The Sad Case of Rhoda Derry

Rhoda Derry grew up in a well-to-do farming family. She enjoyed a happy, normal childhood until she turned 16 and met a boy who lived on a neighboring farm with his family. The two began a courtship, although his parents did not approve of the relationship.

A Threat Sends Rhoda Off the Deep End

When the boy’s parents learned the two planned to marry a couple of years later, they threatened Rhoda with witchcraft. The boy’s parents believed Rhoda was involved in witchcraft, a tale that dated back to her grandmother, Mary Derry.

Rhoda experienced her first mental breakdown after the threat. Many people believe it was the threat from the boy’s parents combined with her distinct fear of witches that caused the mental breakdown. Soon, Rhoda convinced herself that an evil spirit named “Old Scratch” was haunting her. Her instability grew by the day.

Rhoda Institutionalized

When Rhoda’s behavior worsened, she was sent to the Jacksonville Mental Hospital, deemed incurable and returned home to her parents. Her parents attempted to care for their mentally ill daughter but it became too much. On September 3, 1860, Rhoda was admitted to the Adams County Almshouse. The 25-year-old’s records indicated that she was “blind” and “insane.”

The Almshouse treated Rhoda and other patients inhumanely. For more than four decades, Rhoda endured conditions and treatment unsuitable for an animal, much less a human being.

The Almshouse held 101 inmates, 36 of whom were considered “Insane paupers.” A report from the General Assembly in 1881 indicated the dire straits Rhoda faced at the Almshouse. Rhoda spent her time naked crouched inside a wooden box filled with straw. Her excrement filled the box and mice had built nests beside her .

Rhoda sat inside the wooden box with her knees clutched to her body and covered herself with a canvas cloth and never stopped moving. Rhoda was covered in bruises from head to toe and had gouged out both of her eyes. She punched herself in the mouth, knocking out all of her teeth. She could not speak.

Rhoda maintained this position for so long it caused muscle atrophy and she became unable to move her legs. Her knees nearly touched her chin by the publishing of the 1881 General Assembly report.

Rhoda Sent to Bartonville Asylum

By 1904, Rhoda was sent to Bartonville Asylum in nearby Peoria, IL, where Dr. George A. Zeller practiced. He learned of the decades of inhumane treatment she received at the prior facility and made it his goal to care for the woman. She bathed daily and for the first time in years, slept in a bed. Rhoda thrived for the next two years with help from Dr. Zeller.

On Oct. 9, 1906, the day before her 72nd birthday, Rhoda passed away. She was buried on the grounds of the asylum. Three years later, the asylum became known as the Peoria State Hospital.

Resources & More Case Information:

https://www.hsqac.org/the-unfathomable-case-of-rhoda-derry

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