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192 stories matching asylum
- The Man Who Wasn't Mad: A Civil War Veteran’s Battle for Sanity
James A. Balch, a tall, soldierly old man in a faded uniform, was held at the King County Insane Asylum for five years despite being lucid. His family fought him through habeas corpus, and today, the superintendent admitted he had recovered his reason.
- The Disappearing Patient of King County
A small-statured man, well-dressed in slate colors, walks out of the Territorial Insane Asylum and vanishes without a trace.
- A Mysterious Death at the Asylum
A state official dies suddenly at the Fort Steilacoom asylum, sparking local rumors and questions about the workplace environment.
- The Tragedy of the Romantic Runaway
A young worker’s desperate attempt to elope leads to an asylum, reflecting the era’s harsh social policing of adolescent passion.
- Inside the State Asylum at Steilacoom
A rare, firsthand look at the daily operations, patient care, and humanitarian philosophy of the Washington State Asylum for the Insane.
- Washington's Insane Asylums Need Nearly Half a Million Dollars
A legislative committee reports that the state's two insane asylums require $459,757.55 for maintenance, new buildings, and deficiencies — a staggering sum for 1893.
- The Mysterious Death at Steilacoom Asylum
Did a state representative die of natural causes, or was he poisoned by a lover?
- Tragedy of a Man Committed for His Seizures
A local man with epilepsy was ordered to the state asylum after a history of struggle with his health and suicidal ideation.
- The Mercer Slough Fugitive
After escaping Steilacoom asylum by turning blankets into a rope, William Miller—a man once acquitted of a high-profile Lake Washington murder—is on the loose, sparking terror in the homes near Mercer Slough.
- The Political Pilgrimage to Steilacoom
In 1887, Washington Territorial legislators took a collective trip to inspect the state's asylum, but the solemn mission quickly devolved into a social affair that kept the real results hidden from the public.
- The Shadle Autopsy Mystery
After the death of an asylum accountant, a doctor travels from Ohio to investigate suspicious causes.
- The Tragic Decline of Annie Rooney
A woman long known to the streets and saloons of Tacoma is returned to the state asylum, casting a light on the era’s brutal handling of addiction.
- A Patient Fell to His Death. Then the Asylum Went Silent.
A Spokane informant says a patient at the Medical Lake asylum died after a third-story fall—and that no coroner’s inquiry followed. Old employees, meanwhile, were being pushed out.
- Inside the Territorial Asylum
A rare firsthand look at the conditions, characters, and daily routines of patients at the Washington Territorial Insane Asylum.
- Puyallup Man Re-committed to State Asylum Following Breakdown
A young man who struggled after a wilderness ordeal is returned to Western State Hospital after his mother reports fear for her safety.
- The Desperate Struggle at the Steilacoom Asylum
A man awaiting commitment to the insane asylum attempts to take his own life in the halls of the institution.
- The Troubled Life of a 17-Year-Old
A Seattle teenager with a history of employment instability and violent outbursts is committed to the Steilacoom asylum.
- The Asylum for Impecunious Politicians
A satirical look at the backroom deals, bribery, and state-level corruption behind the selection of a new government institution site in Yakima.
- A Belligerent Patient at the Steilacoom Asylum
- Fourth Suicide Reported at Steilacoom Asylum Since January
A patient at the state hospital takes his own life, marking a string of recent tragedies at the institution.
- State Plans Modernization for Steilacoom Asylum
Superintendent Dr. Calhoun proposes the 'cottage plan' to reform the state's mental health care, seeking land and modern equipment.
- The Woman Seeking Sanctuary in the County Jail
A desperate resident turns to the law for care, highlighting the tragic lack of social support for mental health in early 20th-century Tacoma.
- The Tragedy of the State Asylum
A grim tally of patient deaths at the Washington State asylum sparks questions about the treatment of vulnerable populations committed from King County.
- A Heated Dispute Over the Treatment of the Mentally Ill
A Superior Court Judge and an asylum superintendent trade sharp insults in the press over the quality of care provided to a committed patient.
- The Doctor Who Walked Away: Dr. Lockhart’s Shocking Resignation from Medical Lake Asylum
The superintendent of the state's notorious mental health facility has tendered his resignation, ending a tenure marked by controversy and leaving the board scrambling for a successor.