Re: Sister Rose Gertrude (Amy C. Fowler) To Die For The Lepe
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:31 am
Sister Rose Gertrude Seeks Solace for her Sorrows in Matrimony
by Otago Daily Times
Issue 9105, May 2, 1891
NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
A Honolulu correspondent of the Auckland Herald, under date April 10, writes: --
The Honolulu Daily Bulletin, issued shortly after the steamer Monowai sailed for San Francisco today, announced that Dr. Lutz and Miss Amy Fowler (Sister Rose Gertrude) are to be married tomorrow.
Dr. Lutz was brought from Germany by the Reform Ministry as a specialist who would try to cure leprosy. Sister Rose Gertrude is known throughout the world as the lady who heroically volunteered to come to Hawaii to nurse lepers. When she arrived, instead of being sent to the leper settlement on Molokai, where Father Damien dwelt and died, she was retained at Honolulu to minister to the comfort of the sick people at the branch leper hospital and examining station near the city.
This change in her location from the original intention was made by the Board of Health because there were Sisters of Mercy enough on Molokai, and Sister Rose belonged to a different order from them, and a nurse at the branch hospital was regarded as desirable. Everything went well enough with Rose, so far as the public knew, until a serious complaint on her behalf was suddenly made in the Legislature. She complained that a native overseer, a man who was on probation himself as to whether he should be consigned to Molokai, was interfering with the treatment of Dr. Lutz as hospital physician and with her regimen as matron. Further, she complained that the agent of the Board of Health, C.B. Reynolds, who had the superintendence of the hospital, was supporting the overseer in his recalcitrant conduct. Also, that she had formerly complained to the Board of Health, but had received no redress from that body.
A select committee of the Legislature, which was composed chiefly of native members, spent several afternoons at the hospital taking evidence. At first it looked as if the committee was going to sustain Rose Gertrud's charges unanimously, but the one white member dissented from the majority in its recommendation to dismiss the agent and the overseer.
The evidence was printed in an official document. It showed some breaches of discipline on the part of the simple-minded native overseer -- or "luna" as the native word for "boss" is. On the other hand, it was made clear that up to a few days before the Sister's grievance was aired in the House, she had been on the most cordial terms with both the overseer and the agent. It was shown that the first and almost the only real cause of offence to her was the gossiping of the overseer with the native men and women inmates regarding the intimacy observable between the doctor and the nurse.
They used to go out riding and driving together, also taking long excursions into the surrounding country with a photographic camera, and, on their return, going into the "dark room" together to develop the negatives. These facts became very obvious not only to the inmates of the hospital, but to the whole community. Early in the unpleasantness the priests in the Roman Catholic Mission, in answer to inquiries, declined to acknowledge Sister Rose as a genuine member of any known Sisterhood, saying at the same time that conduct like hers would not be tolerated in any Catholic country in the world.
You are probably familiar with Miss Fowler's agitation of her quarrel with the Board of Health through the American and British press. It is only necessary to add that the theory once treated here as a little spiteful to the comely maiden -- viz., that the whole trouble arose from the doctor and the nurse's having fallen in love with each other at almost first sight -- has now been verified by the public notice of their marriage. The marriage ceremony and wedding reception will both take place at the house of Mr. H. W. Schmidt, consul for Norway and Sweden, tomorrow evening.
As there has been a change in part of the personnel of the Board of Health since Queen Liliuokaiani's accession, it is possible that Dr. Lutz may be asked to assume again the position of hospital physician, which he resigned some time ago on account of the troubles before mentioned. In such a case everything ought to be lovely with all concerned, since the heroic English girl has become more than a sister to the German specialist.
by Otago Daily Times
Issue 9105, May 2, 1891
NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AT THIS LINK BEFORE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING WORK, THAT IS AVAILABLE SOLELY FOR PRIVATE STUDY, SCHOLARSHIP OR RESEARCH PURSUANT TO 17 U.S.C. SECTION 107 AND 108. IN THE EVENT THAT THE LIBRARY DETERMINES THAT UNLAWFUL COPYING OF THIS WORK HAS OCCURRED, THE LIBRARY HAS THE RIGHT TO BLOCK THE I.P. ADDRESS AT WHICH THE UNLAWFUL COPYING APPEARED TO HAVE OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF COPYRIGHT OWNERS.
A Honolulu correspondent of the Auckland Herald, under date April 10, writes: --
The Honolulu Daily Bulletin, issued shortly after the steamer Monowai sailed for San Francisco today, announced that Dr. Lutz and Miss Amy Fowler (Sister Rose Gertrude) are to be married tomorrow.
Dr. Lutz was brought from Germany by the Reform Ministry as a specialist who would try to cure leprosy. Sister Rose Gertrude is known throughout the world as the lady who heroically volunteered to come to Hawaii to nurse lepers. When she arrived, instead of being sent to the leper settlement on Molokai, where Father Damien dwelt and died, she was retained at Honolulu to minister to the comfort of the sick people at the branch leper hospital and examining station near the city.
This change in her location from the original intention was made by the Board of Health because there were Sisters of Mercy enough on Molokai, and Sister Rose belonged to a different order from them, and a nurse at the branch hospital was regarded as desirable. Everything went well enough with Rose, so far as the public knew, until a serious complaint on her behalf was suddenly made in the Legislature. She complained that a native overseer, a man who was on probation himself as to whether he should be consigned to Molokai, was interfering with the treatment of Dr. Lutz as hospital physician and with her regimen as matron. Further, she complained that the agent of the Board of Health, C.B. Reynolds, who had the superintendence of the hospital, was supporting the overseer in his recalcitrant conduct. Also, that she had formerly complained to the Board of Health, but had received no redress from that body.
A select committee of the Legislature, which was composed chiefly of native members, spent several afternoons at the hospital taking evidence. At first it looked as if the committee was going to sustain Rose Gertrud's charges unanimously, but the one white member dissented from the majority in its recommendation to dismiss the agent and the overseer.
The evidence was printed in an official document. It showed some breaches of discipline on the part of the simple-minded native overseer -- or "luna" as the native word for "boss" is. On the other hand, it was made clear that up to a few days before the Sister's grievance was aired in the House, she had been on the most cordial terms with both the overseer and the agent. It was shown that the first and almost the only real cause of offence to her was the gossiping of the overseer with the native men and women inmates regarding the intimacy observable between the doctor and the nurse.
They used to go out riding and driving together, also taking long excursions into the surrounding country with a photographic camera, and, on their return, going into the "dark room" together to develop the negatives. These facts became very obvious not only to the inmates of the hospital, but to the whole community. Early in the unpleasantness the priests in the Roman Catholic Mission, in answer to inquiries, declined to acknowledge Sister Rose as a genuine member of any known Sisterhood, saying at the same time that conduct like hers would not be tolerated in any Catholic country in the world.
You are probably familiar with Miss Fowler's agitation of her quarrel with the Board of Health through the American and British press. It is only necessary to add that the theory once treated here as a little spiteful to the comely maiden -- viz., that the whole trouble arose from the doctor and the nurse's having fallen in love with each other at almost first sight -- has now been verified by the public notice of their marriage. The marriage ceremony and wedding reception will both take place at the house of Mr. H. W. Schmidt, consul for Norway and Sweden, tomorrow evening.
As there has been a change in part of the personnel of the Board of Health since Queen Liliuokaiani's accession, it is possible that Dr. Lutz may be asked to assume again the position of hospital physician, which he resigned some time ago on account of the troubles before mentioned. In such a case everything ought to be lovely with all concerned, since the heroic English girl has become more than a sister to the German specialist.