Graham? As Dr. Joseph Kenyon is ushered through the consulate toward the back door, the sound of the mob seems to follow him, a terrifying, hate-filled roar. Kenyon might not understand the chance, but their meaning is clear enough. The wolf doctor and his serum are not welcome in Chinatown.
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5:49 Lindsay Graham? From Wondery, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scandal.
6:13 Lindsay Graham? When bubonic plague hit San Francisco in March of 1900, Marine Hospital service doctor Joseph Kinian knew that fighting the deadly contagion would be difficult. But he could never have predicted the scale of the backlash he would face. Few in San Francisco wanted their city to be associated with a plague, so many local businessmen, reporters, and politicians did all they could to deny what was happening. Unwilling to back down, Kinian would resort to extreme measures of his own to halt the spread of the disease. But for his many critics in California, it was Kinian who had to be stopped, even if that meant putting him behind bars. This is episode two, The Wolf Doctor.
6:55 Lindsay Graham? It's May of 1900 at the Washington DC headquarters of the Marine Hospital Service. Surgeon General Walter Wyman stands at his office window, gazing over Capitol Hill. With his hands clasped behind his back and his head tilted slightly to the side, Wyman looks almost serene, though he is anything but relaxed. He knows that containing the recent outbreak of bubonic plague to San Francisco is critical. Anything less could turn this localized epidemic into a nationwide crisis. And while Joseph Kenyon is the one on the ground in California, it's Wyman who must answer to the US President, William McKinley. There's a sharp knock on the door. Wyman turns from the window as a young aide steps inside, clutching a newly arrived telegram. He hands Wyman the message.
7:40 Lindsay Graham? "It's from Dr. Kenyon, and it's not good news." Most of the residents of San Francisco's Chinatown are refusing to cooperate with the inoculation campaign. City health officers have been going door-to-door armed with doses of the Hafkin serum, but the district's ruling authority, the Chinese Six Companies, have been advising locals to resist the injection at all costs, claiming that the white doctors are trying to poison them. Wyman removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. This is the news he's been dreading. With a heavy sigh, he sets the telegram aside and calls for his secretary. If Kenyon can't contain the plague in San Francisco, Wyman will be forced to focus on protecting the rest of the country.
8:22 Lindsay Graham? So when his secretary arrives, Wyman dictates a letter. It's a formal request to the President, asking for the authority to prevent Chinese people from leaving California. It's a controversial measure, a travel ban on the basis of race potentially violates the Constitution, but in Wyman's mind, it's necessary. And within the hour, his proposal is on its way to the White House. By nightfall, President McKinley has approved it.
8:51 Lindsay Graham? In the early hours of May 21, 1900, teams of federal health officers spread out across California. They set up checkpoints at rail crossings and seaports with orders to stop all trains and ships and remove any Chinese people before they can cross state lines. Onward travel is only allowed for these passengers if they have health certificates, and that paperwork can only be obtained from Dr. Joseph Kinian in exchange for taking the Hafkin serum. With few willing to receive the injection, though, Surgeon General Wyman's order amounts to a de facto ban on any Chinese person leaving California. These checkpoints cause widespread disruption and anger. But for Kinian, the travel ban represents a significant victory.
9:33 Lindsay Graham? For the last few weeks, he has been feeling increasingly isolated, a lone voice in a city that is stubbornly unwilling to listen. Now, at last, he believes they're taking concrete steps to fight the plague. But his optimism doesn't last. Just days after the travel ban is imposed, a Chinese merchant files a legal challenge against the measure. Kinian is named as a defendant, but he declines to attend the proceedings. Instead, he remains at his laboratory on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, sending urgent telegrams to Washington to update them on the situation. He's worried that if the travel ban is lifted by the courts, San Francisco's Chinese residents will flee the city under cover of night and take the plague with them. So he requests the support of federal troops to prevent an exodus.
10:19 Lindsay Graham? But before he can get an answer, on May 28, 1900, the judge in San Francisco delivers his ruling: "Any plague prevention measures that deliberately target the Chinese community are unconstitutional." And with the stroke of the judge's pen, Kinian and his agents are forbidden from interfering any further in the lives of California's Chinese residents. It's a major blow for Kinian, and dismayed, he sends another telegram to Wyman, saying that the decision is far-reaching and practically nullifies all acts of federal government within the state. It's the most serious blow the service has received since assuming quarantine measures. But despite his disappointment, Kinian does not give up. Just hours after the ruling, he attends an emergency meeting of the California Board of Health.
11:03 Lindsay Graham? This state body has more powers than its equivalent in San Francisco, and Kenyon hopes he can persuade its members to support another lockdown in Chinatown. The meeting is a tense affair. Evidence is presented that Texas and Louisiana are introducing an embargo of all people and goods from California. Should this crisis continue, other states will likely follow suit, and if that happens, California's economy will be crippled. The room falls silent. Kenyon rises to speak, and he declares that a second quarantine of Chinatown is the only way to control the epidemic, and that the members of the State Board of Health are the only people powerful enough to impose it. At the end of the tense meeting, Kenyon's words seem to have persuaded the board, and
11:47 Lindsay Graham? so early the following morning, a second quarantine of Chinatown goes into effect. And this time, it's not just the local police roping off streets. Instead, an eight-foot-high fence is constructed out of wooden planks, cement blocks, and coils of barbed wire. Police are dispatched to patrol the perimeter with nothing allowed in or out, not even food. Once again, the people of Chinatown are penned in. One local Chinese newspaper says they're like fish caught in a net. And just like the last quarantine, San Francisco's businesses are soon paying the price. So with the local economy utterly dependent on Chinese labor, the president of the local
12:24 Lindsay Graham? Chamber of Commerce hurries to Angel Island with an offer for Joseph Kenyon. Kenyon is in his office, hunched over an inspection report, when there's a knock on the door. An aide steps inside, but before he can say anything, a tall, white-bearded man in an expensive tailored suit strides past the aide into the room. Dr. Kenyon, Charles Nelson from the Chamber of Commerce. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you. Well, likewise, Mr. Nelson. Nelson glances over his shoulder at Kenyon's aide, who is lingering quietly by the door. Um, might we speak privately? The matter I'd like to discuss is a little delicate. Kenyon gives a nod to his aide, who slips out of the room.
13:06 Lindsay Graham? Thank you. You know, some conversations are best had behind closed doors. Yeah, in certain circumstances, so what can I do for you? Well, you know, Dr. Kenyon, I have a great deal of respect for you. You've shown admirable resolve in the face of enormous pressure. I have tried to only act in the interest of public health. That is my sole concern. Absolutely, absolutely. And my concern, naturally, is the health of this city's economy, you understand? Yes, of course. So I trust you'll appreciate my position. This fence around Chinatown may be sound policy to you, but to me, it's a noose around our neck. We rely on Chinese labor to keep this city moving. Well, then I suggest we contain the disease as quickly as possible, so things may return to normal. Yes, of course.
13:49 Lindsay Graham? Um, the chamber just wondered whether there might be some room for compromise. Well, go on. Were the restrictions to be changed, loosened a bit, so business can continue, the chamber would gladly express its gratitude for your service. Something discreet, but substantial? Uh... Are you offering me a bribe, Mr. Nelson? No, of course not, Dr. Kenyon. Think of this as a gesture of appreciation, a token of goodwill between two gentlemen who understand the stakes. Kenyon stands abruptly, his face pale. Mr. Nelson, this conversation is over. There's no need to take offense, doctor. We're both men of the world. We know how this city works. How many of your colleagues are already on someone's payroll? Good day, Mr. Nelson.
14:33 Lindsay Graham? With a tight smile, the businessman stands and gathers his things. Well, this is too bad. I had hoped we could be friends. From what I hear, doctor, you could do with some of those.
14:45 Lindsay Graham? This meeting with the president of the Chamber of Commerce leaves Joseph Kenyon furious. He wonders who else might be taking bribes in San Francisco, and how many cases of plague have gone unreported as a result. At the very least, though, it confirms what Kenyon has long suspected, that in San Francisco, lives are cheap. It's only money that matters.
15:09 Lindsay Graham? As Chinatown simmers with anger behind its quarantine walls, Joseph Kinian receives a wire from Surgeon General Walter Wyman in Washington. According to Wyman, the crisis in San Francisco has caught the attention of Dr. George F. Schrady, the medical correspondent for the New York Herald newspaper. Seventy-year-old Schrady is one of the most celebrated doctors in the country, best known for attending to former President Ulysses S. Grant during his final hours. Now Schrady has declared that he's coming to California to determine once and for all if plague is present in the city. Kinian is instructed by Wyman to meet Dr. Schrady and assist him in any way possible, but Kinian resents this order. He suspects that Schrady is more interested in self-promotion than helping fight the plague.
15:52 Lindsay Graham? Still, he agrees to Wyman's order and hopes Schrady will prove a much-needed new ally. So when the famous Dr. Schrady arrives in San Francisco, Kinian is quick to visit him at his luxury hotel. He shows Schrady a series of plague samples, then offers to take him to the autopsy of a recent suspected plague victim. The dead man does not have any obvious external symptoms, not everyone does, but Kinian extracts another tissue sample and shows it to Schrady under a microscope. And there they are again, the distinctive rod-shaped plague bacteria. Schrady seems convinced. On the following day, May 31st, his findings are published in the San Francisco Call newspaper. He declares that the plague is unquestionably present in the city.
16:36 Lindsay Graham? Kinian is delighted. With Schrady's fame, he thinks the situation might finally be taken seriously by the public. But a day or two after this report is published, Schrady receives an unexpected visitor. He's just returning to his hotel from dinner when a tall, imposing man with a handlebar mustache stops him in the lobby. He introduces himself as California Governor Henry Gage and asks if Dr. Schrady has a moment to speak privately. The governor sends for brandy and cigars as the two men retire to Schrady's suite. There, Gage proceeds to flatter him, telling Schrady what an honor it is to meet such a celebrity. Then Gage starts talking about the plague rumors, complaining how hard the last few months have been for California.
17:19 Lindsay Graham? Schrady nods in sympathy, but informs the governor that there are regrettably more than just rumors. He's seen one of the disease's victims firsthand. Gage eyeballs Shraidy through a cloud of cigar smoke. The sharp toes of his cowboy boots aim squarely at the doctor. Only now does Shraidy fully appreciate Gage's size. Shraidy isn't a small man, but Gage towers over him, even when sitting down. Then Gage's tone hardens. He asks how Shraidy can be certain that the dead body he saw was a plague victim. Shraidy starts to stammer about tissue samples and bacteria, but Gage cuts him off. He says to ignore "any so-called evidence" shown to him by Joseph Kinian. Kinian is a federal stooge, only interested in furthering his own career.
18:03 Lindsay Graham? And unless Shraidy extracted the samples and analyzed them himself, they are not to be trusted. Shraidy thinks for a moment. He admits that upon first inspection, the dead body did not show any sign of plague. It was only when Kinian showed him the samples under the microscope that he became convinced. Gage nods. And then with feigned innocence, he says all he wants is to be certain that the plague is real, that it is spreading in Chinatown, before they commit to a course of action which could do untold damage to California. Then leaning forward, Gage tells Shraidy that he would hate for California's economic collapse to rest on his conscience. Shraidy wipes his sweaty palms on his knees. He mumbles something about needing to check his notes and the possibility of an oversight.
18:48 Lindsay Graham? Governor Gage sits back, satisfied smile spreading beneath his mustache. He says he's confident the doctor will do the right thing. And on June 3rd, 1900, a follow-up to Shraidy's article appears in the San Francisco Call under the headline "The End of the Bubonic Scare." Shraidy has completely reversed his initial opinion. He now claims that the evidence for plague is inconclusive, and he sees no reason why Chinatown should remain under quarantine. In summary, he writes, "I have come to the conclusion that this plague scare is absolutely unwarranted." With that, Dr. Shraidy boards a train and returns to his comfortable life back east. So it will be left to Dr. Joseph Kinian to deal with the consequences of the famous
19:31 Lindsay Graham? doctor's about-turn and the deadly cost that is to follow.
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21:07 Lindsay Graham? In early June of 1900, Dr. Joseph Kinian appears in court in downtown San Francisco. The skeptical article written by famous physician George F. Schrady has emboldened the plague deniers in the city. Now they're mounting a legal challenge to the second quarantine that sealed off Chinatown, and Dr. Kinian is determined to fight back. But his presence in court this time only makes him a target. The attorney representing the residents of Chinatown openly questions Kinian's credentials. He calls the entire science of bacteriology a sham and mocks its practitioners as little boys playing with test tubes. He then taunts Kinian by saying that real doctors treat patients. They don't skulk around dark laboratories peering into microscopes.
21:51 Lindsay Graham? Kenyon is furious at the attorney's slurs and mounts an impassioned defense of his record and his science, but it's not enough to stop Judge William Morrow from ruling against the quarantine. In his judgment, Morrow asserts that the California Board of Health acted with an evil eye and an unequal hand. Once again, the quarantine of Chinatown is ordered to be lifted. The fences and barbed wire come down and the people of Chinatown spill out into the rest of the city. As Kenyon watches them go, he pales at the thought of the deadly germs they might be carrying. It worries that his chance to contain the epidemic is slipping away. So despite his second legal setback in a matter of only weeks, Kenyon decides to do something drastic.
22:35 Lindsay Graham? On June 15th, he sends Marine Hospital service officers to every railroad crossing along the California state border, instructing them to block anyone from leaving the state regardless of race unless they can prove they have a clean bill of health. It's a broadening of the order originally given by Surgeon General Walter Wyman back in May. That first travel ban was ruled unconstitutional because it only targeted the Chinese, but Kenyon hopes that because this latest measure doesn't explicitly single out a particular race, the law will be powerless to stop it. Soon, there are long lines of frustrated passengers at train stations and ports across the state. In the north wing of the ferry building on Angel Island, Kenyon watches over the inspections of passengers as they wait for travel permits.
23:20 Lindsay Graham? The restrictions have only been in place for one day, but Kenyon is pleased with what he sees so far. His officers are conducting brief, efficient examinations, checking health certificates and issuing permits for onward travel. The process seems to be going smoothly. But then Kenyon spots a group of Chinese travelers nearing the front of the line and marches over to them.
23:45 Lindsay Graham? Now, you there. Have you come from Chinatown? Are you all traveling together? Yes? Then I need to see your health certificates. Well, yep, all of you, quickly, please. The Chinese passengers produce their certificates. Kenyon quickly scans the documents and they show clean bills of health. Kenyon turns to the officer at the desk. Officer, take down these people's names. Their permits have been rejected. They're not to leave California. Um, yes, sir. Kenyon hands him the health certificates, then beckons to the next group waiting in line. Keep moving forward, please. We have a lot of people to process. Um, I'm sorry, excuse me, sir? The officer at the desk holds up the Chinese traveler's papers. These certificates look clean. They're symptom-free. I thought if passengers could prove they weren't infected, then we had to let them travel.
24:28 Lindsay Graham? These people have not received the Hafken serum. Their papers say as much. For all we know, they could have contracted plague on their journey to the port this morning. I see, sir, but does that mean we should reject all Chinese passengers, sir? No, of course not. Only those who have not received the serum. But isn't that practically everyone in Chinatown? Do you have a point? I'm sorry, Dr. Kenyon, I just... If I deny permits to all the Chinese, wouldn't that violate the judge's ruling? I just don't want to get into any trouble, sir. I understand, but let me assure you, race has nothing to do with it. If a white man from Chinatown tried to travel, and he hadn't been inoculated, we would have to deny his permit too, you see? Now, we have people waiting. Take down their names.
25:11 Lindsay Graham? The Chinese passengers are forced to take their things and return to Chinatown without their travel permits. As they depart, Dr. Joseph Kenyon tells himself he's doing the right thing. But he knows the risks he's taking. He's dangerously close to violating a court order. But he's also certain that unless he takes action, then potentially millions of people will die.
25:35 Lindsay Graham? Quickly outrage grows at Joseph Kinian's unilateral actions, and it's not just limited to California's Chinese community. To many in the state, Kinian's move is an abuse of power by a vindictive bureaucrat who cares little about the rights and liberties of ordinary people. The local press wastes no time in attacking Kinian. The San Francisco Chronicle publishes a scathing editorial calling him "a person of no particular professional capacity, unfit for any position of responsibility." Then they go on to list Kinian's imperiousness, his lack of common sense, and his pig-headed obstinacy. Even some in the federal government think Kinian has gone too far. Shortly after his restrictions are imposed, Kinian receives a call from the US District Attorney in San Francisco, Frank Coombs.
26:20 Lindsay Graham? He tells Kinian that the travel ban clearly violates the judge's ruling not to interfere in the lives of Chinese residents, and he demands that Kinian revoke the new restrictions immediately. But Kinian refuses. He says he will only lift the ban if instructed to do so by his boss, Surgeon General Wyman. So with Kinian rejecting all pleas to lift the ban, its opponents turn to the courts once again. One of the Chinese travelers Kinian stopped at the Ferry Building, files a complaint, and Judge Morrow demands Kinian attend a hearing on the charge of contempt of court. As a government employee acting in an official capacity, Kinian expects to be defended by a federal lawyer, but his appointed attorney won't be on his side either.
27:02 Lindsay Graham? Kinian is informed by Surgeon General Wyman, and his representative in court will be none other than US District Attorney Frank Coombs. To Kinian, the appointment of someone so openly hostile to him feels like a calculated snub, a signal of disapproval from his boss in Washington. And when Kinian turns up at the District Attorney's office for a consultation ahead of the trial, Coombs tears into him, telling him he's a fool who will be lucky to escape with a six-months prison sentence. And with Kinian on the defensive, his enemies in California move in for the kill. State Governor Henry Gage fires off telegrams to his contacts in Washington, demanding that the federal government rescind Kenyon's travel ban. And when that doesn't immediately work, he dispatches a delegation of California Republicans
27:47 Lindsay Graham? to DC to take up the issue with President William McKinley personally. They meet with the President in the Oval Office. McKinley scans the indignant faces of the men across his polished wood desk. The leader of the delegation explains how these travel restrictions are just the latest in a long line of injuries that California has suffered at Dr. Kenyon's hands. The damage being done to the state's reputation and economy cannot be overstated. Another delegate assures McKinley that all the men in the room today care deeply about the nation's health, and that no one is questioning that bubonic plague is a threat to the United States. But Kenyon's actions are grossly disproportionate. The quarantines and travel bans have likely cost the state's economy tens of millions
28:29 Lindsay Graham? of dollars in lost trade already, and all because of just 12 deaths at the last count, and all of them restricted to Chinatown. President McKinley sighs and leans back in his chair. Paintings of great statesmen from America's past hang on the walls around the room. They seem to peer down at him as he tries to decide what to do. When McKinley first heard about the bubonic plague threat, he was willing to grant the Marine Hospital Service free rein to do whatever was needed to keep the outbreak under control. The last thing he wanted was a national health crisis on his hands. But in recent weeks, McKinley has grown tired of hearing the same name, Joseph Kenyon, over and over again. By all accounts, Kenyon has mishandled the situation from the very beginning, making
29:12 Lindsay Graham? enemies in almost every part of San Francisco society. Even his fellow doctors in the city can't seem to stand the man. More to the point, there's a general election coming up in five months. Without the backing of California's Republicans, McKinley could miss out on his party's nomination. He has to keep the men sitting across from him happy. So the President strikes a conciliatory tone. He tells the delegates that he's sorry to hear about their troubles. It does sound as if this young Kenyon has overstepped. He says he'll have the travel restrictions revoked in short order, and he will speak to Surgeon General Walter Wyman about the troubles in Dr. Kenyon, too. The delegates depart satisfied, and by the end of the day, a sharply worded telegram
29:54 Lindsay Graham? has been transmitted across the country from Washington to San Francisco. The travel ban is to be lifted. All health inspections at the state border are to end at once. And Surgeon General Wyman is to bring his man to heel. Now President McKinley hopes he never hears the name Joseph Kinian ever again.
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31:58 Lindsay Graham? By mid-June of 1900, Dr. Joseph Kenyon is becoming desperate. It's only been a few months since the first case of bubonic plague was detected in San Francisco, but all his attempts to stop the spread of the disease have failed. His professional reputation has been ripped to shreds in the newspapers, and now he faces prison time on a charge of contempt of court. But then, just a few days before his trial is set to begin, a chance encounter offers Kenyon an escape route. He's crossing San Francisco Bay on a ferry when he spots the judge presiding over his case, William Morrow. He sidles up to the judge, and without a hostile attorney picking holes in his evidence, Kenyon is able to explain his actions properly for the first time.
32:41 Lindsay Graham? And by the end of the ferry ride, the judge has gained some sympathy for Kenyon, and the two men come to an agreement. So, standing in court a few days later, a seemingly contrite Kenyon promises he will not impose any further quarantine measures or travel restrictions in California, and in exchange, Morrow dismisses the contempt charges. Kenyon has avoided prison, but it's a hollow victory. He's convinced that the bubonic plague is still spreading in San Francisco. Now, though, Kenyon can do almost nothing about it. And as if to confirm his worst fears, the plague soon claims its first confirmed white victim. On August 11, 1900, a 34-year-old wagon driver dies at the City and County Hospital.
33:25 Lindsay Graham? Soon afterwards, a 28-year-old children's nurse dies after being vomited on by one of her patients, and more deaths quickly follow. Still, the city seems gripped by denial, with most local newspapers refusing to even report on the rising casualties. But Dr. Joseph Kenyon keeps track of them all, and by October 1900, the official count has reached 21, a number Kenyon is certain barely scratches the surface of the true extent of the disease. He thinks doctors are likely confusing plague symptoms for more familiar diseases like diphtheria or common pneumonia, and in some cases, he suspects that there have been deliberate attempts to hide the truth. But he feels almost helpless to do anything about it.
34:06 Lindsay Graham? The one useful thing he can do is stop any more outside infections reaching San Francisco. He still has responsibility for the city's quarantine station, and he orders his staff to redouble their efforts. Since taking up his post, Kenyon has overseen the inspections of more than a thousand ships. The majority of these have passed through without incident. But then, in October 1900, a merchant ship named the Coptic docked at Angel Island. It's already visited the plague ports of Hawaii and Japan, and so Kenyon instructs his officers to conduct an especially thorough examination. The Coptic is fumigated and doused in chemicals, while its passengers are stripped naked and sent for health inspections. Cries of outrage go up, especially from the wealthier passengers,
34:51 Lindsay Graham? who resent being treated in the same way as their lower-class companions. But the marine health service officers in charge ignore the complaints, and it's hours before the ship and everyone on board is cleared for passage to San Francisco. But once they reach the city, the aggrieved passengers quickly relay their outrage to the local press. Reporters pounce on the episode as yet another example of Dr. Kenyon going too far. The San Francisco Chronicle runs a headline saying, "Has Kenyon Gone Mad?" and the president of the Chamber of Commerce calls him "a menace to our trade and our commerce." Reading this, Kenyon feels like he's at war with everyone in San Francisco. He feels hostility everywhere he goes. And on his increasingly rare trips into the city,
35:34 Lindsay Graham? he starts carrying a gun to protect himself and his family.
35:41 Lindsay Graham? One night in December, Kenyon and his wife Lizzie attend a Christmas party arranged by another doctor. They make their excuses and leave early, but now they're shivering in their coats as they stand on the sidewalk. There's no sign of their cab, Kenyon's gals. "God, where is that damn cab? I told them 10 o'clock." "Perhaps the driver thought we'd want to stay longer at the Christmas party." "Did any of the husbands talk to you?" "No, other doctors value their careers too much to associate with me now." "Well, their wives were even worse, if that's any consolation." "So much for the season of goodwill. Why even invite us if they're going to behave like that?" "Well, they probably assumed we'd decline." "Perhaps we should have." And hand them the satisfaction. Kenyon looks down the street in irritation. Now where the devil is he?
36:25 Lindsay Graham? It's the children I worry about. They see more than you realize, you know. Alice asked me yesterday why daddy always looks so sad, even at Christmas. Kenyon suddenly stiffens and turns his head. Did you hear that? Hear what? That down there, down the alley. Someone's there. Kenyon takes a step along the street, reaching for the pistol at his hip. Hello? Hello? Anyone there? Hello? I'm warning you, I'm armed. Joseph, there's no one. I heard someone. Stay back, I have a gun. Darling, look, it's our cab. Come, come please, there's no one there. Let's just go home. The horse-drawn carriage pulls up alongside the Kenyon's, and Lizzie drags her husband inside. As the carriage trundles away, Kenyon stares out at the dark city, his hand never straying far from his gun.
37:11 Lindsay Graham? Lizzie sighs. We've been here for eighteen months, that's long enough, surely. Why not write to Dr. Wyman? Maybe he'll transfer you. I can't let Gage and his cronies win, after everything I've endured? It isn't about winning. I can't retreat now. One way or another, they're gonna see I was right, and I wanna be there when they do.
37:31 Lindsay Graham? In the weeks leading up to Christmas 1900, Joseph and Lizzie Kenyon's children compile a long list of desired presents. Their daughter is a budding pianist, and she wants all the sheet music she can get. Their oldest son wants hunting gear. Their youngest is like his father, obsessed with science and machines. But what the three children want most of all is the same thing as Lizzie: to leave San Francisco. But right now, that's the one gift their father is determined not to give them.
38:02 Lindsay Graham? Dr. Joseph Kenyon may have decided to persevere in San Francisco, but his enemies are just as determined to force him out. Politicians in the California Legislature are drafting a resolution that will call on the federal government to remove Kenyon from his post. And in an address in January of 1901, California Governor Henry Gage takes the opportunity to publicly attack Kenyon. He repeats the conspiracy theory that Kenyon is secretly injecting plague bacteria into dead bodies. And he proposes two bills to crack down on what he calls "The Plague Scare." One would impose a life sentence on anyone found removing tissue from the bodies of a suspected plague victim. The other would criminalize any reports that imply bubonic plague exists in California.
38:46 Lindsay Graham? If enacted, these bills would silence any scientist or journalist who tried to establish the truth. And following Gage's incendiary speech, Kenyon wires Washington demanding that Surgeon General Wyman publicly defend him and the wider marine hospital service. But by now Wyman has lost all confidence in Kenyon. He offers no support, and instead decides to send a new doctor to take charge of the crisis in California. Dr. Joe White is a veteran of past epidemics. He fought cholera in Germany and tackled leprosy in Hawaii, and many in California are delighted by his appointment. They hope that he has come to banish all talk of plague for good. But shortly after White's arrival in San Francisco, a 60-year-old merchant dies in Chinatown, apparently of the plague.
39:31 Lindsay Graham? Hoping to win White over to his side, Kenyon whisks him down to the morgue immediately. The physicians make their way down a hallway to the sealed-off room where suspected plague victims are stored. An overpowering smell of sulfur and disinfectant greets them as they step inside. White gags, repulsed by the odor, but Kenyon hardly blinks. There's a corpse laid out on a wooden gurney, the skin waxy and pale beneath the kerosene lamps. The dead man's groin and armpits bulge with swollen lymph nodes, and his neck and torso are covered with black, bruise-like stains. Kenyon gets to work immediately. Producing a scalpel from his bag, he cuts a small incision in the victim's flesh.
40:12 Lindsay Graham? From the corner of the room, a Chinese mortician watches on with a mixture of hostility and fear. Then, carefully, Kenyon extracts a sliver of tissue from the body and places it inside a glass slide. Then he crosses the room to a workbench where he sets up his microscope and places the tissue sample under the lens. After examining the specimen for several minutes, Kenyon beckons White over. White approaches, double-checking to make sure his medical mask is secure. Then he leans over and looks through the eyepiece. Kenyon explains what he should be looking for: the rod-shaped bacilli that confirm the presence of plague. White squeezes one eye shut while using the other to look through the microscope. Then, he stands up straight. He turns to Kenyon and nods curtly.
40:57 Lindsay Graham? The sample confirms it. Plague is the cause of death, making this man officially the 23rd victim of the disease in San Francisco over the past eight months. During that time, Kenyon has felt stuck in an endless loop of quarantines, travel bans, and legal injunctions, with politicians doing nothing while more and more people die. But if he hopes Dr. White will finally be the ally he needs, he will be disappointed yet again. Just like George F. Schrady, Dr. White refuses to offer Kenyon any public support. Before he will confirm or deny the presence of plague, White decides he needs a second opinion. So he sends a telegram to Surgeon General Wyman, requesting an independent commission be sent to San Francisco to establish the truth.
41:41 Lindsay Graham? Wyman agrees, and three eminent doctors from the East Coast are dispatched at once. With all the evidence before them, Kenyon can't understand why his fellow doctors are being so cautious. But still, all he can do is put faith in Wyman's commissioners. They're his last hope. Either they'll back him up and save his career, or they'll let politics trump public health yet again. Join the whitewash in San Francisco and make Joseph Kenyon's humiliation complete. From Wondery, this is episode two of The Plague in San Francisco for American Scandal. In our next episode, the independent commission will make their report, and Surgeon General Wyman will be forced to choose between saving Joseph Kenyon's career or stabbing him in
42:26 Lindsay Graham? the back. American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com. That's historyishuman.com.
43:06 Lindsay Graham? If you'd like to learn more about the plague in San Francisco, we recommend the books Black Death at the Golden Gate by David K. Randall, The Barbary Plague by Marilyn Chase, and Plague and Fire by James C. Moore. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham, for Airship. Audio editing by Christian Paraga. Sound design by Gabriel Ghul. Supervising sound designer Matthew Filler. Music by Throng. This episode is written and researched by Joe Viner. Fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry. Managing producer Emily Burke. Development by Stephanie Jens. Senior producer Andy Beckerman.
43:49 Lindsay Graham? Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship, and Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marshall Louis, and Aaron O'Flaherty for Wondery.
44:03 Speaker 07 Hi, I'm Kenny Beres. And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects. We're bringing you fresh, new conversations from guests like Anderson Paak, David Zedars, Ryan Howard, Rich Roll, Amy Sherald, and many more. Sign up for a free trial to Audible to listen to season two in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
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