Linda Burfield Hazzard
In 1911, two British heiresses, Dora and Claire Williamson, decided to partake of Hazzard's fasting remedy.
Dora (left) and Claire Williamson
The Williamson sisters leaned toward hypochondria, and always imagined they had some ailment or another. The siblings also believed in natural methods of healing. Thus when Dora and Claire read Hazzard's book 'Fasting for the Cure of Disease', they decided to check into the doctor's clinic in Olalla, Washington, a rural community west of Seattle.
Most residents of Olalla were Swedish and Norwegian farmers and loggers, and Linda's 'Institute For Natural Therapeutics' - which at the time consisted of a couple of half-built cabins - was almost hidden in the rustic countryside. Linda eventually built her sanitarium, which could house many patients.
Olalla, Washington
Linda Burfield Hazzard's sanitarium in Olalla, Washington
Hazzard's patients were permitted to eat only a few spoons of light vegetable broth, and were subjected to daily enemas, burning hot baths, vigorous osteopathic massage (slapping and punching), and more. The stated goal was to rid the body of toxins - a process that took months - after which healing could occur.
Fasting therapy patients were subjected to daily enemas
The actual consequences to Hazzard's patients was starvation, and skeletal inmates of the clinic, who could barely stand up, were sometimes seen shuffling or crawling down the road for 'exercise.' The Williamson sisters had absolute faith in Linda's regimen, and willingly subjected themselves to the heinous fasting therapy.
Man participating in a starvation experiment
While Dora and Claire lost pound after pound - and their health declined - Hazzard squirreled away the siblings' valuable jewels and used trickery and forgery to gain access to their money. This type of chicanery was part of Hazzard's modus operandi, and she and her husband Sam enriched themselves at the expense of Linda's patients, many of whom died. One of Hazzard's victims was Washington politician and publisher Lewis Ellsworth Rader, who died after 37 days of the fasting treatment.
Linda Burfield Hazzard's husband Sam Hazzard
Lewis Ellsworth Rader died while undergoing Hazzard's fasting therapy
Claire was literally at death's door when she finally wised up and managed to sneak out a letter, addressed to her former nurse Margaret Conway in Australia, asking for help. Conway took a ship to America and made her way to Olalla, where she found that Claire had died, and Dora, who now weighed about 60 pounds, was at the edge of death. With some difficulty, Margaret was able to rescue Dora from Hazzard's clutches, and Dora and Margaret became determined to bring Hazzard to justice for killing Claire.
Dora Williamson was skin and bones when she was rescued from Hazzard's sanitarium
Prosecuting Linda was easier said than done for several reasons: Hazzard had devoted advocates who believed in her treatment; Hazzard was a loud assertive woman who intimidated people; and Hazzard seemed to exercise an almost hypnotic power over her patients and people around her.
Linda Burfield Hazzard was a formidable adversary
Moreover, on some level Hazzard REALLY believed in the fasting regimen. She claimed there was a conspiracy against her, insisting that medical school graduates (all men at the time) attacked her because she was a woman with an innovative form of therapy. As a result, Olalla authorities were VERY reluctant to prosecute Hazzard, believing they couldn't win. Even so, Linda was eventually brought to trial.
The man who fought hardest to get Linda prosecuted for murdering Claire Williamson was British Vice-Consul Lucian Agassiz, who was aghast at the murder of a British subject. Agassiz interviewed witnesses; lined up evidence; researched the scandalous history of Hazzard's husband Sam, who was a bigamist and con-man; helped raise funds for the lawsuit; recruited attorneys; wrote letters to various officials, including the governor; and so on. Agassiz also 'followed the money', exposing Linda's greed and thievery.
Linda Burfield Hazzard was arrested and tried for murder
Hazzard was eventually brought to trial, and the affair made headlines across the British Empire. In Olalla, Linda became a kind of bogeyman legend, with horror stories about her 'Starvation Heights' institute circulating for decades.
As the story unfolds we get flashbacks to the history of the major characters, including aspects of Linda's childhood in Minnesota; Linda meeting and marrying suave handsome Sam Hazzard - a West Point graduate whose dishonorable behavior ruined a promising career; the Hazzards relocating to Washington to escape scandal and build their institute; and more.
The most unbelievable and (and terrifying) aspect of the story is Linda's ability to get away with her murderous therapy for so long. After all, Olallans could see emaciated dying patients with their own eyes, and - for whatever reason - elected to look the other way. Moreover, Hazzard fought back against her 'enemies' every step of the way, and was certain she would prevail in the end.
Much has been written about Linda Burfield Hazzard and Starvation Heights but Gregg Olsen's book is an in-depth treatment that's well worth reading.
Thanks to Netgalley, Gregg Olsen, and Thread Books for a copy of the manuscript.
Rating: 4 stars
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