Episode 695: Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 1)

Summary

Morbid: Episode 695 - Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 1) Summary

Release Date: August 4, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 695 of Morbid, titled "Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 1)," hosts Alayna and Ash delve into the chilling true story of Dr. Linda Hazzard and her notorious fasting clinic, Starvation Heights. This episode explores the life of a woman whose quest for innovative health treatments led to one of the most horrifying chapters in medical history.

Early Life and Influences (00:00 - 09:00)

Linda Laura Burfield, born on December 18, 1867, in Carver, Minnesota, was the eldest of seven children. Her upbringing in Star Lake Township under the guidance of vegetarian parents, Susanna and Montgomery Burfield, profoundly influenced her future. Montgomery, a former Civil War corporal, believed firmly in the capabilities of the local county doctor, whose dubious medical practices left the Burfield children in chronic poor health due to ineffective and harmful treatments like mercury-laden "blue mass pills." Linda later reflected, "I now know what... this powerful boys poison did irreparable injury to my intestines" (12:10).

Marriage and Personal Struggles (09:00 - 17:00)

At 18, Linda was married to Irwin Perry, a man 14 years her senior. The marriage was tragically short-lived, primarily due to the sudden death of Linda's father, Montgomery, in a logging accident shortly after their union. This loss plunged Linda into deep depression, undermining her marriage and her ability to focus on her family. By 1898, Linda filed for divorce, alleging abandonment by Irwin, though Greg Olson, author of Starvation Heights, suggests the abandonment narrative was possibly fabricated by Linda herself to pursue her ambitions.

Discovery of Fasting and Medical Aspirations (17:00 - 23:00)

Post-divorce, Linda pursued a career as a fasting specialist, influenced by literature such as Dr. Edward Dewey's Gospel of Health. She adopted Dewey's extreme fasting methods, including the controversial use of enemas, which she termed "internal baths." Linda's divergence from Dewey's teachings, such as her insistence on aggressive enemas, highlighted her unique yet dangerous approach to health. By 1903, Linda had rebranded herself as Dr. Linda Burfield, leveraging a legal loophole in Washington state to practice alternative medicine without formal medical credentials.

Marriage to Sam Hazard and Legal Troubles (23:00 - 35:00)

Linda married Sam Hazard in November 1903 under suspicious circumstances. Sam, already married to Viva Fitzpatrick, engaged in bigamy, which eventually led to his arrest and conviction for the crime. Linda aggressively defended Sam, even attempting to discredit Viva through legal manipulations and personal antagonism. Quotes from the episode illustrate Linda's ruthless tactics: "We are naming the drinks. I won't tell you what the drinks are named yet because that'll be, like, a fun surprise" (05:35) and "You're a cunt" (52:08). Despite Linda's efforts, Sam was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for bigamy, further tarnishing Linda's reputation and highlighting her manipulative nature.

Establishment of Wilderness Heights and Rising Controversy (35:00 - 47:00)

After relocating to Seattle in 1906, Linda established Wilderness Heights, also known ominously as Starvation Heights. Her clinic promoted strict fasting regimes, where patients were allowed minimal food intake for extended periods, often supplemented with enemas and aggressive physical treatments. The episode recounts the tragic death of Lenora Wilcox in 1907, who starved to death under Linda's care, sparking public outcry and increased scrutiny. Despite growing criticisms, Linda faced minimal legal repercussions, receiving only a $50 fine for practicing medicine without a license in 1908.

Notable Patient Cases and Increased Scrutiny (47:00 - 56:00)

The deaths of patients like Blanche Tindall in 1909, a pregnant woman who starved to death, intensified public concern. Tindall's death was officially attributed to toxemia and pregnancy, a claim Linda vehemently contested by declaring it due to "organic imperfection" (52:05). Additionally, Viola Heaton's case, where her husband filed for manslaughter after she died under Linda's treatment, further exposed the dangers of Linda's practices. These incidents highlighted the lethal consequences of Linda's fasting methods and the failure of early 20th-century regulations to protect vulnerable individuals from medical malpractice.

Conclusion and Teaser for Part 2 (56:00 - End)

As the episode concludes, Alayna and Ash reflect on Linda Hazzard's relentless pursuit of her misguided medical ideals, which led to numerous deaths and legal battles. The hosts hint at deeper investigations into Linda's manipulative control over her patients and the dark legacy of Starvation Heights, setting the stage for Part 2 of the story.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "I now know what... this powerful boys poison did irreparable injury to my intestines" (12:10) – Linda Hazzard
• "You won't do it. Challenge accepted." (04:34) – Alayna discussing her upcoming book event
• "You're a cunt." (52:08) – Linda Hazzard in response to death certificate accusations

Key Takeaways

• Manipulative Leadership: Linda Hazzard's control over her patients and aggressive defense of her husband highlight her manipulative nature.

• Lack of Regulation: The early 1900s saw insufficient laws to curb medical malpractice, allowing individuals like Linda to operate lethal clinics with minimal oversight.

• Tragic Consequences: The stringent fasting methods led to multiple deaths, underscoring the dangers of unregulated alternative medicine practices.

Looking Forward

The episode sets the foundation for exploring the full extent of Linda Hazzard's atrocities and the eventual downfall of Starvation Heights in the upcoming Part 2. Listeners can anticipate a deeper dive into the legal battles, personal vendettas, and the societal impact of Linda's actions.

Final Thoughts

Episode 695 of Morbid offers a harrowing glimpse into the life of Dr. Linda Hazzard and her deadly health practices. Through detailed research and engaging storytelling, Alayna and Ash shed light on a dark period where desperate individuals fell victim to harmful medical practices under the guise of revolutionary treatments.

Listen to Morbid on the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify to uncover the full story of Linda Hazzard and the tragic legacy of Starvation Heights.

Transcript

[Alayna]

Hey weirdos. Alayna here. If you're looking to kick back and relax with Morbid, Wondery is the way to go. It's like having a cozy seat in our haunted mansion. No ads, just you and early access to new episodes. You can join Wondery in the Wondery app or in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You're listening to a morbid network podcast.

[Ash]

Listening on Audible helps your imagination soar. Whether you listen to stories, motivation, expert advice, any genre you love, you can be inspired to imagine new worlds, new possibilities, and new ways of thinking. Listening can lead to positive changes in your mood, your habits, and ultimately your overall well being. Audible has an incredible selection of over 1 million audiobooks, podcasts and Audible originals all in one easy app. Find the genres you love and discover new ones. Explore bestsellers like my sister's title, new releases, plus thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts and originals that members can listen to all they want with more added all the time. I have been listening to the Martha's Vineyard beach and Book Club, which actually Elena recommended to me. She did not listen to it, but she said girl, this title sounds so you. And let me tell you, it did. I've been listening to it while I walk and I am absolutely loving it. I love all the different narrators. I love Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30 day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.commorbid they say that time waits for no one. Neither should Payday to keep your money moving in the direction of your dreams. Get Earnin' with what is Earn In? You ask honey. Earnin is an app that lets you access your pay as you earn it up to $150 a day with a max of $750 between paydays. Earnin is the app that is helping millions of Americans take charge of their pay and avoid falling into debt traps. Earn In's mission is to make financial momentum accessible to everyone. It's your money, so put it in your own hands with Earnin. I just feel like Earnin is good for so many things. Like, you know, every now and again you get in your car and you say, oh wow, who knew that I was on empty? I should have known that, but I didn't. And then you look at your bank account and you're like oh crap, I haven't been paid yet. Well, you'll never run into that problem if you have Earn in. An unexpected trip to the vet will not ruin your day cuz you'll have the money to pay for it. Download Earnin today, spelled E, A, R N I N in the Google Play or Apple App Store. When you download the Earn an app, type in Morbid under Podcast when you sign up. It will really help the show. Morbid under Podcast. Earn in is a financial technology technology company, not a bank. Access limits are based on your earnings and risk factors. Standard cash outs take one to two business days with no mandatory fees. Expedited transfers available for a fee. Tips are voluntary and don't affect the service. Available in select states. Terms and restrictions apply. Visit Earnin.com for full details. Download Earnin now and take control of your pay. Hey, weirdos. I'm Ash.

[Alayna]

And I'm Elena.

[Ash]

And this is Morbid.

[Alayna]

Whoa. That sounded a little like the mini Morbid.

[Ash]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Alayna]

It did.

[Ash]

Sort of. It sure did.

[Alayna]

I know. That was like a throwback.

[Ash]

I know. Sometimes I want to sing that song and sometimes I don't.

[Alayna]

Maybe someday you will.

[Ash]

Maybe again. I don't know.

[Alayna]

Maybe. Who knows? Not me. Who can be sure? Not you, you know?

[Ash]

No one. It's so fucking hot.

[Alayna]

It is. It's hot. I hate summer. You know.

[Ash]

It's a cruel.

[Alayna]

It's the same old feeling for me. Ready for fall? I know, but there are some. There's a lot of exciting things happening.

[Ash]

Tell us.

[Alayna]

Monday is the Ghost concert in Boston. Ooh, super excited about that.

[Ash]

I'm excited for you.

[Alayna]

Very excited to go.

[Ash]

I can't wait to hear how it was.

[Alayna]

Ooh, I can't wa. I like to excited and we.

[Ash]

You should do that there.

[Alayna]

I'm gonna do that. Do it.

[Ash]

You won't do it.

[Alayna]

You won't. Challenge accepted. I am doing a book event at unlikely stories August 13th at 7pm we're gonna be posting a link. I'll be posting one on my Instagram. We'll post it on Morbids. I think Xando will probably put it on theirs. Unlikely story will have it up. All that good stuff.

[Ash]

Maybe I'll put it up.

[Alayna]

Maybe Ash. Cause Ash is back on Instagram so she can put it up. I know. I was gonna say who knows how long for now, but she's there so maybe she'll post it and you can get tickets and bring your book. I'm doing a live signing this time, not signing ahead of time. So I'll be doing like a little signing line afterwards. Can't wait to meet you guys. Hey. Very excited about it. Very excite about it.

[Ash]

Is what I said.

[Alayna]

And excited. I know how to Speak. We all.

[Ash]

I mean, we do it professionally.

[Alayna]

We have some really fun stuff with this one, too.

[Ash]

Yeah. We actually had a meeting about it.

[Alayna]

Today, so we're going to be doing fun drinks at this one that are themed. And before. Because before it's like, oh, that doesn't really apply to me or something.

[Ash]

Listen, there's something for everybody.

[Alayna]

You've hit everyone. We're doing a themed coffee drink. We're doing a themed mocktail, and we're doing a themed cocktail.

[Ash]

And if you don't like that, you can have a themed water.

[Alayna]

Exactly. Whatever your persuasion, you will have something that you can drink. It's gonna be really fun. And they're gonna be themed for Detective LaRue, for Jeremy Rose, and for my girl, Dr. Rem Mulla.

[Ash]

And there's actually no themed water. I lied.

[Alayna]

There isn't. But there's water that we can. We'll name the water. Okay.

[Ash]

We'll come up with a name. All together there.

[Alayna]

We're naming the drinks. I won't tell you what the drinks are named yet because that'll be, like, a fun surprise. That will. Who knows? It'll probably be released by the time this comes out. But I don't know who really knows me. We'll know soon.

[Ash]

But it was fun to come up with them.

[Alayna]

It was very fun to come up with them. And I think you guys are going to have a lot of fun with them. I'm very excited. They're very yummy drinks. Unlikely Story is awesome.

[Ash]

We just love it there. The amount of books we bought there today was ungodly.

[Alayna]

Yeah, I can't stop, you know, shop your local bookstores.

[Ash]

I was just gonna say that.

[Alayna]

They're awesome. We've been saying indie booksellers are the best. Local bookstores are so good. We love them. They're just iconic. But, yeah, so. So come to that. That'll be fun. What else do we got going on? Oh, fun, Fun game thing that just happened.

[Ash]

We got sent Sam and Colby's new collab with Hunt a Killer. It's called the Haunting at Wicker Ridge.

[Alayna]

We're very excited. We're already coming up with a game plan to play it with Dave and Mikey at Mikey's house for our next movie night. We're gonna make it a game night now.

[Ash]

So excited.

[Alayna]

It's. I'm. I love Hunt of Color. Shit. This is, like, not an ad, by the way, guys. No, we just literally are excited about this. Like, I'm holding it right now. And we got excited about it.

[Ash]

There's a planchette on it. Right.

[Alayna]

There's a fucking planchette included in it, I think. Like, it looks like on the back. I'm excited. It looks like there's a lot of, like, mysticism and shit in it. I'm just excited about this. I love a good hunt. A killer game. I want a hunt. A killer game.

[Ash]

I want a hunt. A killer game, too.

[Alayna]

We should have a morbid hunt. A killer game.

[Ash]

They were one of our first sponsors, I think, actually. They were our first sponsors.

[Alayna]

Yeah. They've always been a supporter and we. And I've always supported them. I loved them from the beginning when they. When it was just the black plain boxes that you would get full of.

[Ash]

Yeah. I remember when you were.

[Alayna]

And I loved them. So. Yeah. I want a morbid hunt, A killer game.

[Ash]

Put it out to the universe.

[Alayna]

Putting it out into the universe. Manifestation. But yeah, pick it up. The Sam and Colby one. It's the haunting at Wicker Ridge. Sam and Colby are lovely humans. We love them.

[Ash]

I hope to see them soon. Hopefully we get to see manifest that too.

[Alayna]

Yeah, we'll throw it out there.

[Ash]

What if I laughed like that? I definitely don't laugh like that, so don't tell me that.

[Alayna]

I do.

[Ash]

Whenever I say, oh, what if I laughed like that? Everybody's always like, ash, you do laugh like that. That I don't laugh like. And I know it.

[Alayna]

Okay.

[Ash]

I know it. Don't tell me that. All right, let's get into it.

[Alayna]

I have a toupada. A toupada.

[Ash]

And it's brutal.

[Alayna]

Oh.

[Ash]

But in a different manner that I think we've really covered before.

[Alayna]

Okay.

[Ash]

It's definitely morbid. Yeah, definitely morbid, but definitely true crime. Super true crime. Yep. Convictions happen.

[Alayna]

This is not spooky. This is true crime.

[Ash]

It's a little spooky. Spooky, but not in the paranormal way. No, but. No. It's a very, very awful case. And I can't believe I had never heard of it before.

[Alayna]

I have heard of this one. I do not know, like, the detailed details of it you're about to. Which I know I say sometimes, but it's true. I see a lot of cases. I just don't look into them deeply.

[Ash]

It's pretty fair to say things that are true. Yeah, it's fair to say things in general.

[Alayna]

It's just fair.

[Ash]

It's just fair. So let's get into it. We're going to be talking about Linda Hazard, what was known as Starvation Heights.

[Alayna]

Which is one of the most horrifying names. It tells you everything you need to know.

[Ash]

Yeah, and that's a nickname, by the way. So who the was Linda has.

[Alayna]

Who the was she?

[Ash]

Well, first, before she was Linda Hazard, she was Linda Laura Burfield. And she was born December 18, 1867, in Carver, Minnesota. Hate to break it to you. She's a Capricorn.

[Alayna]

Yeah. That's not crazy.

[Ash]

I think she is. Right. Hold on. Oh, she's a Sagittarius. Which actually, like.

[Alayna]

She's not a Capricorn.

[Ash]

I'm not gonna say it makes sense, but, you know.

[Alayna]

But she's not a Capricorn.

[Ash]

She's not a Capricorn. That's important.

[Alayna]

That's all that matters.

[Ash]

Anyways, she was the oldest of seven children born to Susanna and Montgomery Barfield.

[Alayna]

Susanna and Montgomery.

[Ash]

You can't say Montgomery any other way.

[Alayna]

No.

[Ash]

Montgomery had been a corporal in the Civil War, and when the war ended, he and his wife moved west and started a life of homesteading in Star Lake Township.

[Alayna]

Oh, that sounds beautiful.

[Ash]

I know. From the moment that she could walk and talk, Linda was super curious. She was super outgoing. She was a very happy child. She was much more interested in nature than she was playing dolls or whatever else little girls did in the 1800s.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Her parents had been vegetarian for years, so she ate a vegetarian diet as well. But beyond being simply vegetarians, Montgomery and Susanna Burfield held very particular views on health and diet and exercise that. Remember, kids are like little sponges.

[Alayna]

Oh. They take in everything.

[Ash]

So this would all have a pretty profound influence on Linda's future.

[Alayna]

Oh.

[Ash]

Looking back, she traced her eventual interest in natural therapies to her childhood and in particular to the family doctor, who she said would visit. Visit the family to provide annual checkups. She said no one was sick, but he had brought the idea that the medical men of the day could ward off potential problems with their black bag of tricks. Okay, so it's like, you don't necessarily need to see a doctor if you're not sick with something.

[Alayna]

Like, you want annual checkup. Totally do that, in fact.

[Ash]

Yes, absolutely. That's very important. Good all year, but, like, you'll see what I mean in a second. So Linda's father, in particular, held a firm belief in the abilities of the county doctor and his strange approach to medicine that, according to Linda, yielded absolutely nothing but terrible, terrible results. During one visit, the doctor insisted that the kids had some kind of intestinal parasite, and he prescribed a, quote, blue mass pill for all of them, which is a very outdated cure. All that contained, among other things, mercury. Like a high level of mercury.

[Alayna]

I don't see the problem here. Yeah.

[Ash]

As a result of taking the pills, multiple kids in the family started having. This is kind of gross. Sorry. Frequent and very severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea that at the time weren't immediately connected to the pills. So the cycle just kind of repeated itself over and over again. Because he thinks this pill is some kind of cure all. So he's like, oh, keep taking it. Eventually you'll stop yakkin and shitting.

[Alayna]

And it's like, no, but if we're still puking and shitting, it's obviously not curing all. Like, there's obviously a problem here. Yeah.

[Ash]

Linda wrote, and this is a quote, I now know what. Of course, I could not then suspect that this powerful boys poison did irreparable injury to my intestines, retarding and preventing their development growth to such a degree that even to this day I am compelled to resort to the enema daily.

[Alayna]

A daily enema.

[Ash]

A daily enema is diabolical.

[Alayna]

A once in a lifetime enema is diabolical.

[Ash]

Thank the Lorts. I've talked about many of a stomach issue on this podcast. I've never had to have an enema daily. I can't imagine. Again, I can't imagine ever having an enema. No, daily.

[Alayna]

No. No. That's bad. That's really bad. Ow.

[Ash]

So after the family's treatment from the local doctor, Linda and her siblings all really sadly spent years in poor health. They all had chronic stomach problems, an inability to keep most food down, and because of that, they ended up losing teeth and hair from malnourishment.

[Alayna]

Holy.

[Ash]

Yeah, very intense. At the same time, Linda, or I should really say Linda's parents were looking for a suitable man to marry Linda off to when she turned 18.

[Alayna]

Because the 1800s of it all.

[Ash]

Yes, of course. That man turned out to be Irwin Perry, the son of a well off farmer who was 14 years older than her.

[Alayna]

Very 1800s.

[Ash]

Later, Linda said she didn't really have the heart for their relationship because she was pretty much just solely focused on finding the real cure for what was ailing her, her siblings and many other people like her.

[Alayna]

Yeah, well.

[Ash]

But it's also possible that whatever potential their marriage had was almost completely undermined by the death of Linda's father just one month after the marriage. I'll say it for real this time. Montgomery had been taking an order of logs to the local mill when the strap holding them together broke. And in all the chaos. He was dragged under the mass of logs and crushed to death.

[Alayna]

Holy shit.

[Ash]

That is the most 1800s way to die.

[Alayna]

It really is.

[Ash]

Like, I'm not even saying that to be funny.

[Alayna]

No, it literally is. I can't think of a much more.

[Ash]

1800S way to die or Final Destination way to die.

[Alayna]

Awful. Holy shit. Yeah.

[Ash]

And this is really sad. A lot of times the grief of losing her father left Linda just straight up depressed. She couldn't get out of bed. She wasn't really focused on anything.

[Alayna]

Cause you lost your father. But to lose him in that way too must be just.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alayna]

Because you think that's a brutal way for someone to die.

[Ash]

And she's young, which means her father probably wasn't that old, you know, so it consumed any kind of bandwidth that maybe she would have had to focus on her new marriage. As far as Linda was concerned, Montgomery, her father, was the ideal man and husband. And nobody was ever going to live up to that standard. Definitely not Irwin or any of the men that she was with later in her life.

[Alayna]

I mean, have high standards girl. Yeah.

[Ash]

But still, she did her best to settle into married life. In 1889, she gave birth to their first child, a son they named. I think it's Roland or. Yeah, I think it's. It could be Rollin, but I like Roland with the homies better.

[Alayna]

Yeah, I like that.

[Ash]

Yeah. They also had a daughter named Nina who came along two years later. Sadly, Nina wasn't a big part of her mother's life. Author of Starvation Heights, Greg Olson, who we've talked about before.

[Alayna]

Yep.

[Ash]

Wrote as far as most o' lans were are concerned, Nina Floyd Perry was non existent. No one had ever seen her. And years later, only one out of all the old timers could recall Dr. Hazard talking about a daughter.

[Alayna]

What the.

[Ash]

In fact, by all accounts, Linda, who would become known as Dr. Hazard and her daughter never had much of a relationship at all. And when Linda died, all she left Nina in her will was $1.

[Alayna]

That is like what the.

[Ash]

It was like. Obviously some happened there.

[Alayna]

And it sounds like though, that. Like she never had a thing. Like she never talked about this child. Yeah.

[Ash]

Never talked about it or anything.

[Alayna]

So it's like what could have child have done to deserve that? Kind of.

[Ash]

Yeah, there was.

[Alayna]

I put that on her.

[Ash]

Oh, that's on her completely.

[Alayna]

Oh, no, I know you were. Yeah. I just mean like, what the.

[Ash]

Yeah, a dollar.

[Alayna]

Like a dollar.

[Ash]

That's being a dick for.

[Alayna]

That's being a complete dick.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alayna]

Like what?

[Ash]

But apparently she was much closer to her son. According to Greg Olson, nobody actually really knows what happened to end Linda and Irwin's marriage, which eventually did end. But in April 1898, she filed divorce papers claiming that her husband had abandoned her and the children. And without many, she. He left them without any means of support, and she hadn't heard a word from him since.

[Alayna]

Damn. Irwin.

[Ash]

I know. Well, it took some time, but in 1902, the court did agree to dissolve the marriage, and they allowed Linda to return to using her maiden name rather than, you know, using the man. Man's last name who abandoned her.

[Alayna]

Yeah, I get that.

[Ash]

Once the divorce was finalized, Linda made arrangements for her children to live with her mother in Star Lake.

[Alayna]

Oh.

[Ash]

And now, free of her familial obligations, she was finally able to turn her attention back to what she always wanted to pursue a career as a fasting specialist. Greg Olson wrote that Linda just couldn't be bothered by motherhood and that she, quote, rationalized her decision. She would become a healing authority such as the world ever known.

[Alayna]

Wow. Yeah.

[Ash]

So to those who knew her best, her story about Irwin abandoning her without any kind of notice never felt quite right. No one could really say where Irwin had gone off to, but people suspected that it was really Linda who had abandoned him and not the other way around. People who knew her best all remembered that what she was solely focused on was her desire to get rid of her husband and her family, because she felt like they were basically preventing her from becoming the woman she knew she was destined to become.

[Alayna]

Damn. Yeah.

[Ash]

She was what she herself referred to as a, quote, woman with a greater purpose, and she would not deny the world the innovations in health care she knew existed in her mind.

[Alayna]

I wish she would have. I wish she would have denied the world that retweet. Yeah.

[Ash]

According to Linda, she discovered the miraculous healing powers of fasting in 1898, when she was looking for relief from the stomach problems that had plagued her for most of her life. I want to just say this. I. I'm not, like, against fasting, like, intermittent fasting or anything like that. Like, healthy. Like, I'm not, like, making a stance on fasting at all. So, like, don't come at me for that. This is not fasting.

[Alayna]

Yeah. What she's doing is not the fasting that they like.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alayna]

That people do now.

[Ash]

If you want to fast, by all means.

[Alayna]

We're not thinking about it.

[Ash]

I don't care. Do your thing like you're an adult. You can do what you want to do. So, like, Please don't come at me. Yeah, this is not fasting.

[Alayna]

Yeah, this. This method is not.

[Ash]

Okay, just to be clear, if you'.

[Alayna]

This, it won't end well.

[Ash]

I'm not going after, like the intermittent fasting or anything like that. Whatever, you know, this is different. Yeah, I just wanted to get.

[Alayna]

This is.

[Ash]

Just wanted to get that out of the way.

[Alayna]

Good call. That's why I was about to be like. I'm not saying that's the thing.

[Ash]

This just isn't fasting.

[Alayna]

No, it's not.

[Ash]

This is cruel and unusual.

[Alayna]

That's why it's on morbid. It's being told as a true crime story.

[Ash]

Exactly.

[Alayna]

Like it's not good if it's being told as part of a true crime story. No.

[Ash]

So she's. She said she discovered the healing powers of fasting in 1898. Blah, blah, blah. It's possible that she did discover it back then, but it's also more likely that she probably came across the practice in the early 1900s while she was studying osteopathy while trying to get a nursing job. Around that time, Linda came across the Gospel of Health, a book by Dr. Edward Dewey, who at the time was a very vocal proponent of using fasting as a cure for various ailments across the board. According to his book, he discovered the supposed miracle cure while he was treating a patient for typhus in 1877. He said that the patient hadn't responded to any kind of traditional treatment. So as a last resort, he turned to fasting as a treatment. And he said that just a little over a month later, the patient was fully cured of a disease that would have killed them.

[Alayna]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Ash]

Yeah, I'm sure there was probably other things involved anyway. The Gospel of Health, as well as another one of Dewey's books, the no Breakfast Plan. In my opinion, breakfast is the most important thing.

[Alayna]

The Always Breakfast Plan.

[Ash]

I love breakfast. Eating breakfast has changed my life.

[Alayna]

I love breakfast.

[Ash]

Eating breakfast has changed my life.

[Alayna]

You can do whatever the you want.

[Ash]

Again, that's for me.

[Alayna]

That's.

[Ash]

I don't care what you do.

[Alayna]

Breakfast rules.

[Ash]

You don't want to eat breakfast. Don't.

[Alayna]

I also grew up with a dad who makes bomb breakfast.

[Ash]

Yeah. So my grandpa Elena's dad worked as a cook back in the Navy in the submarine service, and that learned how to make a French toast, a hash brown, a fucking scramble like no other.

[Alayna]

When he says, I'll make you a little breakfast, are you all I say, oh, my. I don't care what time of the day. It is. I'm like, let's go, girls. He makes so good.

[Ash]

Bomb breakfast for life. His hash browns.

[Alayna]

Oh, that. Nothing beats them. Nothing. Oh, my God. That I will take a stance on. Nobody beats those. No one.

[Ash]

I'll fight you. So the no breakfast plan essentially became the healthcare bible and that other book, too. Both the healthcare bible for Linda. And she reached out to Dewey, expressing her support and making a pitch for herself as the ideal candidate to continue on his work. Her appeal to his vanity worked, and he accepted Linda as an apprentice. And their relationship was probably one of the most important relationships she had in her life.

[Alayna]

Damn.

[Ash]

But they didn't always see eye to eye on treatment plans. For example, when it came to the treatment for chronic stomach problems, Linda insisted that, quote, the internal bathroom, AKA the enema, was the best name for that. The internal bath goes crazy.

[Alayna]

That goes bonkers.

[Ash]

Internal bath is out of this world.

[Alayna]

I love that. She's just like, enemas.

[Ash]

The internal bath.

[Alayna]

Ever heard of them? Internal bath.

[Ash]

This is like, dying words are probably internal bath.

[Alayna]

Enemas rock.

[Ash]

I love enemas. She said. Anyway, she insisted it was a, quote, necessary hygienic accessory of the fast. Oh, like, if you're fasting, what the do you have to enema?

[Alayna]

I was gonna say. What are you. You're not. There's nothing in there.

[Ash]

I don't even really understand, like, the whole concept of enemas. It's. It's really just to flush things out.

[Alayna]

Correct. I think. Yeah. And it's just. It's the internal bath, you know?

[Ash]

Anyway, so she was all about that life. Dewey, on the other hand, strongly disagreed, and he told his patients, quote, the bowel should be allowed to function naturally.

[Alayna]

I mean, I gotta say, that sounds like the better score.

[Ash]

He didn't have a lot of great ideas when it comes to no breakfast. But I'm with this man, that the bowel should be allowed to function naturally.

[Alayna]

Although sometimes they don't. Which I understand, sometimes IBS is. Is a thing. Yeah.

[Ash]

Hot girls, you know, we know the.

[Alayna]

Hot girls have ibs.

[Ash]

So by. I have a shirt that says that by 1903, Linda, nurse assistant, had refashioned herself as Dr. Linda Burfield, even though she had literally not a medical degree to be found.

[Alayna]

Hate this already.

[Ash]

Yeah, but. And this is similar to the story that I told with the Crescent Hotel about Dr. Norman Baker. Oh, man. Because of a loophole in Washington state laws at this time, Linda was approved to practice medicine as a practitioner of alternative medicine. So that's how she got that doctor in there. And soon she was promoting her belief that her method of strict fasting was a revolutionary cure all for any and all medical ailments.

[Alayna]

That's not correct.

[Ash]

I'm like, maybe if you have like, worms. Otherwise, I don't think so.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

So while she was establishing her medical practice in Washington, she started seeing a man's named Sam Hazard.

[Alayna]

That's a cool last name.

[Ash]

It is. And it becomes her last name.

[Alayna]

Not for a doctor.

[Ash]

I would never go. You could be the most acclaimed doctor in the world.

[Alayna]

Your last name is Hazard.

[Ash]

Dr. Hazard.

[Alayna]

It's a no for me.

[Ash]

There used to be a dentist named Dr. Payne when I was little. And I was like, no, I'm not going there. And then my mom was like, there.

[Alayna]

You have to go there, you have to go there.

[Ash]

So, yeah, she started seeing this guy, Sam hazard. And by November 11, 1903, they had known each other long enough to get married. And they were married in a small ceremony that took place in her medical office in Minneapolis. She took this medical seriously? Kinda.

[Alayna]

Kinda.

[Ash]

Then though, to Linda's confusion, her husband of only a few hours disappeared on their wedding night.

[Alayna]

Huh? Yeah.

[Ash]

What Linda didn't know at the time and would go on to deny until the day that she died was that her new husband already had a wife, Viva Fitzpatrick.

[Alayna]

Ah.

[Ash]

Yeah. And the two had a home in Iowa. So Sam went on to spend the next four days in Iowa with Viva before finally returning to Minnesota to be with his other wife, Linda.

[Alayna]

Huh.

[Ash]

I bet you didn't see that coming.

[Alayna]

I did not.

[Ash]

We were talking about fast, and now we're talking about philanderin. See what I did there?

[Alayna]

I see what you did.

[Ash]

So he marries Linda in Minneapolis. Then he goes to Iowa to be with Viva for some unknown reason. Then he goes back to Minnesota. And then a few days later, he goes back to Iowa again. This time to tell Viva she's not his wife in any biblical or legal sense, only in common law.

[Alayna]

What the.

[Ash]

He said, viva, you are not the wife.

[Alayna]

Viva, you're gone.

[Ash]

Viva dead. So he offered her no other explanation other than to tell her he was in fact married to Dr. Linda Burfield.

[Alayna]

Wow.

[Ash]

And with that, he quit his job in Iowa and went back to Minnesota to be with his new Brad. Linda.

[Alayna]

Wow.

[Ash]

A little bit about.

[Alayna]

A little bit about this guy, A.

[Ash]

Little bit about Sam for you. Sam Hazard had always been and would always be known as a con man.

[Alayna]

Cool.

[Ash]

He was actually like a pretty smart guy. Smart enough that he would have been able to make his way in any kind of industry. He really wanted to. To, but he really didn't like to work, and he just kind of drifted from one place to another.

[Alayna]

Okay.

[Ash]

And when he walked out of his and Viva's apartment after telling her that she wasn't his wife anymore, he probably assumed that would be the last time he ever saw her. But he didn't consider that. Regardless of what he said about common law, Viva had absolutely no intention of being cast aside for some new in Minnesota.

[Alayna]

No way.

[Ash]

And for the first time in his life, Sam Hazard was about to face some consequences.

[Alayna]

Good.

[Ash]

He also fucked over the wrong girl because Viva's father, Senator Joseph Fitzpatrick.

[Alayna]

Oh.

[Ash]

Used his influence to pull some strings, and he convinced the Hennepin county district attorney to file charges against Sam for bigamy. So by Thanksgiving that year, Sam found himself standing before a judge in a packed courtroom.

[Alayna]

Damn.

[Ash]

He had a lawyer to assist in his case. But it ended up being Dr. Linda who did most of the research and legal work. Not only was she there to provide moral support for her husband, but she also spent a ton of time interviewing witnesses and trying to track down documentation to refute Viva's claims.

[Alayna]

That seems like a conflict of interest.

[Ash]

You would think a little bit. You would think. According to Greg Olson, this wasn't just a matter of getting her new husband out of. Out of a legal jam. He wrote Dr. Hazard wanted viva indicted for perjury.

[Alayna]

Whoa.

[Ash]

So she got like, a vendetta?

[Alayna]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ash]

Throughout the trial, Sam's attorney, George Leonard, spent a lot of his time just vilifying and slandering Viva as a woman of dubious moral character. That's a quote.

[Alayna]

Honestly, wear it as a badge of honor. Viva, I love it. Especially this dude saying it.

[Ash]

I'm obsessed. A woman of dubious moral character. He said she was attempting to trap an honest man in an illegitimate marriage. I'm like, yeah, he's honest.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

For Viva's family, who obviously was a pretty prominent family, the accusations being made against her were not only slanderous, they were outrageous.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

And they understood that while it was Sam's lawyer making the comments, it was very clearly Linda who fabricated the entire defense. It seemed like while Viva may not have been able to find direct evidence of a formal marriage, Linda had gone out of her way to fabricate evidence of a long standing relationship between Sam and herself, which only undermined Viva's claims. In the end, all of Linda's scheming proved to be for nothing. Though the prosecutor proved himself to Be more than adept. And Viva, the wronged woman, was a very sympathetic victim.

[Alayna]

The jury.

[Ash]

And digging through Sam Hazard's past, the District attorney uncovered a criminal history that included convictions and sentences for burglary, robbery, among other things that made Sam much less sympathetic to the jury. And to make matters worse, after he was released from jail on one of the robbery convictions, he racked up a huge number of debts in Tacoma and just skipped town without paying them.

[Alayna]

So he's just a butt. Yeah.

[Ash]

And they just keep finding, like, evidence after evidence, fact after fact. That makes him look like a. The shipback he is.

[Alayna]

Yeah. They're just like, look. Yeah.

[Ash]

So the jury was like, what the.

[Alayna]

It kind of sounds like you're an.

[Ash]

Yeah. But in the end, it was one of Linda's schemes that was his undoing.

[Alayna]

Nice.

[Ash]

And her attempts to protect her husband and slander Viva. Linda sent telegrams to Sam's first wife, Agnes Hadley, in New York. Apparently, when Sam married Viva, he was still married to Agnes Hadley.

[Alayna]

Oh, no.

[Ash]

This motherfucker is making bigamy his job of choice.

[Alayna]

His full time job.

[Ash]

Literally. Completely aware of this fact, though, Linda or somebody writing on her behalf, I'm pretty sure it was Linda, sent threatening messages to Agnes warning her not to testify or to contact the prosecutor. But sympathetic, which is crazy. Sympathetic to the situation that Viva was in, because Viva's also the other woman.

[Alayna]

That's a girl's girl, right?

[Ash]

That's a girl's girl. Agnes sent the threatening telegrams to Viva's dad, Senator Fitzpatrick, who in turn handed them right over to the district attorney.

[Alayna]

That is the ultimate girl's girl. She could have been so petty and like, well, you get what you, you know, you reap.

[Ash]

A mortgage comes around, it's coming.

[Alayna]

But she's like, no, now I feel bad that you're having the same shit done to you.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alayna]

Because also she might sit there and be like, well, maybe Viva didn't know.

[Ash]

Maybe she didn't know.

[Alayna]

Yeah. And like I'm, you know, whatever.

[Ash]

She's. She's a devil's advocating, you know, girl. She is. All in all, the telegrams were proved that Sam Hazard had 100% committed big me. Just not with the woman that the jury had originally assumed. So on the afternoon of February 4, 1904, they deliberated for five hours and found Sam Hazard guilty of bigamy. And he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

[Alayna]

Bye, Sam.

[Ash]

You would think.

[Alayna]

Oh.

[Ash]

What followed was a very bizarre tug of war between Viva and Linda, who were both unwilling to Give up this man for some reason. I gotta Google a picture. I didn't. He had to have been, like, real hot.

[Alayna]

Sam has.

[Ash]

Or, like, had something going for him, but, like, he lied to both of them, and they're both still after this man's.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

For months, the Minnesota press published stories about the frequent visits Sam was getting in prison by both women. And in the end, it seemed Viva had won out, not Linda.

[Alayna]

Really?

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Linda, who literally, like, went to bat, threatening people and, like, basically doing his. Like, coming up with his defense on her own.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Then he lands himself in jail and is after Viva again.

[Alayna]

Yeah, I'm. I just. That's him.

[Ash]

I wish you.

[Alayna]

I mean, that's an artist's rendering, but.

[Ash]

Maybe it's the mustache.

[Alayna]

Here I am. I don't see it. It.

[Ash]

It's not for me, you know? Yeah, it's. You know, sometimes that's the personality. He didn't sound like a great one, but he. Maybe he was a smooth talker.

[Alayna]

I was gonna say, it doesn't sound like he had that go of arm.

[Ash]

Either, but we've all been wronged by a man, though, that we were like, damn, that you look quiet.

[Alayna]

And you're like, what the fuck was I doing?

[Ash]

Yeah. But anyway, so they're both going to visit him in prison.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

And like I said, in the end, it seems like Viva won him out. After her promise that her father would do his best to get Sam pardoned, he agreed to Viva's demand that Sam tell Linda he was no longer welcome. She was no longer welcome to visit him at the prison.

[Alayna]

Damn.

[Ash]

So she's like, I got this nice.

[Alayna]

Little thing for you. Holy.

[Ash]

Later, he told a reporter we didn't want a scene. I have made up my mind. In fact, I made it up sometimes ago as to where my duty and love lie. And it might as well be thoroughly understood for now. And all of time, his love lied with Viva.

[Alayna]

His love lies.

[Ash]

His love lies. True to his cowardly form, though, Sam never told Linda to her face that he was done with the relationship. Instead, she found out about his affair with Viva when she went to visit him at the jail and found a stack of letters from Viva in his jail cell one afternoon when he was away in a meeting.

[Alayna]

What the.

[Ash]

Yeah. Which, like, I didn't even know that you went to meetings.

[Alayna]

I was gonna say, what meeting?

[Ash]

Maybe with an attorney or something. But the next day, she. She received word from the prison that she was no longer welcome there.

[Alayna]

Like, she.

[Ash]

They said, you've been removed from the list.

[Alayna]

You've been taken off the visitor list, girl.

[Ash]

In the wake of the scandal and Sam's imprisonment, Dr. Linda Hazard got herself together, though, and despite the humiliation, declared publicly that her affair with Hazard had come to an end and she was moving on to do more important things. She was still focused.

[Alayna]

Okay.

[Ash]

Behind closed doors, she was very much devastated, and she held out hope that Sam would come to his senses and return to her, which, like. Like, why would you even want him back at that point?

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

And her friends were like, girl, you're being foolish as hell to keep this hope alive and to even want this man's. But if there was one thing that could be said for Linda Hazzard, it's that she almost always got what she wanted.

[Alayna]

Almost always?

[Ash]

Almost always. Sam Hazard might have had two desperately devoted women fighting over him publicly. But despite that, it's really hard to describe him as anything more than a greedy grifter, which is a really good band name. We are gritty grifter. Given how easily Sam was willing to toss one thing over for another when it suited his interests, it should come as no surprise that once he was released from prison a year and a half later, it wasn't Viva he returned to. It was Linda.

[Alayna]

Ah.

[Ash]

So he first he Viva over for Linda, then he Linda over for Viva, and now he's Viva over for Linda all over again.

[Alayna]

And it's like, yes, just kick them to the curb, everybody.

[Ash]

Vicious cycle, everybody. But so he's back with Linda now. At that time in 1906, he found Linda Burfield living and working in Minneapolis, advertising herself as a specialist of fasting, physical culture and health home.

[Alayna]

Oh.

[Ash]

And they reunited, and Sam became manager of Linda's health home. But one year later, the Minneapolis telephone book listed the couple as suddenly moving to Seattle, Washington. Nobody really knows what happened during that year in Minneapolis or what caused them to relocate to Washington.

[Alayna]

Suspicious.

[Ash]

Yeah, very suspicious. Years later, though, in an interview, all Linda would say was that she was called to the Pacific Coast.

[Alayna]

The coast, actually.

[Ash]

Okay. Girl rang me on the phone and said, hello, Linda, Come to me. This is the Coast.

[Alayna]

This is the Pacific Coast.

[Ash]

This is the coast column. Whatever the case, you know what to do. You know what to do. And I'm just picturing, like, a wave on the Coast.

[Alayna]

The coast is like, linda, where the hell you been, mocha?

[Ash]

In my. In my mind's eye, the coast has sunglasses on.

[Alayna]

Absolutely. He's like a blue wave.

[Ash]

Absolutely.

[Alayna]

The Pacific coast has sunglasses.

[Ash]

He's smoking a cigarette.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Oh, so Whatever the case, once they were settled in Washington in the spring of 1906, Linda opened up her new practice, operating officially now as Dr. Linda Hazard. There were critics, obviously. What I know. Can you imagine? There's no critics. Critics. You stopped something new. Critics ensued. Critics. I don't know what happened there, but it also. At the same time, her business was thriving in Washington, even as her relationship with Sam slowly deteriorated. Oops. Mostly due to his inability to remain faithful.

[Alayna]

Oh. Shocking.

[Ash]

I'm also like, you kind of should have known that.

[Alayna]

Yeah, you should have seen that one coming.

[Ash]

But still, as Linda had already proven, she had no intention of letting him go. So she just tolerated his infidelity as long as he continued to come home at night.

[Alayna]

Okay. Yeah. To each their own. Yeah.

[Ash]

That's not the life I want, but you go, girl. So in Seattle, Linda continued treating patients with her miracle cure, despite having zero evidence that fasting or any of her other treatments were going to provide any relief.

[Alayna]

Yeah, just throw spaghetti at a wall, you know?

[Ash]

Yeah. She wouldn't even give you spaghetti.

[Alayna]

No, she wouldn't.

[Ash]

That's way too much food, actually.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

In fact, it wasn't long after establishing the new practice that she attracted a pretty good amount of negative attention when one of her patients, Lenora Wilcox, died while under her care in the fall of 1907. Lenora Wilcox's death by starvation made headlines in Seattle, in large part because of the supposed doctor who was treating her. Was not a doctor at all.

[Alayna]

No.

[Ash]

Lenora's death turned out to be just the first of many pieces of bad publicity for Linda. But it's a significant part of the story because it happened right around the same time that they decided to relocate to Alala, Washington, a small village on the coast. And it was there that Linda's dream would finally be realized. The opening of her, quote unquote, revolutionary fasting clinic, Wilderness Heights.

[Alayna]

That's in. When you think of dying by starvation, it's slow. I don't think anyone, including me, can conceive.

[Ash]

No.

[Alayna]

Of how painful and horrifying that death must be.

[Ash]

I can't imagine.

[Alayna]

Like, I can't even grasp it in my wildest dreams.

[Ash]

And you lose so much. Like you. You lose, like, cognitive ability. You lose, like, your mind goes. As your body withers away. Yeah, it's awful. Yeah, it's awful what happened to these people. So while she continued to treat individual patients in an outpatient capacity, Wilderness Heights, which the locals usually referred to as Starvation Heights, offered Linda the opportunity to put her full treatment regimen into practice with those who visited the clinic and would stay for weeks at a time. So before she's just kind of like, going to people out, like. And like they're coming and taking her advice and doing it at home. Now people are coming and staying there under her care.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

While there, patients were put on a strict diet. It most only ate very small amounts of food while otherwise fasting for as many as 30 days.

[Alayna]

Yeah. And I'm sorry, I don't. That doesn't make any sense to me.

[Ash]

No. 30 days. 30 days.

[Alayna]

Holy. Yeah.

[Ash]

Obviously it's close to impossible for somebody to go that long without eating. So patients were allowed small amounts of food every few days. But to call them meals would be a massive understatement. In most cases, patients on a fasting plan would be given a piece of fruit every. Every few days. Not like every day. Every few days they would get a piece of fruit or a dinner of. I don't even want to call it tomato soup because it was really just like the juice or water extracted from the tomato. Or they would get broth, but that was really just water, like, extracted from. Oh, my God.

[Alayna]

That makes me gag just thinking about it. I also fucking hate tomatoes. And the juice of a tomato, to me sounds like the most diabolical thing. That's the thing.

[Ash]

Because I don't. I wanted to say to like, not tomato juice, because that has other.

[Alayna]

No.

[Ash]

And like.

[Alayna]

Like the actual, like water from it.

[Ash]

Yeah, tomato water.

[Alayna]

I can't even think of that.

[Ash]

So this practice, according to Linda, allowed the body to purify itself of toxins.

[Alayna]

Shut the up.

[Ash]

We're not even going to get into why that's wrong. But it is.

[Alayna]

Oh, my God.

[Ash]

Thereby ridding the patient of any ailments or diseases.

[Alayna]

This. That's not how that works.

[Ash]

No. And when they weren't fasting, patients were subjected to other forms of supposedly natural treatments that included enemas, of course.

[Alayna]

Internal baths.

[Ash]

Yeah, internal baths. Or other hydrotherapies or quote unquote, aggressive massages given by Linda herself or one of the other nurses, which author Terence Hines describes as more closely resembling beatings.

[Alayna]

What?

[Ash]

Just, like, punch the toxins out of them? What, like slap the toxins out of them.

[Alayna]

This isn't working.

[Ash]

It's horrible. I know that it's horrible.

[Alayna]

It's horrible.

[Ash]

I can't imagine the shit that lingers on that land to this day.

[Alayna]

Seriously. Because you also have to think of, like, if you don't eat for, like, a few hours during the day, you know, What? I mean, like sometimes you'll be busy and you don't eat. And all of a sudden you're like. Like, oh, I'm so hungry.

[Ash]

And your stomach, you get so empty.

[Alayna]

And you just like don't feel well. And sometimes you feel like nauseous if you don't eat.

[Ash]

And then sometimes you do eat after that and you like don't feel good then because it's been so long since you.

[Alayna]

Or you've. You've gone over the point of being hungry. So then you don't even know what you want to eat. Cuz you're so hungry. It's like that. That which is the most privileged form of being hungry. Like just forgetting to eat, not being able to. You know what I mean? Like just being busy. That is gross. And a horrible, horrible feeling. I hate that feeling. It can trigger a migraine. It can do all this stuff.

[Ash]

Oh yeah.

[Alayna]

So thinking of anything past that or it being out of my control to feel that way is beyond the bounds of my imagination. Just thinking about this, I'm like. And these people thinking it's gonna cure them because they're just being told that.

[Ash]

By a doctor, someone with doctor in.

[Alayna]

Front of their name.

[Ash]

And I think one thing that we have to point out, and I will continue to point out, is how desperate these were to feel better.

[Alayna]

These people, these people must have already.

[Ash]

Had things that they were struggling with, like stomach problems, chronic inflammation, like this, that and the other thing that they'd been struggling with forever. So when they're sitting. When they're sitting there on having a conversation with someone they think is a doctor and she's telling them this is.

[Alayna]

Going to work, they're desperate.

[Ash]

They're desperate and they want to see this through.

[Alayna]

And if you live in like chronic pain or you have like stomach issues or anything like that, that, you know, the desperation. Yeah. You know.

[Ash]

Absolutely. So given the criticism that she received since opening her practice, it's no surprise that Linda was vague and very secretive about the treatments at her sanitarium. But thanks to a detailed diary kept by one of her patients, Earl Erdman, there is some insight into what life was like at Wilderness Heights in the very early days. And I would assume in the early days it was probably a little better, which is crazy.

[Alayna]

Holy shit.

[Ash]

In his diary, he describes the process of fasting under her direction, Linda's direction, and how it made him feel. His diary starts February 1st. He said, saw Dr. Hazard and began treatment. This date. No breakfast. Mashed soup, dinner. Mashed soup. Supper. I think Dinner must have been kind of like lunch. February 5th through 7th. That is two days.

[Alayna]

So two full days.

[Ash]

Two full days. One orange breakfast, mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper. Two days, February 8th. One orange breakfast, mashed soup Dinner, mashed soup supper. The 9th through the 11th. Two days or really three days. Excuse me? One orange breakfast, strained soup dinner. Strained soup supper.

[Alayna]

So that's just liquid.

[Ash]

It goes on like that for a while and then. February 16, he says 1 cup hot strained tomato soup. AM and PM slept better last night. Night head quite dizzy. Eyes yellow and streaked red.

[Alayna]

What the.

[Ash]

February 17th. Ate three oranges today. That's it. February 19th. Called on Dr. Dawson today at his home. Slept well Saturday night, February 20th. Ate strained juice of two small oranges at 10am so not even eating an actual orange, Just the juice. Strained. Dizzy all day.

[Alayna]

I wonder why.

[Ash]

Ate strain juice of two small oranges at 4. 5pm so just juice.

[Alayna]

Yep.

[Ash]

February 21st. Ate one cup, settled in strained tomato broth. Backache today. Just below ribs.

[Alayna]

Just below ribs. How's your kidneys?

[Ash]

Yep, shutting down. February 22nd. Ate two small oranges at 10am Backache today and right side just below ribs.

[Alayna]

I'm worried about your kidney, sir.

[Ash]

February 23rd. Slept but little last night. Ate two. Ate two small oranges at 9am Went after milk and felt very bad. Bad. So now it's like he tried something heavier and his stomach probably can't even handle that. Ate two small oranges, 6pm Feb. 24. Slept better Wednesday night. Kind of frontal headache in the a.m. ate two small oranges. 10am ate one and a half cups hot tomato soup, 6pm heart hit up to 95 minutes and sweat considerable.

[Alayna]

I don't think it's working, baby. No.

[Ash]

February 25th. We're nearing the end here, by the way. February 25th. Slept pretty well Thursday night. Ate one and a half to cups tomato broth. 11:00am Think about one and a half cups. I want you to think about your measuring.

[Alayna]

Yeah, like.

[Ash]

Think about like looking measuring cups.

[Alayna]

A thing of one cup one and.

[Ash]

A half cups for a full day of broth and then one and a half cups tomato broth at 6pm Pain in right below ribs. February 26th. Did not sleep so very well Friday night. Pain in right side just below ribs and back pain quit in the night. Ate 1 1/2 cups tomato broth at 10:45am Ate 2 1/2 half pump small oranges at 4:30pm felt better afternoon than for the last week. About one month after that last entry on March 28, Earl Erdman was hospitalized for malnutrition and died a few hours later.

[Alayna]

I am not surprised. And that is awful.

[Ash]

That's almost a. That's a full month of what that man ate.

[Alayna]

And it was orange juice next to.

[Ash]

I ate more this entire week than that man ate in a month.

[Alayna]

Month.

[Ash]

I'm not being funny, like, I'm being serious.

[Alayna]

Literally, I ate more today than I'm pretty sure that guy ate almost that entire month. Yeah.

[Ash]

Like, it's.

[Alayna]

He ate liquid.

[Ash]

So hard to conceive of.

[Alayna]

Like.

[Ash]

And his kidneys.

[Alayna]

Absolutely. Like, oh, my God, your kidneys are screaming. Yeah.

[Ash]

So it turned out that the deaths of Lenora Wilcox and Earl Erdman were to be just two of many patients who died under the care of Linda Hazard. But there was not much the authorities could do because these patients gave their consent to be treated.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

In 1908, for example, Dr. Dee Dee Whedon and his wife had their eight month old baby removed from the home by the Humane Society when it was learned that at the direction of quote, unquote, Dr. Hazard, the couple had been starving their baby.

[Alayna]

I want to fucking fight all of those people.

[Ash]

Every single last one of them.

[Alayna]

That's not even slightly. Okay.

[Ash]

Not even a lot.

[Alayna]

No.

[Ash]

According to the press, the conduct of the Whedon family in the fall in following the directions of the physician annoyed the neighbors. And in the belief that the baby girl was being starved to death, the Humane Society was notified.

[Alayna]

Good. It turns out I don't care. You're an adult. You can do. You can make your own decisions with what you want to do with your own. Yeah, go for it. Body doing that to an eight month old baby. What the is that gonna do?

[Ash]

And, like, what are you giving a baby?

[Alayna]

Like, three of them should have. Because an eight month old baby, I'm like, you're not giving him broth and what are you doing?

[Ash]

Like, at that age, babies can't even have a ton of water. So what are you giving this baby? So it turned out that Mrs. Weeden had been seeing Dr. Hazzard for treatment of an unknown illness at that time. And she mentioned that her daughter also seemed unwell. And Linda Hazard then recommended the same fasting treatment regardless of the child's age.

[Alayna]

What the fuck?

[Ash]

The baby was obviously placed in foster care and there's no mention of her after, so hopefully she lived. But when the police arrived to remove her from the home, Mrs. Whedon pulled a gun from a desk drawer and aimed it at one of the police officers before he was able to wrestle it out of her hand. The entire incident, including the attempted shooting of an officer, as far as everyone saw it, was because, quote, the woman, because of the hazard treatment, had become insane.

[Alayna]

Wow.

[Ash]

Like she's not in her right mind.

[Alayna]

No. At all.

[Ash]

So the public complained loudly about Linda Hazard's clinic in the past, usually with no effect. But the incident with the Whedon baby was a new level of concern among the public. According to press accounts, had no one intervened, it was speculated, this girl wouldn't have lived more than a few days longer. This baby. On January 30, 1908, Linda was arrested finally and charged with practicing medicine without a license. To those who were most concerned about reform, this seemed like a giant step towards stopping the spread of quack medical practitioners. But by the time she went to trial in March, the most the judge could do was fine her $50 for practicing without a license.

[Alayna]

Wow.

[Ash]

An 8 month old baby almost died. Was in, was on death's doorstep. Would have and would have died had people not intervened. And she got fined 50 bucks, which I'm sure was easy to pay because remember, all of these people are coming to her, paying her money for this.

[Alayna]

Quote, unquote, desperately wanting a cure all. Yeah.

[Ash]

Despite the court's ruling against her, Linda continued to promote herself as a doctor and again found herself before a judge in June of 1908 for violating that same order. The judge said Linda Burfield Hazard can put all the doctors before her name that she wishes to. But this does not imply she's a physician.

[Alayna]

Nope. Sure doesn't.

[Ash]

But it's like, yeah, but nobody knows that.

[Alayna]

Yeah. And again, these people are desperate. They're seeing a doctor. It's not like back then you could go check their credentials on WebMD or whatever the you want to check it on. It's like you just see doctor. Yeah.

[Ash]

Someone says they're doctor, you believe them.

[Alayna]

They have a whole ass clinic. Yeah.

[Ash]

Why would you think anything else?

[Alayna]

You think that they. They aren't?

[Ash]

Exactly. While acting in her own defense this time, Linda argued that despite what the sign said, she was not in fact practicing medicine. She was acting as a fasting specialist for those who gave their expressed consent to receive her services.

[Alayna]

Except for an eight month old baby and a little girl who couldn't have given their consent.

[Ash]

You dumb judges. The local police and reform activists may have disagreed with Linda and they would continue to challenge her arguments, but there wasn't a lot they could do to stop her from continuing to promote her Treatment. Aside from misrepresenting herself as a medical doctor, which, like I just said, only resulted in a $50 fine, there weren't any laws at that time against what she was doing, especially where people gave their consent.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

So in the years that followed, she continued to promote Wilderness heights and herself as a leading expert in the revolutionary practice of medicine. And as a result, people continued to die.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

In the summer of 1909, Blanche Tindall died of starvation while under Linda's care. And on the death certificate, Dr. Charles Ford listed the cause of death as starvation with toxemia and pregnancy. Pregnancy.

[Alayna]

Wow.

[Ash]

Pregnant.

[Alayna]

Holy.

[Ash]

And was starved to death.

[Alayna]

My God, it needs so much. When you're pregnant.

[Ash]

Oh, my God. You're eating. You're eating for two. Is not hyperbolic. You're eating for two.

[Alayna]

That's like this. It's like you. Your whole body needs so much extra of everything because you are just running.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Alayna]

It's like a marathon. Yeah.

[Ash]

In her own statement, Linda strongly rejected the cause of death listed on the certificate and said instead, said Mrs. Tindall died of organic imperfection. I have nothing more to say. You're a cunt.

[Alayna]

Died of organic imperfection.

[Ash]

You're a cunt.

[Alayna]

Yeah. That's the cuntiest thing I've ever heard.

[Ash]

And a murderer.

[Alayna]

Yeah. Straight up.

[Ash]

Straight up.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Unreal. The death of Blanche Tindall inspired a new round of calls for Linda's arrest because one, she was pregnant.

[Alayna]

Yeah.

[Ash]

And then a few weeks later, the husband of another patient, Viola Heaton, filed a complaint of manslaughter with the district attorney when his wife disappeared, died. According to Linda, the claims were simply incorrect and a result of the mainstream medical industry attempting to smear her and her treatments. In a statement to the press, she said, Mrs. Heat Heaton first called upon me Monday, March 22, and told me she had for years been a sufferer of indigestion and other ailments. She said, in fact, it was Mr. Heaton who suggested that his wife visit Linda Sanitarium in the first place, having read about her successful treatment of a similar patient, a patient a year earlier. So she literally. This guy is suing her, and she's like, it's actually your fault because you sent her my way. Wow. She's diabolical.

[Alayna]

She's an, like, truly diabolical.

[Ash]

And then in the end, she placed the ultimate blame on Viola Heaton herself, who had died, remember?

[Alayna]

Oh, yeah.

[Ash]

Saying Viola had intentionally skipped the small meals that Hazard had prescribed between the fight fasts.

[Alayna]

Wow.

[Ash]

I'M so sure.

[Alayna]

Yeah. And it's like, yeah, because she can't defend herself now. She's not here. Say whatever you want.

[Ash]

But again, the problem was that the state penal codes were not designed to deal with such radical changes to the medical industry. And there weren't laws to protect people from quacks like this woman. No one had actually really ever imagined that a person might practice medicine without the proper training or licensure. So nobody thought to establish a law against it in place the first. First place.

[Alayna]

Yeah. I mean, why would you think of that?

[Ash]

So Wilderness Heights remained open. And despite the hits to her reputation, she kept attracting new patients, typically desperate individuals willing to try anything to relieve themselves of, like I said, their chronic pain and fatal disease.

[Alayna]

Holy. Yeah.

[Ash]

Between 1909 and 1911, as Linda and Sam continued building the institute at Wilderness Heights, there were many more deaths, including that of Eugene Wakelin, a patient who actually came all the way to Washington from New Zealand to stay after reading one of Linda's books. In November 1909, while still under the care of Hazard, he actually shot himself in the head on the property.

[Alayna]

Holy.

[Ash]

The death ended up being ruled a suicide. But there were many in the area who questioned if he actually had ended his own life or there was something more there. It was certainly in the realm of possibility that he had ended his own life. But suspicion still fell on Linda Hazard when investigators learned that just prior to his death, Eugene had given Linda power of attorney, leaving her in charge of his estate upon his death. And although she somehow managed to avoid arrest or prosecution for that death, for the first time, the authorities started to wonder if there was something more nefarious than mere neglect, arrogance, and medical malpractice going on at Starvation Heights.

[Alayna]

There's some on that property, and that's.

[Ash]

Where we're gonna wrap for part one.

[Alayna]

Holy.

[Ash]

When we come back for part two, I think you're gonna be with me and everybody else, like the authorities and the judges and the police and everybody else that thinks there was definitely something more to this.

[Alayna]

Some nefarious shit happened. I mean, we already. Of nefarious is happening, but even more nefarious.

[Ash]

Nefarious. I think maybe. Maybe she went into this wanting to help people and lost herself along the way when she realized what she could get.

[Alayna]

Holy.

[Ash]

Because I do think she thought fasting worked in the beginning.

[Alayna]

But then when you hear about, like, you know, organic imperfection, kind of.

[Ash]

Yeah, she lost her.

[Alayna]

That's all I'll say about it.

[Ash]

She lost her. And then again, like, I just said, like, she became very arrogant. And then I think, yeah, there were, there were things she saw that she could get away with. And after standing before a judge multiple times and realizing that she was getting away with them, she got bolder and.

[Alayna]

Bolder and she was just like, well, I can keep getting this. Yeah, keep making a name for myself.

[Ash]

And maybe I can get more.

[Alayna]

And maybe I can get more.

[Ash]

Because now she's got people signing over. Power of attorney.

[Alayna]

Oh, yeah, that's power is coming. Get into her head.

[Ash]

And that's where we're gonna pick up in part two. Power of attorney is gonna be a big theme.

[Alayna]

Brutal case.

[Ash]

Yeah, it's awful.

[Alayna]

Holy.

[Ash]

So with that, we hope you keep listening and we hope you keep it weird. But not so weird as Linda Hazard, because that is crazy. She's a and a murderer.

[Alayna]

Sam Sa Foreign.

[Ash]

If you like morbid, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey. Hey, weirdos. We need to tell you about something that has completely blown our minds collectively. There's a new show called Lawless Planet that's uncovering true crime stories so massive they're affecting the entire planet. Host Zach Goldbaum is investigating real cases where environmental destruction meets murder, conspiracy and cover ups. We're talking about activists who disappear in the Amazon rainforest, whistleblowers who risk everything to expose deadly corporate secrets and communities being silently poisoned while powerful people profit. What makes these stories truly terrifying? They're happening right now. This isn't history. It's a massive criminal conspiracy unfolding in real time with consequences that affect us all. Each episode feels like opening a case file into the darkest corners of corporate and government power. Trust us, once you start listening, you will not be able to stop thinking about these stories. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus.