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1. The Divine Healer Who Buried Himself Alive: A Seattle Cult Leader’s Resurrection Claim

   Rev. O. M. Schlatte, known as 'Schlatte the Divine Healer,' claims to have risen from a 40-day burial in the desert after fasting and praying for God's guidance. Now back in town, he asserts his authority over the famous 'Healer' of Kansas and prepares to resume his ministry.

   Apr 26, 1899The Seattle StarSeattle, King CountySnake Oil

2. A Girl Died in a Magnetic Healer’s Home. Her Father Was Kept Outside.

   Vina Kelly, 14, died at her brother-in-law’s West Street practice. The coroner ordered an inquest after conflicting death reports and a father’s late-night grief.

   Jun 20, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWest Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime · Snake Oil

3. The Divine Healer Who Left a Trail of Duped Women

   Letters to Tacoma's prosecutor tied a self-styled 'divine sympathizer' to frauds in Eugene, Bellingham and beyond — and to a wife and children he claimed were outside his 'psychic sphere.'

   Feb 5, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountySnake Oil

4. Red Pepper Tea and a Blind Healer: The Death That Aroused Olympia's Eastside

   A fourteen-year-old girl died after two weeks of treatment by a blind Thomsonian practitioner. Neighbors called it poison, and an inquest was set for that night.

   Oct 20, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyTrue Crime · Snake Oil

5. The 1909 City Hall Power Grab That Tacoma Voters Were Told to Stop

   A fiery Times editorial urged citizens to pack the council chamber against charter amendments it said would gut civil service, raise council pay, and hand city jobs to political loyalists.

   Feb 11, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

6. The Tragic Lynching of 'Big Bob' on the Swinomish Reservation

   Four men murdered a tribal healer, driven by the enduring power of traditional superstition against the encroachment of modern colonial law.

   Oct 18, 1889The Mason County JournalSwinomish Reservation, La Conner, Skagit CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

7. The Trial of a Puyallup Medicine Man

   A traditional healer is fined by tribal authorities for practicing the 'tomanamus' rite, highlighting the collision between Indigenous traditions and colonial governance.

   Jan 28, 1909The Tacoma TimesPuyallup Reservation, Tacoma, Pierce CountyExclusion & Resistance

8. A Father's Vengeance: The Killing of the Muckleshoot Medicine Man

   When three of Jerry Domnick's children died under Jim Bouchitt's care, the grieving father took a rifle into the woods — and the healer was found buried under a log near Soos Creek.

   Mar 14, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSoos Creek, AuburnTrue Crime

9. The Fatal Tradition of Medicine Men

   A tragic report from Klickitat County details the violent death of a traditional healer, highlighting the clash between Indigenous medical customs and outside influences.

   Mar 27, 1890The Yakima HeraldKlickitat, Klickitat CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

10. The Woman They Refused to Bury

    When Catherine Costillo was pronounced dead of pneumonia, her husband grew convinced she was merely in a deep, spirit-touched trance, sparking a bizarre standoff at a Seattle undertaking parlor.

    May 22, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBattery Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

11. The Tragedy of a Faith Healer in Puyallup

    When a man fell ill, his family turned to a 'Christian Science faith curist' instead of a doctor, leading to a fatal outcome that shook the community.

    Apr 5, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPuyallup, Pierce CountySnake Oil

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