The Unwanted Guest of Providence Hospital
A 'harmless crank' in 1885 Seattle exposes the gaps in the city's social safety net.
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.
The authorities are debating what to do with a sort of harmless crank named Pat Martin. He is a nuisance, and the sisters of Providence Hospital, who have the care and custody of the county poor, do not want him. He has committed no crime and hence cannot be legally worked in the chain gang, and no one likes to make the necessary affidavit that he is dangerous and unsafe to be at large in order to send him to Steilacoom. He has been placed in jail to await developments.
“He has committed no crime and hence cannot be legally worked in the chain gang, and no one likes to make the necessary affidavit that he is dangerous and unsafe to be at large.”
In 1885, Pat Martin was treated as a 'nuisance' because the local health infrastructure was ill-equipped to handle those with mental health struggles. Today, Seattle still struggles with a 'revolving door' approach to homelessness and mental health, often forcing the judicial system to manage crises that should be handled by robust community social services.
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