The Eccentricity Defense: Sarah McDonough Fights for Autonomy
A Seattle woman fights to keep control of her property after local officials attempt to commit her to an asylum.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Judge Lichtenberg last night dismissed the petition of Thomas Erie to have a guardian appointed for Sarah McDonough and her property, on the alleged ground of insanity. Sarah is an eccentric old woman, well known about Seattle, who has managed to save about $2,000 after many years of hard work. She has been in the insane asylum once. The court was crowded with witnesses, and their testimony was of a very conflicting nature. Several physicians, called to give expert testimony, united in pronouncing the old woman sane. Counsel for Sarah McDonough aimed to show she was being persecuted by Charles E. Remsberg, a justice of the peace at Fremont; his constable, M. Dinsmore; and Harry McQuilkan. According to the defense, these three were responsible for having Sarah sent to the insane asylum last September, and after her discharge, had her arrested on a charge of stealing chickens, of which she was acquitted. It was claimed further that they had prompted Erie to bring the action to have a guardian appointed, as he had no interest in the matter. In giving his decision, the court said that to his mind, the most that could be said was that she was eccentric and quarrelsome. He ordered that the costs be taxed to Erie, the petitioner. About a month ago, Sarah McDonough brought suit for $10,000 damages against Remsberg, Dinsmore, and McQuilkan for conspiracy, and a separate suit against Remsberg for assault.
“To his mind, the most that could be said was that she was eccentric and quarrelsome.”
Sarah McDonough’s struggle against institutionalization and the predatory use of 'insanity' claims to seize property mirrors modern concerns regarding the systemic exploitation of vulnerable people by those in positions of power. It serves as a reminder of how 'eccentricity' has historically been weaponized by authorities to strip autonomy from the poor and the elderly.
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