San Joaquin Historian - San Joaquin County Historical Museum

San Joaquin
Historian
INSIDE THE
STATE INSANE ASYLUM
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA - 1888.
By Janene E. Ford
Stockton's State Hospital. Photo by John Pitcher ",OO()lner,.
SUMMER
THE SAN JOAQUIN HISTORIAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Daryl.4/orrison, Editor Mike Henry, Production Editor Volume XII, New Series Summer 1998
Number 2
This issue ...
Published by THE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY~ INC. Micke Grove Regional Park
P.O. Box 30, Lodi, CA 95241-0030
209-331-2055 • 209-953-3460
President
Helen Trethewey
Vice Presidents
Craig Rasmussen- Immediate Past President
Mel Wingett-Finance
Christopher Engh- Publications
Secretary
Elise Austin Forbes
Treasurer
Robert F. McMaster
Director
Michael W. Bennett
The Society, a nonprofit corporation, meets the
fourth Monday at 7:00 p.m. in February. April, June,
September, and November. Membership includes sub­
scriptions to the San Joaquin Historian and the monthly
newsletter, News and Notes. Additional copies may be
purchased at the Museum.
The Society operates the San Joaquin County His­
torical Museum at Micke Grove Regional Park in part­
nership with San Joaquin County. The Society main­
tains an office at the Museum.
Manuscripts relating to the history of San Joaquin
County or the Delta will always be considered. The edi­
tor reserves the right to edit and shorten material based
on local interest and space considerations. Inquiry should
be made through the Museum office.
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY AND MUSEUM
MICHAEL W. BENNETT
DIRECTOR
© 1998 San Joaquin Historical Society, Inc.
Imagine your selflocked in an insane asylum!
Now imagine it is more than a hundred years ago
and the year is 1888, instead of 1998. What sort of
treatment would you expect? You may find the
answer to be surprising. An 1888 newspaper
article from the San Francisco Examiner, entitled
"Mad for a Week" caught our author's, Janene
Ford's, attention. She went on to pursue this
interesting story. We invite you to read this issue
coupled with previous articles in the San Joaquin
Historian, "Stockton State Hospital; A Century
and a Quarter of Service" by Neal L. Starr in
Volume XII Nos. 3-4, 1976. Starr's article
provides the historical background about the
building and administration of the Stockton State
Hospital or State Asylum, while Ford's article
provides an interesting view from a "patient's"
perspective.
Daryl Morrison, Editor
The Author ...
Janene Ford is the Library Assistant at the
Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
at the University of the Pacific Library. Her job
includes assisting patrons, registration of incom­
ing gifts, processing and cataloging of photo­
graphic collections with a little time to spare in
manuscript collections.
She is the author of
several other historical articles including "V.
Covert Martin, Photographer-Historian" in The
Far-Westerner; The Quarterly Bulletin of the
Stockton Corral of Westerners, Spring 1994.
An Early Occurrence of Investigative Reporting... California State Insane Asylum
Stockton, California - 1888
nvestigative journalism was practiced long
before Geraldo Rivera and his peers were
on the scene. Geraldo once gained access to an
asylum as a reporter (with a hidden camera), and
reported on the shockingly deplorable conditions
he discovered there. Geraldo didn't know it but he
was following in the footsteps of a reporter who
had himself committed surreptitiously to the
Stockton State Insane Asylum in the late
nineteenth century.
I
On April 19, 1888, at the 18th Annual
Meeting of the Medical Society of the State of
California, Dr. William Henry Mays, Super­
intendent of the Stockton Insane Asylum, stated
"that it was the belief of many that patients sent to
Stockton [Insane Asylum] and Napa [State
Hospital] were in a worse condition when
released than when committed."l At the same
meeting, Dr. Grover asserted that the "asylums
were receiving too many criminally insane and an
institution should be erected at Folsom for this
class of patient. "2
Stockton's State Insane Asylum had been in
existence since 1853. Little was known by the
public about life within the old institution. There
have always been rumors and curiosity about
insane asylums. The S'an Francisco Examiner
sent a young journalist, Frank A. Peltret,3 under­
cover to report on conditions inside the asylum. 4
His assignment was probably timed to coincide
with the Medical Society Annual Meeting.
Early in April 1888, Peltret boarded the
steamer City of Stockton [from San Francisco]
heading up the San Joaquin River. On April 12,
1888, Al Williams and Chris Schultz were rowing
a skiff do\\'ll the Stockton Channel at a point
below the Crown Mills. Around mid-day they
heard a voice that seemed to "arise from the
depths of the river." They saw a man, fully
dressed, floating face upward on the surface ofthe
water, and pulled him into their boat. The man
(Peltret) offered no resistance, but kept repeating
"Let go. I want to go to my sister, who lives in the
beautiful water."
The stranger was put on board the steamer
Centennial, and was turned over to Officer Webb,
of Stockton, who subsequently booked him into
jail. 5
Stockton arrest register showing "Edward Worthington"
entry. April 12, 1888. JUss 25. Holt-Atherton Department
ofSpecial Collections, University ofthe Pacific Library.
Peltret identified himself as Edward
Worthington, 22 years of age, recently of
Massachusetts. In his possession was a news­
paper clipping which related a drowning tragedy.
"A party which was given yesterday in honor of
Edward Worthington previous to his departure for
California, resulted in a most lamentable accident.
\Vhen the yacht was about midway in the bay,
Louise Worthington, the only sister of the young
man, incautiously leaned over the side of the
vessel. Just at that moment the yacht careened
over and the young lady [age 20] losing her
IWM,.
balance was precipitated into the water. Every
effort was made to rescue her but without avail."6
shi vering, was then placed in a carriage and driven
to the asylum.
Peltret (now calling himself Worthington)
was shivering in his soaking wet clothes when he
was taken before Judge Baldwin in the Superior
Court at 4 o'clock. "Worthington's" rescuers
were called as witnesses and told how they came
upon the prisoner. The constable then took the
stand and related his conversation with
Worthington. He testified that he had observed
the prisoner the previous day, walking with
another young man, and he seemed perfectly sane
at that time. (This was before Peltret put his plan
for gaining admittance to the asylum into motion).
Upon his arrival at the asylum, Peltret was
conducted through a long corridor to the receiving
ward. Here he was given a warm bath and
provided with dry clothing. After the bath came
supper of some tea without milk and two pieces of
bread.
After this scanty fare Peltret was
conducted to a little room where he was ordered to
take off his clothes, leave them outside the door,
and go to bed. The attendant locked the door
behind him and left Peltret alone for the night, to
ponder his circumstances. He couldn't help but
wonder how he would be treated - or mistreated.
What would he learn of the others who weren't
there by their own choice?
Drs. Hudson and Hoisholt, the court
appointed physicians, examined Worthington.
They plied him with questions regarding his
birthplace, parentage, and other matters. The
prisoner, feigning lunacy, appeared sullen and
was obstinately silent, except for responding to
questions about his "sister who lived in the
beautiful water."
After consulting, the two physicians testified
that the patient had all the symptoms of acute
melancholia, and demonstrated suicidal tenden­
cies. They were convinced that he would be a
danger to himself and needed the care,
supervision, and treatment that could be provided
by the State Insane Asylum.
Peltret's act had been convincing, the judge
pronounced Worthington insane and ordered his
commitment. The young reporter, still wet and
"In determining whether a patient shall
be sent to the asylum, the following ques­
tions are to be considered: First - Is he
insane? Second - If so, is his insanity of
such a type as to render him dangerous to
person or property? Unless both of these
questions can be answered in the affirmative,
the commitment of the patient is a direct
infringement of the law. Nothing could be
more succinct and unequivocal than the
working of the statute on this subject. No
'lUll' The mattress and pillow were made of straw ­
hard and uncomfortable. But even if they had
been as soft as eiderdown Peltret could not have
slept - "for the night had evidently been chosen by
the lunatics for their 'high carnival'. Discord
reigned supreme. They whistled, chirped, sang,
bellowed, roared and shrieked until the air
vibrated with a jargon of unearthly ear-piercing
and mind-distracting sounds." After midnight the
noise subsided and Peltret fell into an uneasy
slumber.
In the morning Peltret was startled awake by a
tall young man standing at the foot ofhis bed. "His
appearance bespoke him to be a man of fashion.
'Come, get out ofthere!' he repeated in a bUllying
tone. There was no mistaking the peremptory tone
case of idiocy, imbecility simple feebleness
of intellect, or old case of harmless insanity
or of delirium tremens shall be sent to the
asylum.
To this a third consideration might be
added: Is there a reasonable prospect that his
insanity, even if not of such a nature as to
require his seclusion, could be benefited by
special treatment at an asylum?"
Dr. W.H. Mays, Biennial Report, J888..
of this command ..." Not knowing who he was
dealing with, Peltret quickly jumped up and got
dressed. His senses were instantly awake and
alert, eager to experience first-hand what life was
like inside the asylum. He made mental notes of
everything he saw and heard. Men of all ages and
shapes were striding up and down the corridor
"much like the wild beasts confined in a
menagerie."
except those the doctor was scheduled to see on
his rounds.
There were three asylum buildings, two for
the males and one for females. An addition to one
of the buildings had been completed four years
previous at a cost ofS163,000. In this portion of
the building all the quiet patents were confined,
while the more violent patients were cared for in
the old, or southern, portion of the building.
Peltret was confined in the receiving ward.
Peltret had been in the corridor but a few
moments when ajolly-looking man stepped up to
him and spoke to him in a . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . . ,
"disoriented, incomprehensible
manner."
Another man,
melancholy looking with faded
blue eyes and cheeks deeply pitted
from smallpox, was seated on a
bench in a corner of the corridor.
Peltret asked him whether they
were allowed to go out in the yard.
"Yes, such of you patients as
desire to go out in the yard are
allowed that privilege after
breakfast. ... you look better than
you did, and I guess we will soon
have you to rights. Many of our
patients are very obstinate and
refuse to get better. I am glad to
see that you are not one of that
kind." "Most of these people are Stockton's State Hospital original building, completed in 1853, on/and
crazy, are they not?" [Peltret] donated by Capt. J'Veber. V. Covert ""'/artin Photograph Collection.
asked. "Yes, most of them are troubled with
delusions." He continued, "You have probably
heard of me. I am the owner of the celebrated
Colton Mine in Alaska, the estimated value of
which is five thousand million dollars. After I
made my famous strike, there was a conspiracy
organized, and the result of which was my
incarceration in this bedlam."
Breakfast was announced and the ward's
twenty-six patients filed into the dining room.
The breakfast consisted of mush and milk, dry
bread and what Peltret described as "some very
questionable looking black coffee."
After
breakfast the patients were turned into the yard,
Each wing had a separately walled yard. There
were about 250 men in the south yard, enclosed
by a brick wall about twelve feet high. Two
yardmen (or keepers) were on duty to prevent any
attempts at escape and to preserve order.
Somewhat apprehensive, Peltret questioned his
own safety, Would he be subject to attack or abuse
by the inmates or perhaps even the attendants?
Only time would tell. The attendants were
una\vare of his secret mission. They only knew he
was committed as Worthington, the suicidal
lunatic. They were watchful of him, as they were
of the others.
'IP!I' In the yard Peltret watched the patients and
listened to their ravings. He described them as
"consisting ofthe most violent and degraded who
had with but few exceptions, lost the last vestiges
of any refinement which they might have
possessed. Brutishness, vice and crime in all their
naked deformity were impressed upon their
features." A torrent of oaths and blasphemous
epithets were directed towards heaven by one
"short thick" inmate. A pale young patient
approached and spoke. "Two years dead and
buried, and I was my ovvn grave digger ... .1 carry
hell around with me wherever I go. It consumes
my insides and scorches my brain with burning
fire."
Peltret noted that the young man's
countenance displayed "a look of unutterable
agony."
Peltret took a seat and continued his
observations - there was nothing else to occupy
his time. Patients made up their own diversions.
Once a deranged inmate snatched Peltret's hat
and ran off with it. Peltret gave chase and
demanded the return ofhis hat, and was physically
attacked by the inmate. Another patient came to
his rescue and "threw the thief to the ground,
thrashed and kicked him soundly." Peltret's
protector claimed to have been a former Chief of
Police of San Jose.
At noon the patients returned to the wards for
their dinner of soup, beans, potatoes, bread, and
"soupmeat." After dinner the patients returned to
the yard, where they remained until a quarter of
six when they returned to the wards for a supper of
bread, butter, and tea. Then they went straight to
bed. This was the regular routine in the asylum ­
day in and day out. The patients arose at five and
went to bed at six. As the reporter lay back on his
cot and listened to the night sounds ofthe asylum,
he had ample time to plan the piece he would
write.
Peltret was kept in the receiving ward four
days, during which time he became acquainted
with many inmates. Most of them labored under
delusions that there were conspiracies to keep
them in the asylum in order to "deprive them of
their rights." Others believed they were kept in
the institution because of "ill-will ofthe keepers,"
and others believed that the doctors had a
financial interest in keeping them there. Many
convicts were in the asylum. One, an obese Italian
who was there for attempted murder, claimed the
same seat in the yard every day. A great hulking
Irish inmate entertained himself and the others by
"dancing a jolly clog and telling many a merry
Irish tale." He claimed he had been swindled out
of $50,000 while he was in the asylum. Another
inmate claimed to know everything,
"the
mysteries of the stars, the acoustical properties of
deleterious plants ...," etc. It was rumored that the
poor fellow's insanity "dated back from an
extended conversation with some Berkeley
graduates."
One morning a patient attempted to escape
over the wall of the yard, with the assistance of
another. The keeper saw them and made a mad
rush to stop the escape, but "with almost
superhuman strength" the man reached the top of
the wall before the yard attendant could catch him.
Meanwhile the confusion in the yard was
frightful.
Inmates were yelling in their
excitement, pulling on their hair, and one was
rolling on the ground in convulsions of laughter.
The alarm was given and within the hour the
escapee was returned to the ward, losing his
prized yard privileges.
Peltret was moved from the receiving ward to
the fourteenth ward, situated in the north wing of
the building, on the top floor. The other inmates
of this ward were already out in the yard. The
ward accommodated forty patients in rooms
which housed from five to eight occupants. He
was relieved to learn that the beds in this portion
ofthe building were more comfortable than those
in the receiving ward. These patients had library
privileges and were occasionally furnished with
newspapers by the attendants.
Wben the inmates were let in from the yard, at
the front of the group was an interesting looking
man nearly seven feet tall. The asylum trousers
were not large enough to fit him. "He was wearing
a lofty silk hat, the best days of which had long
since past. His face. long and thin, was of a
carroty color and underneath huge red eyebrows
twinkled a pair of small greenish-looking eyes.
Right behind him was a heavy built man of the
bulldo
who walked as
he were
School was performed,
principally by the
attendants. After its conclusion, the floor was
cleared for dancing. It was customary for the town
people to dance with the inmates, and so it
happened that Peltret found himself "whirling
around with his arm encircling the waist of a
pretty Stockton miss ofperhaps sixteen summers."
He
her in conversation until she became
.---~~~--------------~~------------~~~
apprehensive and excused herself
and left the dance floor.
Thus far Peltret had not
uncovered anything shocking or
scandalous, and conditions were by
no means unsafe or unclean. Ready
to broaden the scope of his
observations, on the Sunday after
the ball Peltret asked for and
obtained the privilege of the
grounds. He swore that he would
not go beyond the prescribed limits.
Female Department ofStockton's State Hospital. John Pitcher Spooner
photograph.
Inmates who abused this privilege
monarch of all he surveyed. and he believed he
were penalized by confinement in the yard.
was, too, for he labored under the idea that he was
Occasionally an inmate would slip away. One
the proprietor ofthe establishment." Later Peltret
prematurely left the grounds, pawned his overcoat
observed an inmate who carried his head in an
in town, and spent the money on liquor.
extraordinarily erect manner. He was afflicted
Recovered the same afternoon, his privileges
with a most curious delusion - believing his head
were suspended for a good many months.
was made ofglass. This unfortunate fellow was in
constant terror that his head might get broken, so
The grounds to which the patients were
he took great pains to protect it from injury.
restricted contained about ten acres, a portion of
1
PeItret had been in the asylum not quite two
weeks when he was able to participate in a
scheduled social event. He learned that it was the
custom to have a ball every other Friday evening
at the female department.
Only the most
trustworthy inmates of the male department were
allowed to attend the dances. "After supper on the
evening in question there was a great excitement
in the male department, those who had been
allowed the privilege bustling around and trying
to make their appearance harmonize with the
importance of the occasion, while the others
looked enviously on, much like children who
have been denied a luxury for some act of bad
behavior." Preceding the ball a farce entitled
The importance of relaxation and
amusement as a remedial agent in the care
of the insane has received full
recognition.... The amateur
perfornlances .... were eminently and
gratifyingly successful. Narrations or
representations of a tragic nature, or such
as would tend to unduly excite the
emotions, are scrupulously avoided.
Many ladies and gentlemen from the city
have kindly volunteered their aid in
amusing and interesting the patients ....
W. H. Mays, Biennial Report, 1888, p. 20.
which was laid out in flower and vegetable beds.
About one acre consisted of a grove of broad­
spreading oaks with benches and tables set under
them. This was the principal reclining spot of the
patients, some basking in the warm rays of the
sun, some reading or writing, while others played
chess or checkers. Peltret soon began to join in the
chess games.
Leave of Absence - State Insane Asylum
Stockton, Cal., April 24) 1888. Edward
Worthington, a patient legally committed to
this Asylum, is hereby allowed a leave of
absence until Alay 24, 1888, a term of one
month, in the care ofEugene Hahn.
a release. Since Peltret's lunacy was only a sham,
it is not surprising that the doctor determined that
he had improved speedily. The doctor instructed
his clerk to
make out a leave card for
Worthington. On the back of the card there were
two printed blanks for renewals. Hahn was
informed that if Worthington gave him any
trouble, he could show the card to a police officer
and have the patient immediately conveyed back
to the asylum. 7
The inmates were naturally cunous about
each other, and a new man in the ward gave rise to
speculation. It was considered rude to ask a
newcomer why he had been admitted.
"Worthington" displayed no obvious signs of
lunacy, so the others were left to guess the cause.
Somehow the rumor circulated that while he was
on a chess tour from Boston, he met with a
disastrous defeat in Chicago which affected him
to the extent that he lost his reason. The gossip
went on that he grew worse and worse until, when
he reached California, he was so demented that it
was necessary to put him under restraint. Peltret
wrote that "Dame Gossip has as full sway there as
in the house of a San Francisco society belle."
Apparently his [fake] suicide attempt had not
been disclosed to the inmates.
His confinement ended, the relieved Peltret
walked out the front doors ofthe asylum and took
in a long, sweet breath of "free" air. He reported
to the editor of the Examiner that he had
completed his assignment. That night he slept
comfortably and soundly, away from the babel of
the asylum.
Eugene Hahn, Peltret's friend and co­
conspirator on the "outside," arranged for
"Worthington" to see Dr. Mays in order to obtain
The manner in which the asylum was
conducted was far superior to what Peltret had
expected-considering the overcrowded conditions.
"In returning a patient to the world again,
shall his certificate of discharge read
'recovered' or merely 'improved?' The
question is one fraught with serious
possibilities to the newly liberated person.
The indorsement 'recovered' restores him to
citizenship, anything short of that does not.
From being civilly dead, it makes him again
a living integer in the commonwealth ....
Unless discharged 'recovered' his status is
left in doubt, his power to make a contract is
disputable, his future acts are of questionable
validity. He is still presumably insane .... For
this reason I always endeavor to give the
outgoing patient the benefit of the doubt
liP!I:' when there is any doubt. Recovery is a
relative term at best. An individual who has
been insane seldom gets back quite to where
he was before the attack; but the same thing
may be said of recovery from aU serious
structural diseases.... In a world where,
without indorsing the dictum of the syspeptic
philosopher that mankind are 'mostly fools,'
we cannot deny that a perfectly sound mind is
as rare to find as a perfectly sound body, it
follows that many persons with slightly
damaged brains must necessarily be included
within the pale of sanity and accountability."
Dr. W. H. Mays, Biennial Report. 1888. p. 12-13.
He concluded "that the prejudice against insane
asylums" largely arose from unreliable statements
of
"unstable patients, with perverted
imaginations." He noted that "There are, of
course, some patients whose testimony is
deserving of credence, but even with these you
have to make a certain allowance for prejudice."
Peltret reported that some attendants were
guilty of brutal treatment of patients, but such
actions were punished by dismissal if they
became kno\\tTI by the doctors. During his stay at
the asylum he heard of two cases of cruelty
committed by keepers of the eighth and the tenth
wards. Both of these acts were in direct and
flagrant violation ofthe rules ofthe asylum, which
provided that "a blow or kick is never to be
inflicted on a patient by any employee under any
circumstances. Any violation of this rule will
subject the offender to instant dismissal." Peltret
felt that many attendants were unsuitable for their
positions. Young men "who are destitute of the
knowledge and experience that comes with added
years are very apt to pay as much attention to the
remarks of an irresponsible person as ifthey were
made by a sane one .... Being put in control oflarge
number of persons often turns a man's head and
leads him to indulge in petty tyranny." Peltret
recommended that the physicians in charge put
young attendant-trainees in a ward with an old
hand "not only in service, but in years, so that his
hot blood may be kept in check."
Peltret reported that most of the attendants
were of high character - generally above average,
but in an institution employing the numbers 80 f
the Stockton Asylum, it could not be helped that
some were unfit for their duties.
Peltret described the asylum as a model of
cleanliness. The floors were swept and scrubbed
every morning by some of the patients
(volunteers), under the direction ofthe attendants.
Patients could work in the fields and in the dairy,
receiving for their labor an extra allowance of
tobacco.
The need of work shops for the employment
ofpatients was evident. He noted that Dr. Mays, in
his 1886 biennial report, brought this to the
attention of the Board of Directors. "The doctor
dwelt strongly on the importance of some
properly adapted form ofoccupation as a means of
cure, and the evil ofthe opposite condition ofutter
idleness, and recommended that some light
indoor work be provided." Peltret felt that such an
innovation would result in the curing of many of
the patients, or at least make them far more
contented and happy. He warned, "It is almost
criminal negligence to delay taking some such
step." The 1888 biennial report also stressed "We
earnestly urge upon your especial attention the
recommendation of the Medical Superintendent,
that workshops be provided in which the patients
may have employment, and we think the reasons
he has given ofthe adoption of such a policy must
receive the cordial indorsement of all whose
sympathies have been awakened to the condition
of the unfortunate class here confined .... A bill for
the constructi on ofworkshops passed both houses
last session of the Legislature, but failed to meet
the approval of the Governor .... Our working
force of patients, employed either indoors or out,
averages three hundred .... No one is compelled to
work, but when it is thought that benefit might
follow, they are encouraged to do SO.... "9
Having shared the common experience of
dining on asylum meals for several weeks, Peltret
called for dietary reform, pointing out that foods
could be varied without additional expense.
Breakfast and supper were the same all the year
around. The only change was in the noon-day
meal, in which they served soup and beans one
day and soup and rice the next. The cooks were
expressly forbidden to change the menu except
under the direct orders of the Superintendent. \0
Here in the heart ofthe San Joaquin Valley, where
fresh fruits and vegetables were abundant, the
asylum only served fruit once or twice a year.
(The asylum had its O\\TI gardens and livestock.
See Products of the Asylum Farm, Garden &
Dairy.)
.@UtIJI
,;
transportation from San Francisco, the report
stated "The daily public exhibition, on trains
going to Stockton and Napa, of patients in violent
and sometimes revolting phases ofinsanity, is not
creditable. Not only are such scenes distressing to
sensitive people, but an injury is thereby liable to
be done to the patient's future welfare, for he is
apt, after recovery, to remember distinctly and
with acute humiliation, his long exposure to
public gaze. There is no city of the magnitude of
San Francisco that has not long had its own
asylum conveniently adjacent."l:' During the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, 151 patients
\vere admitted from San Francisco County. (See
chart following.)
IS
Peltret wrote "No asylum of its size in the
Union is so miserably provided for. Asylums in
the Eastern States, in which the patients number
from twelve hundred to eighteen hundred, are
provided with from six to eight physicians, and in
no asylum is the proportion less than one
physician to 230 patients."
The 1888 Biennial Report urged the
construction of two new facilities for the insane,
one in Southern California and one supporting the
large population of San Francisco. At this time all
of California's insane had to be transported to
either Stockton or Napa. About 50 patients a year
were admitted from Los Angeles County alone.
The State bore the expense of transporting the
patients and the sheriff or deputy that accompanied
them from as far away as 600 miles. In the case of
Stockton's response to Peltret's investigation
was angry. On May 8th the Stockton Daily
Independent editorial criticized the Examiner for
"obtaining news under false pretenses" at the
expense of San Joaquin County and the State of
California. It went on to say that the Examiner as
a "monarchial newspaper with a U.S. Senator and
his millions at its back" should be billed for the
expenses incurred by the inquest, and board and
room at the State Insane Asylum for Peltret. "It
has often been said that the right to make a fool of
himself is one of those that were.... especially
guaranteed by the 5th amendment to the
Constitution of the United States and this
reservation is no doubt extended to newspapers to
make lunatics of their reporters."13 The editorial
warned "If this subterfuge of the Examiner is
allowed to pass without notice, there may be no
telling what institution may be next invaded and
the next Examiner reporter may get a few years in
prison on a like specious pretext."
Garden, 9th Ward. Stockton's State Insane Asylum. Some
inmates were allowed to work in the gardens where
ornamental plants as well as produce were grown.
University ofthe Pacific Library.
Another shortcoming was noted by Peltret. "It
a shame that a state like California cannot
provide its insane with a sufficient number of
physicians. The force at Stockton is inadequate.
There are in all three physicians, \vho are required
to look after nearly sixteen hundred patients."
According to the Superintendent's report in the
Stockton Daily Independent, during the month of
April 1888, thirty-one males and three females
were admitted to the State Insane Asylum. Four
males and seven females were discharged, nine
males and three females died, leaving 1,157 males
and 445 females housed in this facility. 11
The Examiner followed up their original story
While there were no really flagrant abuses or
with a column on May 9th. 14 It reported that Dr.
horror stories brought to light by Peltret's
Mays sent a letter, dated May 7th, to the
investigation, the article gave an interesting inside
Examiner's Editor: "Sir: Nothing could be more
view of the State Insane Asylum. The story had a
fair minded than the account given by your
far-reaching readership, as friends and relatives of
representative, Mr. Peltret, of his stay in this
the many patients confined there had personal
asylum as an 'amateur lunatic.' I have no doubt
interests in the management ofthe asylum and the
your correspondent came here with an entirely
treatment received by their loved ones. The
unbiased, impartial mind, and it is gratifying to
Examiner article also serves to lift the "curtain of
know that his experience while with us had led
time," so that more than a hundred years later we
him, so far from criticising adversely, to express
can have a glimpse behind the walls of the State
himself in terms of thoughtful and appreciative
Insane Asylum as it was in 1888.
commendation. During his stay in this topsy­
turvy world he .... could not help hearing many of
the stories of the patients, the grave and the gay,
the grotesque and the pathetic.... The plan by
which Mr. Peltret got himself . . . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,
legally
committed
was
ingeniously conceived and
cleverly carried out: none of the
officers having any idea from
first to last, that we were
entertaining an angel unawares.
It required, moreover, no little
courage and self-sacrifice.... to
brave the supposed risks, to say
nothing of the discomforts of a
two weeks intimate day and night
association with the insane. No
severer or more searching test of
the managment of an asylum
could be imagined than this, the
visitation of a sane, observant
man under the guise of a patient.
He sees us off guard. The inner Stockton Street Railroad serviced the Insane Asylum & California Street
life of patient and attendant is route. V. Covert It;fartin Collection.
laid bare before him. He views
the actions and conduct of the employees at times
when they suppose no sane eye is upon them."
Dr. Mays went on to refute the charges that
there had been incidents of mistreatment and
cruelty to patients. Peltret rebutted this, believing
the two incidents could easily be substantiated,
and that Mays should "rigorously investigate
them" and "summarily dismiss the brutal and
incompetent keepers .... " 15
IQW!JiI
The Asylum Superintendent and Director's Report in June 1888 stated "The management of the
institution for the past two years, has been made arduous and difficult, because of an insufficient
appropriation, and the largely increased number of patients to whom it was absolutely necessary
to give care and attention, although the accommodations were entirely inadequate for the
purpose." This report pointed out that the new asylum at Agnews would be taking some of the
patients from the Stockton and Napa Asylums, but with the increase in numbers received, and the
already overcrowded facilities, they would still be caring for many patients in excess of the
capability of the facility. Biennial Report, 1888.
ASYLUM VISITORS16 Visitors were admitted to areas occupied by quiet patients between 9 and 12 in the morning and 2
and 4 in the afternoons, every day except Sunday and holidays. Relatives or friends of patients were
allowed to see them in the reception rooms. Persons wishing to see patients or learn their conditions
were required to make inquiry of the Superintendent.
Male visitors were not allowed in the female wards, except for clergymen, physicians, public
officers and persons connected with public institutions.
Visitors were not permitted in the yards, or to pass to the rear of the building, or to approach the
windows from the outside. Visitors were not allowed to deliver to or receive any letter, package, or
other articles from patients without the knowledge of the medical officers.
Stockton was proud ofthe Asylum and it's place in the community. All descriptive literature about
the city had sections devoted to the state hospital. Street cars had signs proclaiming ASYLUAI as
· their destination. Stockton newspapers regularly reported news of the patients. In 1895 the
following description was published:
.1
"Encompassed by spacious grounds, comprising clean, winding walks, smooth, velvety lawns,
bordered by exquisite flowers, shaded by broad-leafed palms, towering sweet scented pines, and
many trees of dense foliage stands the home ofthe unfortunate insane .... While the exterior presents
a picturesque sight of beauty with its barred prison-like windows, the interior convinces one of the
efficient and unsparing pains which the management has exercised in making it a great parential
[sic] home ofperfect peace and tranquility. Through a handsome art-glass transom falls the light in
rainbow colors, athwart the polished oak floor of the reception hall.. .. There are snowy white beds,
easy reclining chairs, numerous couches, bright fragrant flowers, sweet happy birds, reading matter,
and fancy needle-work, which add to the attractiveness and pleasure of this home .... The females
[patients] have sweet-faced, gentle lady attendants, and the male patients are provided with kind,
able attendants, so that both have the proper care and attention .... The asylum is under the efficient
charge of Dr. Asa Clark, the medical superintendent who assumed the duties of that office on
November 1, 1892 .... All patients of the asylum come under Dr. Clark's skilled and proficient
treatment, all loving him like a father." Stockton Illustrated, 1895, The Stockton Commercial Association, p.72.
IIWtlfl Stockton State Insane Asylum Statistics l7 Fiscal year July 1, 1887 to June 30, 1888 MOVEMENT OF PATIENTS
Male
Female
Patients begin fiscal year
1,127
426
121
Admitted during year
342
Whole number treated
1,469
547
Discharged recovered
160
54
Discharged improved
8
7
Discharged unimproved
3
Died (death rate of 6 %)
101
29
Escaped
7
Total discharged, died, escaped 279
91
Number remaining
end fiscal year
1,190 456
AVERAGE COSTS PER PATIENT
Per Day
36.9 Cents
Per Month
$ 11.25
Per year
$135.00
CLASSIFICATION OF PATIENTS ADMITTED
Male Female
Acute mania
121
50
Chronic mania
61
24
Monomania
28
10
Dementia
45
25
Epilepsy
64
II
General paresis
4
TOTALS
339
124
AGES OF PATIENTS AT
TIME OF ADMISSION
Ages
Male Female
10 to 15 years
2
1
15 to 20 years
3
3
31
20 to 25 years
17
45
25 to 30 years
18
30 to 35 years
50
12
35 to 40 years
54
13
34
40 to 45 years
17
28
45 to 50 years
16
25
50 to 55 years
9
18
55 to 60 years
8
17
60 to 65 years
3
14
65 to 70 years
1
9
4
70 to 75 years
75 to 80 years
1
Unknown
8
2
339
TOTALS
124
COUNTIES FROM WHICH PATIENTS
WERE ADMITTED
Male Female
Alameda
18
9
Amador
6
Butte
6
4
Calaveras
4
3
Contra Costa
4
El Dorado
2
Fresno
11
3
Inyo
Kern
4
Los Angeles
31
11
Marin
1
Mariposa
3
Merced
10
Monterey
4
6
Nevada
8
2
Placer
3
Plumas
Sacramento
14
II
San Benito
4
1
12
San Bernardino
2
San Diego
7
3
San Francisco
51
100
San Joaquin
24
8
San Mateo
3
1
Santa Clara
18
4
Santa Cruz
1
Shasta
5
Siskiyou
3
Solano
2
Stanislaus
5
Sutter
2
Tehama
4
Tulare
8
Tuolumne
1
Yolo
1
Yuba
3
State Prisons -­
San Quentin
7
Folsom
1
TOTALS
124
339
I~~!I~I
CAUSES OF INSANITY OF PATIENTS
ADMITTED, AS STATED IN COMMITMENTS
Male Female
Intemperance
22
7
Heredity
20
16
Epilepsy
10
4
Masturbation
39
10
Religion
3
Family troubles
4
3
Business & money troubles
8
16
Injury to head
2
Cerebral disease
8
Meningitis
4
4
Opium or morphine habit
Senility
3
Irregular life and exposure
2
Loss of work;
,.,
want of work; poverty
-'
Despondency; homesickess
2
3
Sunstroke; overheat
12
2
Overwork
4
1
Love affairs
2
3
Puerperal state
8
Change of life
11
Uterine troubles
4
Syphilis
5
Kidney troubles
2
2
YeHow fever
Consumption
1
III health
6
Fright
1
Paralysis
2
General debility
2
3
Blindness and worry
Death of relative
7
Spiritualism
3
Jealousy
Salvation army
Strychnine
Giant powder explosion
Reading trashy novels
129
39
Unknown
TOTALS
339
124
CAUSES OF PATIENTS' DEATHS
Male Female
Paralysis
21
3
Apoplexy
5
Consumption
II
2
Marasmus
9
3
Exhaustion of acute mania
12
3
Exhaustion of chronic
brain disease
8
3
,.,
Epilepsy
4
-'
Effusion of brain
3
Senile decay
5
Organic brain disease
2
Heart disease
3
Dysentery
5
Congestion oflungs
4
Syphilis
3
Suicide
1
All other causes
10
5
TOTALS
101
29
ASYLUM FARM, GARDEN
AND
DAIRY PRODUCTS
July 1, 1887 to June 30, 1888
Beets
Tomatoes
Parsnips, turnips, carrots
Peas and string beans
Pumpkins and squash
Egg plant and radish
Green com and cucumbers
Celery
Cabbage
Onions
Lettuce
Peppers and okra
Hay and alfalfa
Apples, pears, apricots
& peaches
Grapes
Pork
Beef
Milk
Chickens (number used)
10,960 pounds
40,729 pounds
26,230 pounds
10,635 pounds
38,615 pounds
949 pounds
3,612 doz.
840 pounds
26,835 pounds
21,435 pounds
405 doz.
94 pounds
80 tons
15,424 pounds
10,605 pounds
11,216 pounds
1,170 pounds
40,689 gallons
382 dozen
30
Footnotes "Medical Society of State of California ­
18th Annual Meeting" Stockton Daily Indepen­
dent, April 19, 1888, p.l.
1.
2.
Ibid.
3.
Peltret was listed in the San Francisco
Directories 1887-1890 as a reporter for the
Associated Press. He resided at 631 Guerrero. He
began his career injournalism in 1887. Earlier, he
had been listed in other occupations.
San Francisco Examiner, "Mad for a
Week," May 6, 1888, p. 11. This newspaper
article is quoted and/or paraphrased liberally
throughout this essay. Quotes not attributed
otherwise are from this article. The newspaper
clipping was found in a scrapbook in the Oullahan
Collection, Mss 194. Holt-Atherton Department
of Special Collections, University of the Pacific
Libraries.
It was reported that there were about 160
employees of the asylum in 1887. San Joaquin
8.
County, California. Its Favorable Location,
Rich Soil, Healthy Climate, Varied Productions
and General Prosperity. City ofStockton, Its
Industries, Trade, Commercial Importance and
Business Advantages. Orr and Ruggles by order
of San Joaquin Co. Board of Trade, Stockton,
Cal., 1887, pg. 74,75. In April of 1888, the
monthly payroll for the facility was $7,459.
"Asylum Affairs" Stockton Daily Independent,
May 11, 1888, p.3.
4
Jail register showing "Worthington" being
booked. Stockton Police Department. Arrest and
Jail Records, 1884-1901, }vfss 25. Holt-Atherton
Department of Special Collections, University of
the Pacific Libraries.
5.
9.
Biennial Report, 1888.
Rules and Regulations ofthe State Insane
Asylum, Stockton, Cal., State Office, Sacra­
mento, 1888.
10.
"Asylum Affairs," Stockton Daily
Independent, May 11, 1888, p.3.
11.
12
Biennial Report, 1888.
Stockton Daily Independent, May 8,
1888, p.2.
13
"Our Lunatic," San Francisco Exam­
iner, May 9, 1888, p. 4. "Superintendent Mays
of the Asylum Writes of His Work. Dr. Mays
Waves Aside Charges of Cruelty, but
Examiner's Amateur Madman Stands by them."
14.
6
It is unknown whether the clipping
mentioned was printed for the purpose of this
subterfuge, or if it was picked as one around
which a plausible story could be built.
7. Biennial Report ofthe Directors and the
Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Annual Reports of
the Superintendent ofthe Insane Asylum ofthe
State ofCalifornia (At Stockton) For the Two
Years Ending June 30, 1888, Sacramento, State
Office, 1888. According to this report, 65
patients were allowed to leave the asylum on
probation. Of these only twelve had to be
returned for further treatment. Leaves of ab­
sence or furloughs were granted to convales­
cents, generally as a prelude to final discharge.
15
Ibid.
Rules and Regulations ofthe State Insane
Asylum, Stockton, Cal., 1888. Condensed and
paraphrased.
16
17.
Biennial Report, 1888.
Photographs/rom Holt-Atherton Dept. of
Special Collections, University ofthe Pacific
Library.
I;uijhj
San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum's
7th Annual
FESTIVAL OF TREES December 5 & 6, 1998 • 11:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
AT THE MUSEUM COMPLEX IN MICKE GROVE PARK, LODI FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL (209) 331-2055 Beautifully decorated Christmas trees!
Santa lind Mrs. Claus!
Santa's Workshop!· Christmas Boutiques!
Hay wagon rides! • Cookie decorating!
Make a cornhusk doll! • Watch toymakers!
Christmas carols! • Model trains!
Charming Christmas Exhibits!
Holiday entertainment!
Dessert, coffee and other foods!
Tickets are $5 each, children under 8 are $1.
Tickets are available by calling the San Joaquin Historical
Society & Museum at (209) 331-2055 or 953-3460. Visa
and MasterCard accepted. Tickets also available at the
Afusic Boxes in Lodi and Stockton, The Travel Bunch in
Linden and Valley Springs, and Delicato Vineyards,
Manteca, Non-society members get the 54 parking
into Alicke Grove Park waived 'with pre-purchased tickets.
Address correction requested
San Joaquin County
Historical Society and Museum
p.o. Box 30
Lodi, CA 95241-0030
Non-Profit Organization POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 48 Lodi, CA 95241