Horrors Of The Topeka Insane Asylum

The Topeka State Hospital, commonly known as the Topeka Insane Asylum, commenced operations in 1872 catering to individuals classified as medically and criminally insane. Throughout its existence spanning more than a century, disturbing accounts of abuse and violence emerged from the facility, leading to its closure in 1997 due to issues of mistreatment and excessive crowding.

While in operation, the state hospital gained notoriety for implementing a forced sterilization campaign, utilizing hydrotherapy, and performing castrations as methods to address individuals deemed as “imbeciles.” Numerous accounts highlighted instances of patient neglect, sexual assault, and physical assaults. Shockingly, the system seemed impervious to intervention as the staff and physicians enjoyed protection by the Kansas state government.

Today, nothing stands at the location of the original hospital as it was demolished in 2010. Despite rumors of haunting, every trace of the building was eradicated, including the concrete slabs, leaving no visible remnants of the hospital.

Newspapers from the late 1800s extensively covered the atrocities within the Topeka State Hospital’s insane asylum. In a specific case, a witness disclosed details about an inmate named Dodd, alleging instances of violence by an attendant. The witness reported witnessing the attendant kicking Dodd numerous times, causing him to collapse, followed by the attendant jumping on the inmate’s chest, and sometimes even strangling Dodd.During Dodd’s final assault, he was knocked to the ground and subsequently dragged into room 18 as reported by a witness. The door was closed, and sounds resembling a struggle could be heard. Eventually, a groan emanated from the room, signaling Dodd’s demise from the events within. Despite efforts by a county attorney to hold the attendant accountable, the governor of Kansas declined to initiate an inquiry into the death.

In 1896, disturbing reports surfaced regarding the suspicious deaths of “old soldiers” in Kansas state asylums. Instead of sparking a scandal and prompting investigation, the matter was concealed. A chilling newspaper account described Gust Mauer, a resident at the Topeka State Hospital, being discharged with severe injuries and a falsified cause of death, demonstrating a complete lack of accountability within the institution.

The year 1911 saw allegations brought against the Topeka State Hospital concerning the mistreatment and conditions endured by its patients, with former and current staff members spearheading the call for an investigation.Rewritten text:

“A local newspaper published excerpts from a letter submitted to the board detailing a troubling incident at the hospital. It was reported that John Green, a patient in Ward E, suffered for eight days without receiving any food or medicine before ultimately passing away. Shockingly, Green’s body was taken to the dissecting room where his brain was removed without the consent of his family. Dr. T. C. Biddle then used Green’s brain in a demonstration for a class without authorization. The attendants were aware of the neglect that led to Green’s tragic fate.

Furthermore, another witness revealed harrowing mistreatment at the state hospital involving a patient named Mr. Smith, a former banker. Smith was subjected to unjust treatment, including being restrained with handcuffs and a rope around his neck while being led around the premises. There were reports of Smith being brutally beaten by an attendant who would sometimes become intoxicated. In one incident, Smith was even tied to a tree and abandoned for hours.”At one instance, an observer saw the attendant fling the rope’s end over a door, hoisting Smith’s head to the door’s apex, callously strangling him as a form of punishment.

Individuals sent to Topeka State Hospital often vanished from the public eye, making it simple to disregard family and unwanted spouses once they were confined within.

However, visits to beloved inmates were severely limited. Among the hospital’s 29 wards, visitors were only permitted in four. Parents were barred from visiting their children in the hospital, and friends of inmates were also denied access and visitation rights.

Dr. Biddle, the hospital’s supervisor, argued that visits would disrupt the patients’ treatment.

In 1911, it was reported that a claim adjuster was examining “the financial status of all inmates of state hospitals and of legal relatives responsible for their upkeep.” The Topeka hospital sought more funding than the state was providing. Notably, the hospital had initiated legal action against families and had won a case the year before, where the supreme court sanctioned their ability to seek reimbursement for an inmate’s care “from admission to death.”. ### Rewritten Text:

The hospital desired a provision akin to the lunacy act of Ontario, Canada, where the institution would have the authority to seize the patient’s assets and extract all necessary funds for the inmate’s “care.”

It would be untrue to claim that there was no effort to combat the mistreatment within the hospital. Numerous lawyers made endeavors to handle cases or commence investigations regarding the allegations of abuse, but they consistently faced obstacles.

Attempting to secure the release of multiple patients at the Topeka hospital, lawyer Mr. Hanson faced failure as his patients were returned to confinement without a review or a hearing. To compound the situation, the attorney general filed a lawsuit against Hanson for “harassing the state officials overseeing the Topeka state hospital and [to prevent him] from disrupting the patients at the facility.”

In 1916, a report indicated a rise in insanity cases in the state of Kansas, with a total of 4,311 instances of insanity, including 1,565 individuals being housed at the Topeka State Hospital. In the past, it was a lucrative endeavor to have someone deemed mentally ill, particularly because it allowed the state to seize the patient’s property. For example, a significant legal battle unfolded in 1918 involving a mentally ill Pottawatomie Native American woman confined at Topeka State Hospital who possessed a substantial estate in Oklahoma. Despite the woman having a guardian overseeing her estate, Kansas sought control of it for her “welfare.”

Attempts were made in both the legal system and the media to tarnish the reputation of the woman’s guardian, accusing them of embezzlement, while advocating for Kansas to seize and benefit from the estate.

Moving forward several decades, ongoing issues persisted at the hospital. In 1932, a 55-year-old woman was admitted to Topeka State Hospital due to delusions that her husband was plotting to harm her, leading her to attempt his life.

Despite some improvement noted by the doctor after a year, the woman continued to experience delusions. Subsequently, after four years, the doctor concluded she posed a risk to others and was unfit for release. By nine years, she was diagnosed as “incurably insane.”It seemed like the end for the woman known as “Mrs. X,” until a new physician took an interest in her. Despite spending 17 years in the hospital, she still possessed vitality. Encouraged, the new doctor allocated half an hour weekly to her care and noticed that with this modest attention, she gradually became calmer.

After five months of this “treatment,” Mrs. X, now 72, was released and commenced work as a practical nurse and companion housekeeper. Although the doctor hesitated to claim that all patients would respond positively to weekly acknowledgment, he advised against excessive brain surgeries and shock treatments for often overlooked patients.

John Crabb, a Danish immigrant in the United States with limited English proficiency, was employed as a dishwasher in Topeka. Known for his short temper, he found himself in trouble one night in 1931 when a coworker flirted with his girlfriend, a waitress. Rightfully upset, Crabb made verbal threats and ended up in jail for his actions.

During his incarceration, Crabb became despondent and refused to eat. Considered insane by an evaluator, Crabb was sent to the Topeka State Hospital where he was confined as incurable for nearly two decades.

Despite his efforts to convince the staff of his sanity during his time at the hospital, Crabb’s determination was misconstrued as a sign of madness. Frustrated by this misunderstanding, he rebelled against the staff and adamantly refused to cooperate or perform any tasks..Mr. Crabb may have passed away at the hospital if it were not for a group of Danish insurance men who became aware of his situation. They intervened with the authorities, resulting in Crabb undergoing another evaluation. He was deemed mentally sound this time, but it took an additional ten months before he was ultimately discharged from the hospital in 1950.

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SOURCE: “Horrors of the Topeka Insane Asylum” by Elizabeth Yetter for ListVerse: https://tinyurl.com/1ak6t8wa