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| Female Patients on Ward B Weston State Hospital 1924 Source: WV History on View |
A few years ago, a compiled list of outlandish reasons why patients were sent for treatment at the Weston State Hospital (Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) in the 1800s was making its rounds on social media. Many were shocked to see reasons such as 'novel reading,' asthma, and laziness being enough to have someone locked away. Among the causes of insanity listed was 'superstition,' and just recently, I ran across a story that seems to illustrate this example.
In the autumn of 1897, Mary Susan Callahan was at her home on the Charles Miller farm, just outside of Shepherdstown. Nearby, a group of 'gypsies' had set up camp. One day, a gypsy woman approached the Callahan home, asking to come in and tell fortunes. Mrs. Callahan met her at the door and told her to go away. The gypsy woman obliged, but as she was walking away, she suddenly turned around and matter-of-factly told Mrs. Callahan that her husband would be dead within two months.
It's unclear whether this statement was intended to be a curse, a warning, or simply a prediction of future events. Either way, those words uttered by that unknown gypsy woman in 1897 would have dire consequences for Mrs. Callahan, and...depending on what you believe, Mr. Callahan as well. Because, you see...the prediction came true.
About a month later, Thomas Callahan, Jr. would be stricken ill. For over three weeks, he languished with what various news articles reporting on his condition would label as typhoid-pneumonia, pneumonia, or inflammatory bowels. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to recover from his illness(es) and he passed away on Sunday, December 5, 1897 at the age of 47. The obituary listed his cause of death as pneumonia, although for whatever reason, the vital statistics registry has him dying of 'heart disease.'
Thomas was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery with members of the Cliff City Lodge Shield of Honor in attendance. In addition to Mary, Thomas was survived by several siblings, both of his parents, and two sons. But, just as Thomas was unable to recover from his illness, Mary was never able to recover from both the shock of losing her husband and the persistent idea that she was responsible for his death for refusing the gypsy woman entry into the home.
This idea that Thomas' death could have been prevented if only she hadn't turned the woman away ate away at Mary over the next year. She quickly descended into insanity and even became violent and uncontrollable. Things deteriorated to the point where finally, in May of 1899, Mary was sentenced by Justice Moorehead Miller to be admitted to the Weston Asylum.
Whether WE believe that gypsy curses are real and that this one caused the death of a man is a moot point. What's important is that MARY held onto that belief to the point where it drove her mad. It's a horribly sad case and I hope that in her lifetime, Mary was able to realize that Thomas' death was not her fault.
*Did you enjoy this story? If so, you might be interested in my blog, 'Bewitched Man Adjudged Insane.' It seems like Mary wasn't the only person who was committed to a state institution here in West Virginia for holding on to a superstitious belief!*
Also, check out my collection of stories from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum!
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| Shepherdstown Register 25 May 1899 |
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