Sylvia Shults - 44 Years in Darkness: A True Story of Madness, Tragedy, and Shattered Love

By Sylvia Shults

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Digital Edition Copyright 2016 Sylvia Shults

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Sylvia Shults is the author of 44 Years in Darkness, Hunting Demons, Fractured Spirits: Hauntings at the Peoria State Hospital, and Ghosts of the Illinois River. She has spent the past nineteen years working in a library, slowly smuggling words out in her pockets day by day to build a book of her own. She sits in dark, spooky, haunted places so you don't have to. She lives a short, ten-minute motorcycle ride away from the haunted asylum that features in so many of her books. She considers it the highest privilege to share the incredible, compassionate history of the Peoria State Hospital.

After battling an intense, lifelong fear of the dark, Sylvia decided to become a ghost hunter. (What WAS she thinking?) As a paranormal investigator, she has made many media appearances, including a tiny part in the Ghost Hunters episode Prescription for Fear, about the Peoria State Hospital.

Sylvia loves hearing from her readers, especially when they have spooky stories of their own to share with her. She can be found at www.sylviashults.wordpress.com, and on Facebook at the pages for Fractured Spirits and Ghosts of the Illinois River.

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People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.

James A. Baldwin

Mad! What could be half so horrible?

Nellie Bly, Ten Days in a Madhouse

Trees in Winter

W ashington, DC, is hot at the end of June. The sticky heat is just as bad in central Illinois this time of year, though, so hes used to it. Its nothing to get worked up about. Manila was ten times worse in the summer; now hes back home in the United States, so what does he have to complain about?

The Chairman of the Special Committee glances around at the gathered representatives. They are in the House, and the men here are from every state in the Union. Its fitting that the investigation of the Government Hospitals for the Insane is being held in the House of Representatives. Mental illness, too, is well represented in every state in the Union.

The hearings had begun May 4, and they arent expected to wrap up until the middle of December. He is glad he doesnt have to spend the whole time here. He is already eager to get back to the business of running his asylum.

The date is June 27, 1906, the chairman says for the benefit of the secretary. Will you please state your name for the record?

Doctor George Anthony Zeller.

And what is your position, Dr. Zeller?

Im the superintendent of the Illinois Hospital for the Incurable Insane. Dr. Zeller shifts on the hard chair. He really needs to do something about that name. It irks him endlessly, that Incurable in the institutions title. No patient is incurable. Desperate, yes. Wretched, perhaps. In need of help, most certainly. But never incurable. Hes thought of trying to change the name of the asylum to something a little more innocuous, a little less judgmental. Maybe something simply geographical, like

Can you tell us where your asylum is located, Dr.Zeller?

Its in Bartonville, Illinois, right on the Illinois River. Its close to the middle of the state, five miles south of Peoria, on the same side of the river. Its 175 miles south and west of Chicago. He likes that accuracy not about 200 miles. One hundred and seventy miles from Chicago to Peoria, then another five to Bartonville.

Peoria thats the closest big town, much larger than Bartonville. Maybe he could get the name changed to Peoria State Hospital. That might lessen the stigma that that infernal word incurable always dredges up.

The chairman is talking again, and Dr. Zeller brings his attention back from his asylum, hundreds of miles away in Illinois. He must make a good impression on these Washington bigwigs. Its certain that President Roosevelt Teddy will be looking over this report when the investigation wraps up in December. And why not? He and Theodore are kindred spirits. They both care for their fellow human beings on this journey through life. They both have a special place in their heart for children. Dr. Zeller spent a couple of years in the Philippines helping children, and Roosevelt will soon be named president of the American School Hygiene Association.

The institution having recently been built, I suppose you have the very newest appliances that are known to science in the care of the insane?

Yes, sir.

Science in the care of the insane, like everything else, is advancing, is it not? The chairmans smile is patronizing.

That is the idea, sir, Dr. Zeller replies. In the conduct of our institution we look forward entirely. We had no tradition to govern us, and consequently we took up what we thought was new.

Have you any pay patients there?

Dr. Zeller straightens even further in his seat. I never have accepted pay from any patient since the institution has been going. There is a provision in the Illinois law which allows voluntary pay to the State, but no one ever thinks of offering the State pay for any patient in any State institution, nor would we accept it.

What is the cost per capita?

One hundred and thirty dollars a year net. That includes the entire maintenance of the patients, except for clothing. I think our clothing bill for the past year of nine dollars per capita was rather low, but we contributed to that economy by making a great many of those.