Investigation #0018 · Open investigation
The Sleepwalkers of Sanitarium Administration
Several sleepwalkers found in the street near Sanitarium Administration. Neighbours say it has been building for 34 days — since 5 October.
- Where
- Sanitarium Administration, Outskirts (north-east)
- Opened
- Monday, 8 November 1926, 14:00
- Now
- FOLLOW-UP
- Investigators
- Eleanor Vale, Hester Crane
- Outcome
- Still open.
Findings
- Several people describe a dream of a tower standing in water.
- A tin box of teeth, labelled by year. It is cold, and stays cold in the hand.
- A bundle of letters tied with red thread. Nobody at the site admits to having seen it before.
- The dreamers agree on the number of windows and the broken step.
- Sanitarium patients have drawn the same tower since the building opened in 1869.
The record
Tuesday, 5 October 1926
- Before the report: Keys went missing at Sanitarium Administration and were found in a locked cupboard.
Friday, 8 October 1926
- Before the report: A minor electrical failure at Sanitarium Administration, fixed and unexplained.
Sunday, 10 October 1926
- Before the report: Something has gone missing at Sanitarium Administration. (since explained)
Wednesday, 27 October 1926
- Before the report: Dogs refuse to go past Sanitarium Administration, a patient, Mr. Costa, says. (since explained)
Thursday, 28 October 1926
- Before the report: An orderly, Mr. Pelletier, at Sanitarium Administration reports a sound nobody else heard. (since explained)
Friday, 29 October 1926
- Before the report: The animals near Sanitarium Administration were spooked by a fox's earth, since dug out.
Saturday, 30 October 1926
- Before the report: Someone was seen leaving Sanitarium Administration at an hour nobody can account for.
Sunday, 31 October 1926
- Before the report: The Gazette has had three letters this week about Sanitarium Administration.
- Before the report: The noise at Sanitarium Administration was a loose shutter; it has been nailed down.
Tuesday, 2 November 1926
- Before the report: A doctor notes an unusual number of poor sleepers living near Sanitarium Administration.
Wednesday, 3 November 1926
- Before the report: A second, unrelated witness now confirms what the first said about Sanitarium Administration.
Monday, 8 November 1926
- Before the report: Two households near Sanitarium Administration report the same sound on the same night.
- Initial report received. Several sleepwalkers found in the street near Sanitarium Administration. Neighbours say it has been building for 34 days — since 5 October.
- Among the papers on the file: the notice of Saturday 23 October — “Officers will patrol the vicinity of Sanitarium Administration after dark until further no…” Nobody thought anything of it at the time.
- Eleanor & Hester take up the investigation.
- Eleanor & Hester arrive at Sanitarium Administration.
- Search of the basement.
- Strong smell of carbolic noted.
- White tiles noted in the ward.
- Investigators report keys.
- Corridor: nothing unusual.
- Investigators leave Sanitarium Administration.
Tuesday, 9 November 1926
- Hester arrives 13 minutes late.
- Eleanor & Hester arrive at Sanitarium Administration.
- Statement taken from Dr. Clement Hardwick (Superintendent, Arkham Sanitarium).
- The unidentified man in the photograph of 8 November is identified by Hester: Dr. Clement Hardwick.
- Records conflict: Dr. Clement Hardwick's account and a witness's cannot both be right.
- Statement taken from the milkman.
- Accounts conflict. Dr. Clement Hardwick (Superintendent, Arkham Sanitarium) says it started on Tuesday night. The milkman is certain it has been going on for a month.
- Working theory: a gas leak.
- Finding: Several people describe a dream of a tower standing in water.
- Investigators leave Sanitarium Administration.
- Hester arrives 22 minutes late.
- Eleanor & Hester arrive at Arkham Police Department.
- Items held by the police are laid out for examination.
- Object examined: a tin box of teeth, labelled by year. It is cold, and stays cold in the hand.
- Object examined: a bundle of letters tied with red thread. Nobody at the site admits to having seen it before.
- Finding: The dreamers agree on the number of windows and the broken step.
- Investigators leave Arkham Police Department.
- Eleanor & Hester meet at Hobb's Tavern (est. 1714).
- Evidence compared: “The dreamers agree on the number of windows and the broken step” set against “A bundle of letters tied with red thread. Nobody at the site admits to having seen it before”.
- Eleanor and Hester disagree about the cause: Eleanor suspects a gas leak; Hester, a haunting.
- Eleanor proposes a gas leak; Hester objects that it explains too much.
- A connection is noted with an older file, The Shared Dream at The Carroll Boarding House (16 October): the same pattern of findings.
- No agreement is reached.
- The meeting breaks up.
Wednesday, 10 November 1926
- Eleanor & Hester arrive at Sanitarium Administration.
- Everything is as it was left — including a cup of tea, still warm.
- Investigators report a smell of something sweet under the damp.
- Investigators note a chair turned to face the wall.
- Finding: Sanitarium patients have drawn the same tower since the building opened in 1869.
- Investigators leave Sanitarium Administration.
Connected files
The morning after it was reported, the Arkham Gazette led with “SCREAMS AT POTTER'S FIELD; SEARCH FINDS NOTHING”.