Alarming Testimony

Elizabeth Packard

Several people who were committed to insane asylums wrote about their experiences. Nellie Bly’s expose as a reporter was shocking, but her stay was temporary and her release secure. Real patients who survived commitments also offered shocking testimony, which made a great impact on the public.

Elizabeth Packard, married to Reverend Theophilus Packard, did not always fall in with her husband’s way of thinking on theology. He decided to have her committed to an insane asylum in Jacksonville, Illinois. After three years he allowed her release, but then decided to confine her to their home. He locked her in a room and nailed the windows shut. Elizabeth managed to drop a letter out the window to a friend, who alerted a judge.

The Packards' Home

Judge Charles R. Starr issued a writ of habeas corpus and then interviewed Elizabeth in his chambers. He allowed her a jury trial to determine her sanity. The prosecution’s testimony centered on Elizabeth’s rebellion against her husband and his doctrine, while her defense showed that she was, nevertheless, a devout Christian. Doctors testified both for and against her, pronouncing her both insane and perfectly rational.

The jury took seven minutes to reach a verdict that Elizabeth Packard was sane.