How an Old Yet Tragic Oversight Allows a Killer to Flourish

Linda Hazzard: The remarkable failure of Washington to protect its people from evil

Few things are so deadly as a misguided sense of compassion.

Charles Colson

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With those in the medical profession, especially doctors, there’s an inherent sense of trust. We trust that the medicine they prescribe for us and the treatments they order for us will make us better. We trust they are fully licensed to practice their specialty in the state they are employed in. 

However, what happens when the state law has a loophole that allows those without a license to practice medicine? Today we’re featuring a case that occurred in Washington in the early 1900s. There was a loophole in Washington state statutes that allowed for unlicensed people to practice medicine under the title of “doctor.”

Linda Hazzard took advantage of that loophole to open a sanatorium in Olalla, Washington, which is located across the Sound from Seattle. She told her “patients” that she had a guaranteed treatment method that would cure all of their ailments. It didn’t matter to what degree their illness was, she guaranteed it would work. 

Some people she treated swore by her methods. Some people never spoke out against the treatments they received because they didn’t survive them. You’ll soon find out how Linda Hazzard earned the moniker “The Starvation Doctor.”

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Beginning a Career with Tragic Results

Linda Burfield Hazzard was born Lynda Laura Burfield on December 18, 1867, in Carver MN, a small town approximately 30 miles southwest of Minneapolis. Her parents were Montgomery Burfield and Susanna Wakefield. She was one of eight children.

At age 18, she married and had two children, but I could not find any information about this marriage or her children. The only thing I could substantiate through research was that she left her husband and children filing for divorce in 1898 in order to pursue her career in Minneapolis.

Hazzard received minimal training as an osteopathic nurse. Although she did not receive a degree of any kind, she began treating people using the fasting method. She stated and believed that an individual could be cured of any ailment, from a toothache to tuberculosis simply by fasting. She maintained that the act of fasting allowed a person’s digestive system time to rest in order to be cleaned, thus removing impurities from the body.

According to Hazzard, the source of all human disease could be attributed to ‘impure blood’ that was brought on by an ‘impaired digestion’. She even claims to have studied this practice with Dr. Edward H. Dewey, an American physician who pioneered therapeutic fasting and inventor of the renowned ‘No Breakfast Plan.’

If Hazzard would have just practiced this fasting treatment using the proven methods of experts in the field, we probably wouldn’t be featuring her on this podcast series. However, I believe it was her added ‘spin’ on this process that ultimately caused the demise of many.

She had her patients fast for up to months, allowing them to eat nothing more substantial than an orange, but mostly only just minute amounts of strained, boiled tomato and asparagus broth. She also included daily enemas administered over a period of several hours involving up to 12 quarts (3 gallons of water). It’s said that her patients were heard bellowing in pain during these daily procedures.

The last aspect of her process was what she called her massage. Hazzard was said to be a wiry woman that was stronger than the average man. Yet she herself would administer these massages by beating her fists against an individual’s forehead and back forcefully. One person actually reported witnessing her pummeling a patient vigorously while shouting ‘Eliminate! Eliminate!’

My research showed that the first victim attributed to her was an unidentified individual in 1902, which was around the time her divorce became final. The coroner investigating the death determined the cause to be starvation and actually tried to have her prosecuted.

However, authorities determined that since she wasn’t actually licensed to practice any sort of medicine, the victim let her administer the treatment, and thus she wasn’t held accountable. When the investigators asked her about what happened to the victim’s valuable belongings, she remained very evasive.

More negative publicity followed when she met and married her second husband, who she claimed was the man of her dream. Sam Christman Hazzard was a West Point graduate who was dishonorably discharged for misappropriating Army funds. Sam was considered by most to be nothing more than a drunk, lecher, and swindler. He had been married twice before and didn’t even bother to divorce one, if not both, before marrying Linda. He was charged with bigamy as a result and spent 2 years in prison.

Once he was released from prison in 1906, the Hazzards packed up their stuff and moved to Washington to start over. I believe it was in order to escape the adverse publicity and take advantage of a new group of individuals. She opened a practice in Seattle, commuting via ferry from a 40-acre estate in Olalla.

Unfortunately, because of a loophole in the licensing law in Washington, Hazzard was given a license to practice medicine in that state. This loophole was grandfathered in so practitioners of alternative medicine, whether or not they held a degree, allowing them to practice legally. She fell into this loophole in the law.

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Accruing a Long List of Victims in Washington State

Seattle locals seemed to embrace Hazzard and her practices. Among them was Daisey Maud Haglund, who was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants. She was treated for 50 days under Hazzard’s direction before she died on February 26, 1908, at age 38.

The Haglund name would become famous around Seattle because she left behind a 3-year-old son. Ivar J Haglund would grow to make his fortune, feeding millions as the owner of several successful seafood restaurants.

But the list didn’t stop there. The following is a list of deaths that are attributed to Hazzard and her fasting practice.

• Victims in 1908
  • Lenora Elgin Cox
  • Ida Wilcox
• Victims in 1909
  • Blanche B. Tindall
  • Viola Heaton
  • Eugene Stanley Wakelin – Died from a gunshot wound. It’s believed that Hazzard was responsible.
• Victims in 1910
  • Lewis Ellsworth (L. E.) Rader
  • Maude Whitney
  • Earl Edward Erdman
• Victims in 1911
  • Frank Southard
  • C. A. Harrison
  • Ivan Flux
  • Louis Emerson Rader – L. E. Rader’s son

Prior to Lewis Ellsworth Rader’s death, the local authorities tried to convince him to leave, to which he adamantly refused. That’s when Hazzard moved him to an undisclosed location where he died. Rader was 5’11″ where the average weight is right around 200 lbs, give or take.

At the time of his death, he weighed less than 100 lbs. Upon his death, the Seattle Health Director could not intervene or pursue charges, stating that since Hazzard was licensed, the patients she treated were willing participants He also said he would definitely step in should she treat any minors.

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The Williamson Sisters Are Hazzard’s Demise

British sisters, Dorothea and Claire Williamson, who were in their early 30s, had the misfortune of being sucked into Hazzard’s deadly web. They were hypochondriacs with financial control of a rather substantial estate.

In late 1910, they were in Victoria B.C. on holiday when they came upon an ad in the Seattle newspaper about Hazzard’s book. Considering they were quick to jump on the bandwagon of any new fad cure out there, the sisters ordered a copy, which came with a brochure for the Institute in Olalla.

Always the ever-curious individuals, with any naturopathic solution, they took the fasting cure Hazzard offered. Up to now, their family was rather cynical about the unorthodox medicine options they pursued, so they decided not to mention their decision to participate.

In February 1911, upon meeting with Hazzard at the office she set up in the Northern Bank and Trust Building, they were informed their treatment would take place in Seattle. The reason for this, as Hazzard told them, the sanitarium wasn’t quite complete.

Under the care of an osteopathic nurse employed by Hazzard, Dorothea and Claire soon settled into their living quarters at the Buena Vista Apartments. Here they were fed a diet consisting mainly of the thin vegetable broth others were given.

Hazzard would visit them regularly to give them their excruciating enemas and battering massage. During these regular sessions, she would subtly inquire about their business affairs, even offering to keep their valuable belongings and property deeds at her office in a safe.

Within two months, the rather healthy sisters were very emaciated and suffering from delirium. At that point, Hazzard transferred them to Olalla under private transportation. Right before the ambulance carrying Claire left for the ferry dock, the Hazzards procured a rather shaky signature from her.

Said signature was for a codicil to her will that stipulated Hazzard’s institute would be given a monthly emolument comprising 25 pounds sterling per year. It also added that in the event of her death, Hazzard was to be in charge of her cremation.

By the end of April, Margaret Conway, the sisters’ childhood nanny, received a vague telegram requesting she visit them at their new residence. She departed Sydney, Australia around May 7 and reached Seattle on June 1, 1911, 4 months after Dorothea and Claire began their fasting treatment. When the ship docked, Conway was immediately greeted by Sam Hazzard, who informed her Claire had died and Dorothea was, for lack of a better term, insane.

He promptly escorted her to E R Butterworth & Son’s Mortuary, where she was presented with an embalmed body. They informed her the deceased on the table was Claire, despite it bearing no resemblance to the young woman formally under her charge. He then took her to Olalla so she could see Dorothea. Conway found she was living alone in a primitive cabin not fit for human habitation on the property. She was also shocked to find Dorothea was nothing more than a human skeleton with skin.

When Dorothea saw her beloved nanny, she pleaded with Conway to take her away from the living hell she was in. When Margaret arrived the following day, Dorothea withdrew her request and quickly declared the fasting was working and doing her a world of good. Conway stayed with her, hoping to persuade her to truly leave. She even attempted to secretly add flour and rice to the only thing Dorothea could consume, a thin broth made from canned tomatoes.

Normally, all the patients have segregated away from each other, but on July 4, 1911, they could leave their confinement for a celebration. During the festivities, two patients approached Conway and told her they were prisoners of Hazzard and beseeched her to get them away.

That’s when she also learned Dorothea had given Hazzard her Power of Attorney and she had taken it upon herself to treat herself to a portion of the woman’s assets. Not to mention Hazzard was flaunting her ‘new’ attire, which Conway recognized as one of Claire’s best silk dressing gowns and favorite hat.

Margaret finally had enough, and she informed Hazzard she was leaving the ‘compound’ and taking Dorothea with her. She was told under no such terms was the patient could leave, as she was not free to do so. Hazzard had somehow procured legal guardianship of the woman.

It was then explained to Conway it was decided by them, as her wards, that the once vibrant and relatively healthy young woman would live the rest of her life with them on the property. It became quite clear the couple was eagerly awaiting the day young Dorothea met the same fate as her dear sister.

Conway made a brave decision and took a bold move. She sneaked away and send a message to Dorothea and Claire’s uncle, who lived in Portland Oregon, approximately 163 miles south. He promptly traveled north to liberate them from Hazzard’s control. When he tried to leave with the two women, Hazzard handed him a statement saying Dorothea was on the hook to pay them $2000 before she could leave.

Hazzard was in essence holding the now frail woman hostage and demanding a ransom To put this in perspective, Smart Asset calculates that $2000 in 1914 (the earliest year for calculation) in today’s value is approximately $53,596. He wasn’t about to pay it in full, so he negotiated a smaller payoff, but I couldn’t find what the final amount added up to.

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The Horrors of Wilderness Heights Are Exposed

Dorothea, Conway, and the uncle from Portland knew something had to be done to stop Hazzard from killing anybody else. They went to Tacoma to visit the British vice-consul and relayed all the atrocities Hazzard had committed toward the two sisters alone. The vice-consul tried to pressure Kitsap County officials to press charges against Hazzard.

The authorities there claimed they could not fund such a request. That’s when Dorothea took matters into her own hands. She put a portion of what assets she had remaining in order to finally see Hazzard pay for what she had done. They finally arrested Linda Hazzard for her crimes. It’s said upon her arrest the Tacoma Daily News headline read: ‘Officials Expect to Expose Starvation Atrocities: Dr. Hazzard Depicted as Fiend’.

Hazzard made several claims regarding her arrest and impending trial.

1. The only reason why they were arresting and charging her was that she was such a successful woman
2. Local traditional doctors not only disagreed and discounted any form of naturopathy, but they also resented her for her success with unconventional methods

I intend to get on the stand and show up that bunch. They’ve been playing checkers, but it’s my move. I’ll show them a thing or two when I get on the stand.

Linda Hazzard

However, her attorney was experienced enough that he didn’t risk putting her on the stand. I believe that’s why she did other things to cause a commotion and draw attention to herself The judge had to reprimand her at one point because she was caught signaling witnesses. Perhaps that was an attempt to intimidate them further.

With all the evidence against her including incriminating testimony from medical professionals, an exhaustive paper trail that contained an obviously forged entry in a diary that Claire expressed her desire for Hazzard to have her diamonds, it was obvious the extent of the Hazzard’s greed.

It didn’t take long for the jury to return a verdict of guilty. The kicker of it all is she was only convicted of manslaughter, a lesser charge than murder. Experts theorize that had she been a male offender, she most surely would have been convicted of murder.

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The Deaths Don’t Stop There

While Hazzard was on trial for murder, she continued to practice her methods and treatments. The bizarre thing is, after her conviction and prior to sentencing, she actually killed two more people. But what’s even more bizarre – she was never charged with those deaths. At her sentencing, she received 2–20 years but only served two years, which she spent at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

Upon her release, Hazzard and Sam moved to New Zealand. When they arrived there, she set up practicing under the titles of physician, dietician, and osteopath. She also published another book and ended up making a substantial amount of money.

Even while living in New Zealand, she still wanted and dreamed about opening and running a sanitarium. By 1920, she had gained enough funds to return to Olalla and build her dream at Starvation Heights. At the time of her sentencing, the state of Washington revoked her medical license, so she called the sanitarium a ‘school of health.’

Once it was fully operational, the rather lavish building actually included a fully stocked and functional autopsy room in the basement. She never stopped starving patients to death. Unfortunately, I could not find any more documented casualties attributed to her and her methods.

Karma ended up getting the last laugh. Her dream sanitarium burned to the ground in 1935. Then three years later, in 1938, Hazzard died at 51-years old. Apparently, she began feeling ill, so she started herself on a fasting treatment. She ultimately starved to death. The picture below will give you an idea of what she may have actually looked like at the end.

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We Want to Hear from You

Let’s take a moment to answer a few questions in the comment section below.

• What are your thoughts with the legal loophole that Washington had while Hazzard was active?
• Do you feel as if the State of Washington should have been held liable for the deaths of the individuals that Hazzard took on as patients?
• Should Hazzard have been convicted of murder? If so, to what degree (1st Degree, 2nd Degree, Felony Murder, Aggravated Murder, Capital Murder)?
• If you believe that she should have been convicted of murder, do you believe the speculation that she received the lesser charge simply because she was a woman?
• Think about this little fact – Considering she knew that her method was in fact the cause for the emaciation of all the ‘patients’ and the reason several them actually died – Is her death just a matter of Karma or was she just that dedicated to her method of ‘curing’ diseases that she thought would actually work?

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Additional References

Brutal Nation. (2021, June 28). Episode 1: Dr. Linda Hazzard. Twisted Blue LLC. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QEEA2VXtDCDHhAHBHgRNV?si=Ma1_BHEFTb2OwU2llL3UpQ