The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-10
vh.rsabouts. and obliss, very respect


whereabouts. and obiigs. very respect
isisned) r. L. GODDARD.
superintendent
This. Mrs christianson claims, was the
FIRST Information she received Of her hus-
bands escape.
was Df. Goddard NegiiGents
Il win be seen that there 1: a grave dis
sions in his letter to Mrs. Christianson
and an his notice fled with the county
clerk. Moreover. and herein lies the al
gencc Is made against DR.. Goddard, he
y required by law to Immediately. notify
the superior court OF the escape Of pa
tient. that steps may be taken to appre-
The following section of Balllnger's
code, vol !, Is quoted, showing the law on
the subject:
Sec. 2,e7l. II any patient shall es-
tendent shall cause immediate search
to be made for him, and II he cannot
be found. shall cause notice OF such
psrdr IL PC 81 e eony w * the
patient belongs; and II such patient Is
found in his county. the superior. judge
shall cause him to be returned, and
shall issue his warrant therefor. as in
ether cases. unless he does. not con-
slider his return necessary"
Section 2,676 Of the code reads:
The superintendent shall officially
notify the proper superior Judge, and
friends, II any there be, OF the dis
charge or death Of any patient. ana
give the date and reasons for such
discharge or DEATH"
County Clerk Wilson, Of Kitsap county,
declares that Supt. Goddard did not COM
ply with this section OF the law; that he
has never received any notice of Chris
tianson's escape and that he knew moth
ing Of 1t until he read Supt Goddards let
ter to the wife Of the escaped patient. Mr..
Wilson said yesterday:
Tho files show no record whatever of
any notice filed by Supt. Goddard Of Chris
tianson's escape. This Is the Office where
such notice should have been filed. I have
examined the law covering the subject and
am at loss to understand why no infor-
nation of the escape Of Christianson was
sent to me-
County Attorney r. l. Brown. who acted
as commissioner in committing Christian
son to the asylum, said yesterday, when q
Pcst-Intelligencer reporter visited his Of
fee at Sidney, that he distinctly remem-
bered the case and that the demented
man was far from being able to care for
himself when he was sent to the asylum.
His weakness was pitiful," Mr.. Brown
said.
May Have Starved to Death.
hStc diC Adliy pScPlC oiuicy WIN
know Of Christianson's case and Of the un-
fortunate plight in which his wife and
children we're left The wife, It appears
from what Sidney people say. has fire.
quently sent letters and other remem-
ORANGES to her husband in the asylum and
entertained the hope that he would ulti-
mately recover HIS reason.
1t can be easily understood, then. that
the news that he had been allowed to
leave the asylum three months ago came
as terrible shock to her. She is a wo-
man. her neighbors say, of more than or
binary refinement and education. One of
her friends in Sidney said yesterday: 1.-THE
most terrible feature of the case Is that
probably no one will ever know what be-
came of Christianson. He never returned
here. as far as Is known. and a man in
his condition would not be apt to live long
in sparsely settled country such as lies
around Fort Steilacoom. If he should
have strayed off into the wods, as seems
probable, he must have suffered days of
hunger and mental torture. That he died
In some secluded spot in the woods of star
walton and exposure Is not in the least
improbable This is the thought which is
making Mrs. Christianson's lot pathetic
one."