A Troubled Night at Ninth and Tacoma
A woman experiencing a mental health crisis caused a public spectacle at a city horse trough, prompting police to intervene.
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.
Singing religious hymns with a weird effect, Augusta Blumberg, 82 years old, who it is claimed is subject to spells of temporary insanity, climbed into the large horse trough at South Ninth and Tacoma Avenue about 9 o'clock last night, and completely immersed herself in the water. Explaining her queer actions, she said her soul was burning up. Although persons in the curious crowd which gathered to watch her antics attempted to induce the woman to leave her chilly position, she stayed in the water fully five minutes, but finally jumped out and, dripping wet, meandered joyously down Ninth Street. A short time later the police auto picked her up and took her to the station, where she was given dry clothing. Miss Blumberg speaks very poor English, but managed to tell the police matron that she had been in insane hospitals four times previously. She lives at 1107 South D. She is an old patient of the Fort Steilacoom asylum and has been out on parole for several weeks. The asylum matron called at the police station this morning and took her away.
“Explaining her queer actions, she said her soul was burning up.”
This account captures the era's harsh, judgmental handling of mental health crises and homelessness. Today, the location at Ninth and Tacoma is a bustling urban area where public awareness regarding mental health support systems has evolved significantly from the 'parole' or institutionalization model of 1909.
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