Out of Our Past: Local news of June 1883 included locating an asylum in Richmond

Steve Martin
·4 min read

Historian David McCullough wrote that people of the past were no different than us; they just wore different clothes.

Judge for yourself.

Here is the local news from the third week of June, 1883:

• Jail turnkey Av Murray says inmate Joseph Henderson was terribly frenzied last night and didn’t sleep any — nor did anyone around him. He paced his cell all night and raved intolerably worse than a stud cat seeking for amorous concourse. Sometimes he would yell so loud he could be heard three blocks away. Many law-abiding citizenry yelled in return, adding hot language that could fry bacon in a skillet, avowing to toss a brick his way.

• NEW CASTLE MERCURY — There seems to be much uncertainty about the location of the (newly proposed Indiana) asylum for the insane. The indications at this writing seem to favor Logansport and Richmond. At any rate, it is plain to see that Richmond will be very unhappy if she doesn’t get one. Richmond is reported to have fifteen incurably insane in her midst, without counting several hopeful cases.

More Out of Our Past: Civil War officer from Wayne County fought back against charge of desertion

Councilman J. Schwegmann finds an additional reason for locating the asylum here is the fact that Richmond has a geodesic ridge over the Whitewater gorge and enjoys, scientifically speaking, geologic immunity from cyclones and earthquakes. The state should think about this. An insane asylum in an earthquake isn’t a pretty spectacle to contemplate. Besides earth upheavals there would be rampant “nuts” scrambling free on the loose, and we don’t mean the kind that squirrels seek. We speak of mentally disordered individuals; mental deficits crazed unto derangement mindfully negligent and fanatical; in short, our local lunatics.

• The handsomest chair we have seen for a long time is one that is on exhibition at Smith & Dunham’s. The portion usually made of wood is, in this one, composed of the horns of Texas steers gracefully arrayed in an attractively artful pattern. The seat is upholstered in crimson plush. It cost $57 — but watch out for the horns when you sit.

• LOGANSPORT ADVERTISER — The council there is having lots of trouble over its action of Monday evening last in relation to its fire fighters and their official badges of designation. The fire-police (so-called early firefighters) threaten to resign on account of the order making it a finable offense to wear a badge similar to those worn by city police, with personally added embellishments. A meeting of the fire-police was called to take drastic action on the matter. At best, this appears to outsiders such as us with actual brains in our heads, to be a silly thing to squabble over. The fire-police don’t think so; they decry, “Wait till your house catches fire and you need us! Wouldn’t you want us to wear designated badges with official blue ribbons?”

• THE LAW FOR IT! — Sec. 2099: Whosoever, being over 14 years of age, is found on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, rioting, hunting, fishing, profaning, quarrelling, at common labor or engaging in playing the base ball, or engaged in his usual avocation (works of charity and humane necessity excepted) shall be fined, though nothing herein shall be construed to effect those conscientiously observing the Sabbath. — Sec. 2098, Revised Statute: Whosoever shall seek to sell, barter, or give away, to provoke or promote the importation, exportation, manufacture, purchase, borrowing, lending, gifting, grifting, sniffling, imbibing or by possession by inheritance from payment or sale by accident or otherwise, within Richmond’s boundaries any deleterious fermented intoxicants known to humans, on Sunday, shall be charged with a crime subject to severe punitive damage to whosoever importunes any such degradations unto humans; and those who endeavor to be drunk on any such beverage, such as any spirituous vino, malt liquor, regular likker, or beer or whiskey or ales of the liquid fermentation variety, or any other intoxicating waters we have not mentioned nor dreamt of or heard of, upon it being Sunday, SHALL BE FINED! — Mayor Rupe has a tight bit in his mouth on this, so fetch what drinks you need Saturday night so you won’t be dry on the morrow, afore church. — The Eds.

Contact columnist Steve Martin at stephenmonroemartin@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Out of Our Past: News of June 1883 included a new asylum in Richmond