Starvation Heights
The story of Olalla, Washington, resident Linda Hazzard is another story that seems more likely ripped from the pages of Koontz novel than of history. In the 1880's, despite having no medical training whatsoever, Hazzard converted her isolated cottage into the 'Wilderness Heights Sanitarium.' Writing a book called Fasting For The Cure of Disease, she claimed to be able to cure any illness whatsoever with her prescription of tiny portions of soup, long walks and thorough daily enemas (sometimes lasting hours). In an age of consummate medical quackery, Hazard's business flourished, with a surprising number of tenants agreeing to come live in a cottage attic to be aggressively starved. A large number of them failed to survive the treatment, in fact: a very rough estimate ranges between 25 and 40. The exact number is unclear do to Hazzard's inconsistent filing of death certificates and rather vague disclosure of funeral arrangements for her deceased patients (thought to maybe have something to do with a nearby ravine.)
It wasn't until 1911, when Claire and Dora Williamson, a pair of British heiresses came to Hazzard's 'clinic,' that the place came under scrutiny. Within a month of arriving, Dora Williamson died, weighting just fifty pounds at the time. Her sister Claire managed to survive, but barely; Hazzard had assured her it was Dora's dying wish that she never leave the sanitarium. It wasn't until the British Consul intervened in an outrage that Hazzard was confronted by authorities and brought to trial.
The trial proved two things about Hazzard. First, she was a cunning thief of brutal proportions- she had forged Dora's will and applied for guardianship of a 'disturbed' Claire to gain access to the families' fortunes, had stripped Claire's body of all valuables including gold fillings, and had helped herself to Dora's wardrobe. She had also performed an autopsy (on an ironing board over a bathtub in her basement, no less) which specified the cause of death as cirrhosis of the liver in order to exonerate herself.
Secondly, the trial brought to light the almost hypnotic power Hazzard exerted over women of the period. Hundreds of society ladies turned out to the trail to support of Hazzard and her 'holistic' methods. Her iron will and outspoken feminism rallied women of the age around her, and helped explain how it was possible for this woman to isolate hapless victims and convince them to voluntarily stave themselves to death under her careful direction. So charismatic was the 'doctor' that local newspapers accused her using witchcraft and mind control in leading hapless ladies to their deaths.
Hazzard was sentences to 2-20 years hard labor, but returned in 1920 to re-found her practice. Never as successful as before, Hazzard became ill in the 1940's and died- somewhat surprisingly from trying her own cure.
The cottage that served as Hazzard's sanitarium was torn down only the last year, but up until its demolition the family that lived there experienced some pretty strange stuff. In one instance, while cooking dinner, the lady of the house turned around to find that every chair in the room had been silently piled against the door from the inside.
The family eventually built another house on the their lot and had the cottage razed, but not before extensive probing by paranormal groups such as WSPIR (Washington State paranormal Investigations and Research). Visits by psychics and investigators have turned up potential evidence of haunting, particularly in the forms of EVP (electronic voice phenomenon... You know like the Michael Keaton flick White Noise where ghosts talk on tape.) To read logs of investigation findings and hear the alleged EVP's for yourself, check out the group's web page at www.wspir.com to see if you hear the mad doctor of what the locals aptly call Starvation Heights.
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That was written By Kathleen Wallace of Seattle's DList Magazine. I thought it was fucking crazy and wanted to share! I did a quick google search and found a good website about it with a lot of information and weird details.
www.starvationheights.com
This in only a few hours drive from the city!
It wasn't until 1911, when Claire and Dora Williamson, a pair of British heiresses came to Hazzard's 'clinic,' that the place came under scrutiny. Within a month of arriving, Dora Williamson died, weighting just fifty pounds at the time. Her sister Claire managed to survive, but barely; Hazzard had assured her it was Dora's dying wish that she never leave the sanitarium. It wasn't until the British Consul intervened in an outrage that Hazzard was confronted by authorities and brought to trial.
The trial proved two things about Hazzard. First, she was a cunning thief of brutal proportions- she had forged Dora's will and applied for guardianship of a 'disturbed' Claire to gain access to the families' fortunes, had stripped Claire's body of all valuables including gold fillings, and had helped herself to Dora's wardrobe. She had also performed an autopsy (on an ironing board over a bathtub in her basement, no less) which specified the cause of death as cirrhosis of the liver in order to exonerate herself.
Secondly, the trial brought to light the almost hypnotic power Hazzard exerted over women of the period. Hundreds of society ladies turned out to the trail to support of Hazzard and her 'holistic' methods. Her iron will and outspoken feminism rallied women of the age around her, and helped explain how it was possible for this woman to isolate hapless victims and convince them to voluntarily stave themselves to death under her careful direction. So charismatic was the 'doctor' that local newspapers accused her using witchcraft and mind control in leading hapless ladies to their deaths.
Hazzard was sentences to 2-20 years hard labor, but returned in 1920 to re-found her practice. Never as successful as before, Hazzard became ill in the 1940's and died- somewhat surprisingly from trying her own cure.
The cottage that served as Hazzard's sanitarium was torn down only the last year, but up until its demolition the family that lived there experienced some pretty strange stuff. In one instance, while cooking dinner, the lady of the house turned around to find that every chair in the room had been silently piled against the door from the inside.
The family eventually built another house on the their lot and had the cottage razed, but not before extensive probing by paranormal groups such as WSPIR (Washington State paranormal Investigations and Research). Visits by psychics and investigators have turned up potential evidence of haunting, particularly in the forms of EVP (electronic voice phenomenon... You know like the Michael Keaton flick White Noise where ghosts talk on tape.) To read logs of investigation findings and hear the alleged EVP's for yourself, check out the group's web page at www.wspir.com to see if you hear the mad doctor of what the locals aptly call Starvation Heights.
___________________________________________________________
That was written By Kathleen Wallace of Seattle's DList Magazine. I thought it was fucking crazy and wanted to share! I did a quick google search and found a good website about it with a lot of information and weird details.
www.starvationheights.com
This in only a few hours drive from the city!