Addie Hoyt Did *Not* Die of Diphtheria, Part IV

Comments  on Addie Hoyt Fargo blog dated  April 21/2012

Finally there are a few factual pieces of information appearing in the Addie blog.  Unfortunately, but predictably, those facts are being interpreted wrongly.  The goal is to create some sort of notion that Oatway intentionally did not report Addie’s case of diphtheria…….I guess.

One of the contributors to the Enoch blog formulated a few comments that is a response better than I would write.

A few comments/observations of my own before I paste those comments into the end of this. 

When Rosemary quotes the obit about ‘the most desperately stubborn….etc.’ she should note that she previously claimed it was all lies.  Also remember that I posted some comments about how newspaper have a tendency to embellish descriptions for the entertainment of their readers.   Further, the disease took far longer than a couple of days.

I think Rosemary is reaching pretty far when she suggest s the state board of health would swoop down on Lake Mills to investigate a lone case of diphtheria.  As you will see in the later comments there was spotty compliance with the reporting rules across the state….and apparently no penalty for not complying.

And a personal note to Mandie Brewer before I paste in the comments:

Mandie – if you had been reading the Enoch blog you would have the answers to the assertions you are suggesting are truthful.  Certainly the boots and choking have been embellished by Rosemary when they really mean nothing.  Read the Enoch blog.  There were three people that were buried without a burial permit in rapid succession.  Addie was one of them….not having a permit was not unusual.    Rosemary’s claim of burial at a proper depth has been refuted by me and also by the videos I posted.  Read the obit….there was a service at graveside.   Death certificate was not falsified.  It has the information that Oatway wrote down at the time.  Pretty  simple when you think about it.  And your statement that  no diphtheria was reported in Wisconsin in 1901 is wrong.  Not sure where you got this idea.Oatway’s deathbed confession is a rumor and unsubstantiated.  Probably wasn’t any such confession.  And the passage in Wilson’s book makes it clear she is repeating a rumor.    The other written source Rosemary references is a book of Wisconsin ghost stories and that was probably submitted by the owners of the Fargo mansion in hopes of drumming up interest in their business.  Just guessing but it makes sense.  So…Why is there a handful of holdouts that still think Enoch murdered his wife?  Not one shred of evidence in spite of Rosemary’s ongoing myths.  Say ‘Hi’ to your husband for me.

Now the reproduction of the quotes from the Enoch blog:

It is claimed that Dr. Oatway was covering up the murder of Addie when he did not report any cases of diphtheria in the Wisconsin state board of health report. If you take the time to read through the entire health report you will find that the other localities fail to report accurately and openly admit to this fact. In reading the report it would appear that the law may have been aimed at citizens reporting that there was reportable diseases in their households and not that it was the responsibility of the health officials to seek out all cases and come up with a number to report. The other localities report different levels of conformity from strictly observed to fairly observed to generally observed and so on. It looks like it was the health officials job to report what was reported to him and if Enoch was trying to hide a murder by claiming Addie died of diphtheria he would have certainly reported that she died from it. So in other words it doesn't look like he was involved in a cover up.

And then this on the health reports:

MARINETTE COUNTY.

Crivitz:  Board of health and health officer. There are, five

public, school buildings; sanitary condition fair.  The health

officer is not given authority by recorded resolution to act, in

the name of the Board in any emergency.      Source. of water

supply, in village driven wells; most of the water very good.

(No sewerage system). The law requiring the' report, of danger-

ous contagious disease is not generally observed; reason, igno-

rance.  The general result of efforts. to restrict the spread of

contagious disease is encouraging.  The law requiring the re-

port of births is not observed.  The law requiring burial per-

nmits is enforced as much as can be.

F. J. SCI- IEjiSMANN, M. D., H. 0.

MARQUETTE COUNTY.

Montello: Population 1,100.    Board of health and health

officer.  Health officer receives fees for work performed.  One

public school building; sanitary condition good.  Thel health

officer is given authority by recorded resolution to act in the

name of the, Bolard in, any emergency.  Source -of water sup-

ply, from  wells; quality fair.  No, sewerage system.  There

were '75 cases of Smallpox reported during the, year with no

deaths; 2 deaths from  Consumption.  The law requiring the

repoort of dangerous contagiouis diseases is not generally coim-

plied with; reason, neglect.  Tho general result of efforts to

restrict the spread of contagious disease has not been encourag-

ing in regard to Smallpox.   The law requiring the report of

births is not fully observed; the law requiring the' issuing of

burial permits is observed.

E. A. BASS, M. D., H. 0.

Neshlkoro: Health board and hetalth officeir.  Fees allowed

by town board for visits to supposed cases of contagious dis-

ease. There are three public school buildings; sanitary condi-

tion good.  There, are, no special unsanitary conditions exist-

ing except an old water course, which is to be filled.  Sourced of

water supply, from pump wells and one: fountain in village;

about 20 fountains in township,.  No, sewerage system.  The

law requiring the report of dangerous contagious diseases is ob-

served as soon as it is possible for me to be sure of diagnosis.

The general result of efforts is encouraging as far as can be

seen.  The law requiring the report of births is observed. The

law requiring burial permits has been observed in cases for

which I made certificate of deaths.  Sanitary conditions, are

improving in this section of the country.  Cause:  The' young

folks are working out and learning how to, be cleanly in houses,

stables, outhouses, and cellars.

FRANK P. FOLJEY, M. D., I- 0.