A Girl Is Dead, and Her 'Thompsonian' Healer Stands Charged Again
Clara Linton died a few days ago; now her father has sworn out a second manslaughter complaint against the botanical practitioner who treated her, and Justice Rathbun's courtroom is packed for the hearing.
Before Justice Rathbun today, Dr. Campbell, the Thompsonian practitioner whom the jury charged with the death of Clara Linton a few days since, was again arraigned on a second charge of manslaughter, preferred by the girl's father. The witnesses were Mr. and Mrs. Linton, and Mrs. Adams and Jento, who conducted the post mortem. Bailey and Church appeared for Dr. Campbell, and Walter Milroy for the state. The case was in hearing when The Tribune went to press.
“The case was in hearing when The Tribune went to press.”
In 1891 anyone could hang out a shingle as a "Thompsonian" botanical doctor, and when a patient died it fell to a grieving family — not a licensing board — to force the question in court. Olympia's justice court became the battleground over who was allowed to call themselves a healer. The argument is recognisable today, when scope-of-practice fights, naturopaths and unproven cures still end up in front of Washington regulators and judges.
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