Snuffed By His Own Hand

Several months ago while on a day trip to Seattle, I saw a building, or should I restate, two buildings, that completely captivated my attention.  Why, I was not sure. They both just had a certain vibe about them that boasted sinister history. So I did a little research into them and discovered that the one above is The Arctic Building and the one below was the Butterworth Building, now Kells Irish Pub.

I did not realize at the time that these two buildings have an amazing correlating history tied by one man,  Marion Zioncheck. 

Marion Zioncheck was a trouble congressman from Washington State between the years of 1932 and 1936. Zioncheck was a Democrat Congressman who helped put in place Roosevelt’s New Deal in this state, helping to get many Washingtonians to work during The Great Depression.  Along the way,  Zioncheck went completely off the rails while working in DC, his antics included doing brodie’s on the White House lawn, and then sending Roosevelt some booze the next day to – make things good.  He then told fellow congressmen at a congressional meeting that he was in the midst of old fossils and corporate lawyers, for which another congressman informed him that he was “the biggest jackass in Congress”. Zioncheck got married to a gal named Ruby shortly after that, and he and his new wife got in some trouble for frolicking in a DC public fountain.  Zioncheck had some other public outbursts that landed him in trouble with the local authorities,  and then in a private sanitarium.  Ruby, being the dutiful wife, helped him escape the sanitarium and brought him back to Washington State.  Shortly after arriving home, his family and his good friend,  Warren Magnuson, tried to talk Marion into getting some discreet help in one of Washington State’s fine mental institutions,  Northern State is rumored to be the place.  Marion milled that over a bit as he also milled over running for another term in Congress.  That way he would be in charge of all of this state’s mental institutions  (his thoughts, not mine). 

And now this brings us back to these two buildings.  A little after 6 in the evening, on August 7, 1936,  Marion scribbled a short note on a piece of paper in his office and then took off on a dead run,  jumping out of the window shaded above. 

He landed right there where it is shaded – head first on the sidewalk, his wife Ruby was sitting in a car parked on the street about where the silver car is located, waiting for him to come down. (They were supposed to be heading to a charity dinner, where Marion was to be the guest speaker). After that, Marion’s body was taken to The Butterworth Building, and prepared for burial. 

Hope you enjoyed this strange little nugget of history! 

Back In 1973

Back in 1973, actor,  Michael Douglas,  son of actor, Kirk Douglas, was probably best known at that time for his lead role in the popular television show -The Streets of San Francisco.  

He was looking to broaden his career by venturing into the family business of making movies.  There was a book that he and his father were eyeing to adapt to the silver screen.  That book was – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. They needed a location to make this film,  and Northern State Hospital was visited by Michael Douglas in March of 1973. Northern State was pretty empty by that time…however…there interests ended up leading elsewhere, Oregon State,  where the movie was eventually filmed.  This makes for an interesting piece of trivia however…

NSH Museum Exhibit

Starting July 1, 2016, the Sedro-Woolley Museum with be featuring a very interesting exhibit dedicated to none other that Northern State Hospital!
This exhibit will be a little grander than the one already in place at the museum.  It will feature artifacts from the hospital,   newspaper clippings, and a time line of the hospital operation.  On July 16, a special guest with be at the museum, Barbara Ward Thompson,  a long time Sedro-Woolley resident, and long time employee of the hospital begining in 1941. On Saturday, July 16, a special presentation will be held at the museum from 1:00 to 3:30 pm. At 2:00 pm, there will be a slide show given by Barbara.  Sounds outstanding, I might even attend; you never know…

If You Go Chasing Rabbits…You Know You’re Going to Fall

I almost felt the need to listen to White Rabbit while writing this one…
In the early 1930s it was announced that a narcotics farm would be opened at NSH. Benzidine and reefer were the dreaded scourge troubling the great State of Washington at that point, and they needed a place to perform very primitive drug treatment.  Which included electro shock, various experimental drugs, and the good old fashion resting the patients with restraints and damp compresses to help ease the hell of dreaded withdrawal. 40 patients it was announced would enter this hospital in what would become the first rehab!
It was first announced to the press that the narcotics patients would be separate from the general insane already housed at this hospital, but it didn’t quite work out that way…
Dr. Ruge was the superintendent of NSH at that point, Dr.  Doughty had already been unceremoniously vacated from his position at that point over the John Hesford affair that took place on his watch in 1928. The plan was a good one at first,  but as happens so often,  good intentions aren’t nearly enough. First off, not near enough staff was hired to accomplish the daunting task of curing the addicted.   Soon another investigation made its way to the press, and like the one before – it wasn’t pretty.   Employees were running to the papers and telling of an elaborate spy system that Dr. Ruge set in place pivoting employees against employees creating a hostile work environment which was an understatement to say the least.  Morale was extremely low because employees were being terminated from their jobs, while a certain employee was fired for being intoxicated on the job,  then rehired and came back to work intoxicated again and accidentally scalded a patient during a bath from the waist down.  After six months that patient was still bedridden and not completely healed from his wounds.  Dr. Ruge was acting like a Jeckle and Hide, at times treating patients and staff with respect, and at others shouting obscenities at them.  Dr. Ruge’s wife was using state vehicles for personal use as well as hosting banquets for different civic organizations she was affiliated with in the hospital cafeteria at the state’s expense. Patients and employees were required to work longer hours at the events as to show Mrs. Ruge’s friends a delightful time.  One patient who was shackled to another in the laundry died on duty  from tuberculosis which he was never treated for while at the hospital.  Another patient lingered in his bed for 17 days complaining about horrible leg pain before he was finally x-rayed and it was discovered that he had a broken hip.  One doctor who was previously a patient at the hospital,  was now the eye, ear, nose and throat specialist at NSH.  And while all of this was going on it was discovered that narcotic patients were not in segregated wards from insane patients.  Nope, they were all lumped together and were given the same treatments that were prescribed to the insane. In 1947 the same concerns were still going on. 

Staff Living Conditions at NSH 1947

In 1947 officials from Olympia came up to NSH as part of a state wide survey of all three mental hospitals in Washington State. This is part of that report which was submitted at the time.  Dr. Doughty was the superintendent then.  Enjoy!

“Lack of facilities is the greatest single factor keeping down the quality of living for staff and personnel.  Doctors with children must automatically exclude the possibility of accepting a position at this hospital for lack of accommodations.  Due to isolate location of hospital and the lack of accommodations nearby.  (General opinions shared between Eastern and Northern State Hospital.)  While some staff accommodations may be attractive,  frequently they are deplorable for married employees.  In both hospitals,  married (attendant) couples live in the wards in single rooms.  The couples must use a community washroom and toilet.  In one instance of three partially screened toilets, one used by attendants and two by male patients.  The woman attendants must be accompanied by their husbands to the toilets, he delays the patients from using the facilities until she is finished. In another example, some married couples live in the attics and basements of the wards. Usually these are the night workers who sleep by day.  This all the while when work activity is going on above and below them.  In another example, married employees are living off grounds until proper housing can be allotted.”

The Surgery Clinic

In the main hospital is where the surgery clinic was located.  In this clinic is where emergency and preventive surgery took place.  This was a very busy section of the hospital. State hospital surgical wards were the prototypes of what we now call trauma units.  They had to be able to handle almost any injury that could and did occur.  I recall some stories from some of the old timers still working at the campus in the mid 1970s, telling of horrific car accidents that would happen at the nearby HWY 20, that the injured would sometimes be transported to NSH because the doctors and staff were so well equipped and trained to handle such emergencies.  In the surgical clinic lobotomies and forced sterilizations were also performed as well.

Life Was Not Idle

Life was not idle at the Northern State Hospital campus.  If you were physically and mentally capable, you were put to work.  Contrary to popular perception, state hospitals were not vacation retreats from the outside world.  They were busy and thriving communities in every sense of the meaning.  Typically the patients worked six days a week, having Sunday as a day of rest and worship if they chose.   Was occupational therapy abused? Yes, most likely so, but when it became illegal to use patients as a form of ready labor,  something worse took its place…boredom.  Without work to occupy their time,  time became their enemy.  Instead of feeling productive the patients began to feel like patients. Starting out windows and playing checkers just wasn’t filling the void.

The Notorious Cow

There once was a notorious cow at NSH, but not the one pictured here.  That cow was Beauty Jewel Johanna, and she set the world record for milk production in 1925. She also set the state record for milk and butter production for mature cows in that same year.  Beauty achieved her production quota for 365 days in just 305. What a cow!
The cows pictured here are from the herd at NSH during the middle 1950s. Doc Jones was the photographer.

April 26, 1932

This information comes from the Northern State Hospital News, last week of April, 1932:
“In Ward A, Minnie S. is the new comer to the ward.  Francis J. and Anna M. received company.  In Ward B, the charge nurse came back from vacation.  Bertha A. was confined to bed rest but was finally able to get up and get around.  From Ward D, Marie S. was transferred to Ward A. Rose G. received a visit from her son.  Matsuno K. was assigned to occupational therapy.  Caroline L. was informed on April 26th that she is going to be paroled from the hospital.  In Ward E, Vivian H., Anna H., and Ann D. had visitors.  The ladies in this ward are busy making sure the ward is always decorated with fresh flowers from the nursery.  Ellen B. was visited by her parents.  Lynn W. was visited by her brother.  Rae C. Anna B. were paroled.  Ward G. got a new doctor.  In Ward I, spring cleaning is underway.  From Ward K., the ladies are taking long strolls through the grounds,  and it was reported that that was bringing up their spirits a bit.  Leonie F. is new to the ward and settling in nicely.  Sarah A. was visited by her son and daughter in-law.  Maret S. is new to the ward.  In Ward 11, Bell L. saw his wife for one hour.  Gus S., ward attendant,  returned from vacation.  In Ward 1, the men are taken out on daily strolls through the grounds.  Ward 3, John W. and Pat M. are new transfers to the ward.  Clyde J. was visited by his sister and father.  Charlie S. also received company.  Ward 4, Harry K. is new to the ward.  Martin K., the self appointed detective,  reported that business is slow.  Melvin W. saw his wife and a few friends.  Floyd D. was transferred to a different ward.  Byron C. came back from the Annex where he was working in the Poultry Department.  Herman B. is going back to the Annex, and being assigned to the piggery. In Ward 8, Howard M. is getting ready to go home for good. So is Marvin H. From Ward 10, Pat C. created a notable contribution to the grounds by making an interesting walking garden.  John L. was visited by his wife and nephew.  Rolf S. was visited by his mother and sister.  Ben J. is on detail painting Ward 9.”
And that is what was going on at NSH in the last week of April in 1932.

The Annex (Farm Ward NSH)

Here is a description as goes in the Northern State Hospital News (early 1930s):
“This splendid building so conveniently located provides large living space,  dining room and dormitory, with large locker room for individual clothing and a battery of several showers are greatly appreciated by the hundred men living here enjoying all the liberties possible in an institution.  It seems more like a club than a hospital;  the boys enjoying playing games,  smoking,  reading, pool, radio,  all free to go as they please,  enjoying the freedom of the evenings and are not locked in at any time,  but supervised day and night by reliable watchmen to take care of any emergencies which might arise. It is in fact a fine comfortable home. ”
The farm ward was the most desirable place to be housed at the institution.  There patients could enjoy a seemingly normal life.  It was for many the first stop to gaining ultimate parole.