The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-10-19
DEAD ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE.
Strange Legal Miracle N State h.
sane Asylum.
TWO PATIENTS REPORTED IS ALIVE
CLERK OF KING COUNTY HAS
DOCUMENTS SHOWING THEY
ARE DEAD.
TWO PATIENTS REPORTED As ALIVE

Startling evidence Of the improved
conditions at the Steilacoom asylum for
the insane under the reforms institut-
ed by Governor Mead is at hand, says
the Seattle Times. Under the new
management dead men are being cured
of their mental disorders and are be-
ing discharged from custody, clothed
in their right minds, years after they
have been certified as having passed
to the great Beyond
County Clerk Case was notified yes
terday in the regular legal manner that
Abraham Birch and John Fay, both
committed to the asylum from King
county, had been discharged from the
asylum on October 4 as cured. The
report stating that the men needed no
further confinement was signed by Ar
thur P. Calhoun, as superintendent Of
the Western Washington hospital for
the insane.
Surprise to Mourners.
The publication of the official news
that both men are alive and sound
mentally will come as a surprise to
their former friends. For more than
four years Abraham Burch has been
mourned as dead. The records in the
| o1o hot no
eight years ago John Fay breatheI
his last in. the asylum. tuberculosis
was given as the cause of death.
The first man in King county to
llearn that the two former citizens of
King county were alive and again In
possession of their mental faculties
was Deputy County Clerk J. A. Sig
urdson. He made the startling discov-
cry in the ordinary performance of
his duties in the county clerks Office
After he had read the legal notice adj
dressed to County Clerk Case stating
that Abraham Burch, who was admit
ted to the asylum from King county
on June 2, 1896, had been discharged
as cured on October 2, 1906 by Super
intendent Calhoun, he entered it on
the page of the insanity records given
up to Burch's case.
The last entry he found in the rec
ord was notice of death. An exam
ination of the papers on file concerning
Burch showed that on June 25, 1902,
the county clerk had received from the
superintendent of the asylum a notice
of his death. The notice was signed
by G. M. Parks as superintendent,
and stated that Abraham Burch, who
June 2, 1896, had departed this life
in the asylum on June "a, 1902. The
cause Of death was given as demen-
tia.
The certificate that conveyed the
news Of Burchs death to the county
clerk and to mis- friends was made out
on the usual printed form used for
the purpose. The same form of Ger
tificate was used by Superintendent
Calhoun in announcing that Burch is
now alive and well.
The certificate showing that John
Fay had been discharged by Super
intendent Calhoun as cured came as
an equal surprise. On February %,
1892 F. D. Goddard, then superintend-
ent Of the asylum, and the attendant
physician, D. M. Angus, certified to
the county clerk that tuberculosis mad
claimed John Fay as one of its VIC
Tins on May Is, 1898. The death no.
tice set out that John Fay, who had
succumbed to tuberculosis had been
is, 1898. The John Fay whom Super
intendent Calhoun set at large on Oc-
tober 5, 1906, also according to the
certificate, was committed on Deem
Der Is, 1898.
John Fay and Abraham Burcn are
the only two men that the records Of
the superior court show have risen
from the grave after death under the
management of Superintendent CAL
houn.