[This article from “The Fairfield Recorder” is inside the Whitaker Bible. The
paper has crumbled where it was folded and some illegible areas are denoted
with a blank.]

The Fairfield Recorder newspaper - Friday, January 2, 1891 edition

"
“Death’s Sad Work”
A Fatal Epidemic visits Our Town and Killed Nearly All it Attacked.
Christmas Week a Week of Gloom and Sadness
Many Homes Mourn the Death of a Loved One.
The Saddest Chapter Ever Recorded in the History of the Town.

Little did the people of Fairfield dream two weeks ago to-day that they were
witnessing the beginning of a fatal epidemic of that dreadful scourge of
mankind, cerebro-spinal meningitis, a malady, which before it ceased, would
number as its sad victims many of the inhabitants of our town and surrounding
country.

But such was the case and the dread, unexpected visitation of death coming just
on the eve of the great holiday season of the year, when the mind naturally
turned to contemplations of approaching pleasures, is but a fitting reminder
that human life, with all its boated progress in wisdom and science, knows not
but what we stand each day upon the crumbling edge of some terrible volcano of
public disaster, or at the threshold of the doorway where this mortal life
ceases, and we have to step into the unknown realm of a never-ending future.

The epidemic was not clearly defined or diagnosed as meningitis until it had
been in town about a week. The first victim was Mr. Julius Kennedy, whose death
was mentioned in our last issue (two weeks ago) was thought to have been from
congestion. He was taken Saturday night and died a few days afterwards. The
next case was that of Miss Lura Cobb who was taken ill the following Monday
night. After her, Mr. R. T. Johnson, about a mile east of town was taken ill
Wednesday some time in the day, and next morning, Jim Lott, son of Mr. J. T.
Lott, became ill, all of them being taken with a hard chill or rigor. Young Mr.
Kennedy died on Tuesday after being taken, and all the others ill up to that
time wee growing worse. Dr. Moss, at Mexia, was telephoned to come over and
consult with our local physicians. He was out of town, at the time, and Dr.
Oates came over in his stead. He arrived here about 3 o’clock Friday evening,
and with Drs. W. N. Sneed and J. I. Bonner visited all then sick in and near
town. After seeing the last patients the disease was pronounced meningitis, and
the rapid manner in which the patients grew worse showed it was a very virulent
type of the disease. Dr. Oates returned to Mexia the same evening, and our
local physicians continued to do the best they could to relieve their suffering
patients. On Sunday morning following, Dr. Moss, of Mexia, was again telephoned
for to see Mrs. Peck who was taken ill the night before. _____arrived here
about 2 o’clock that evening_______days until it was seen that the epidemic was
abating. Dr. Hooper, of Mexia, who had had some experience treating meningitis
in Limestone county a few years ago, was solicited also to come over and did
so, and remained two or three days, returning to Mexia Thursday with Dr. Moss.
Dr. Johnson, of Corsicana, was also in town a day or two, having been called by
telegram to see Mrs. Peck.

By Friday night, a week after the appearance of the first case, the disease had
spent perhaps the greater part of its infectious force, as nearly all had taken
it by that time who became ill in town. There were two ____were the last ones
____.

The epidemic then seemed to leave going north-east, touching with fatal effect
on Ward Prairie and near Stewards Mill, marking its dread pathway with more
newly made graves. The malady was terrible while it lasted, baffling the
efforts of all medical skill, and consigning to certain death every one who
____ except two and they, while convalescing, cannot ___out of danger. The
death roll is a sad one; both ____a huge one in proportion to the size of the
town, and because of the unparalleled percentage of deaths to the number of
cases taken.

The Death Roll

Never before has the RECORDER been called upon to publish in one issue such a
number of deaths in our town and county as the visitation of the late sad
epidemic makes necessary. The following is the list of those who died in the
short time of about a week and a half. We give them as nearly as we can, in the
order in which they died.
	Julius Kennedy, aged about 16, son of Mrs. Nancy Kennedy
	Miss Lura Cobb, aged about 17, daughter of Mr. Ira G. Cobb
	Mrs. Robert T. Johnson, aged about 55.
	J. T. Lott, Jr., aged about 17.
	Wiley Ben, aged 2 years, son of Mr. J. R. Newman.
A. W. Williams, aged about 37.
Wm. B. McIlveen, aged about 15, son of Mr. J. H. McIlveen.
Miss Acie Anderson, aged about 12, daughter of Mr. J. C. Anderson.
Mrs. Laura Bell, aged about 35, wife of Mr. G. A. Bell.
Mrs. E. Peck, aged about 50, wife of Capt. W. M. Peck.
Tommie Mosely, aged about 14, son of Mr. S. V. Mosely
Carroll Hanson, aged about 16, son of Mr. H. C. Henson.
Deaths in the Country
Mrs. Odom, wife of Mr. F. B. Odom, of Ward Prairie
Mrs. Whitaker, wife of Mr. Henry Whitaker, of Stewards Mill. Also infant of
Mrs. Whitaker. Mrs. W. was a sister of Mrs. Odom.
_____of Mr. John E. Lake of Ward Prairie.
Joseph Lake, aged about 12, son of Mrs. M. Dubois of Ward Prairie.
James Hubbard, aged about 16, nephew of Mr. J. D. Sellers, of Ward Prairie.

The Disease at Winkler

After attacking a few persons on Ward Prairie, north-east of Fairfield, the
disease next appeared in the Winkler neighborhood in the extreme north-eastern
part of the county, near the Navarro line. Several deaths occurred in that
vicinity and it is said all the persons were taken ill inside of three days. 

The deaths are as follows:
	Miss Bail Hardwick and her brother Charles, children of Mr. James Hardwick
	Miss Emma Anderson, daughter of Mr. Pink Anderson.
	Hazard Anderson, a young man, son of Mr. William Anderson.
	The youngest child of Mr. Boon Anderson, a little girl about 2 or 3 years
	old.
	The last one to die, was a little boy, son of Mr. Ben Mayo.
There were six deaths in, all in the neighborhood, but at last accounts there
had been no new cases in three or four days, and it was thought the epidemic
had ceased. All that took the disease in that neighborhood died except one, a
son of Mr. Boon Anderson, who was improving and it was thought would get well.

The above is a short sketch  or history of one of the most fatal epidemics that
has ever been known in the history of our county. It was short in point of
duration, but was terrible while it lasted, its pathway being sadly marked by
many new made mounds, under which sleep dearly loved ones, snatched suddenly
from many an unsuspecting household. Long will the Christmas week of 1890 be
remembered as one of deepest gloom and sadness for our town, and parts of the
county, and sincere are the prayers of many a one that never again will our
town or county be made to feel the effects of another such dreadful scourge."

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Fairfield Recorder newspaper
Jan 9, 1891

"Two More Deaths
We learn there have been two death of meningitis in Winkler...In this
connection, we would also state that in giving last week the deaths of Ward
Prarie we failed to mention that of Mr. John Hancock on the Ben Willard place,
siz miles from Fairfield.  Mr. Hancock died a day or
two after Mr. Julius Kennedy in town and was the second person to die of the
disease though it was not known to be meningitis at the time."