Sterilization of Carrie Buck. David Smith

a deep breath and tried to repress a shudder of distaste. “Are you suffering from that affliction now?” he asked. She looked confused.

      “Do you have syphilis now?” he asked again.

      “You’re the doctor,” she said, matter-of-factly.

      Disconcerted, he flipped through his sparse notes. “Yes, I see you do,” he said, shaking his head and noting the confirmation of venereal disease.

      “I’m going to test your sight and hearing now, Emma.”

      She nodded, and seemed to pay as little attention as possible during the tests. She asked no questions, volunteered no additional information, submitting to his requests almost disdainfully. Watching her, he thought, What had she to be disdainful of? Certainly not of him, a medical doctor, an official of the court, the decider of her future fate. Nevertheless, he hurried the perfunctory tests along so that they could be rid of her. He continued noting the aspects of her appearance which confirmed his preliminary diagnosis. “Distinctly untidy,” he wrote and, where he was charged to record his “moral reaction,” he wrote “notoriously untruthful.” Though her answers seemed candid at present, these were the words used to describe Emma about town, words he and the others in the courtroom had often heard bandied about.

      “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” he went on.

      She stifled a yawn, “Yes. Prostitution.”

      He did not have to ask the next question. Gossip in town had already alerted him to the fact that she was guilty of “moral delinquency,” even though she had never been confined to a reformatory, prison or place of detention for incorrigibility.

      “And you were married?”

      She nodded, “I told you I’m widowed.”

      “And you have illegitimate children?”

      She nodded again, absentmindedly, not even looking at him.

      Frowning, he wrote down, “Didn’t conduct herself in a proper conjugal manner.”

      Her manner continued to irritate him, and he accelerated his questions, looking about the courtroom for support from his fellow physicians. They nodded sympathetically.

      “And what occupation have you followed and with what success?” A tone of snobbishness crept into his voice.

      “Occupation?” she looked confused.

      This time he didn’t waste a moment trying to explain. He wrote “no” with a flourish.

      “You haven’t supported yourself ever?” he went on quickly, as if expecting no answer.

      For the first time, Emma objected vehemently. “I have some income from my father’s estate,” she said with dignity, “My father was Richard Harlow. He was a man of property.” Her voice took on an unmistakable ring of pride, “He died of spinal trouble. Mother died in childbirth.”

      Dr. Davis looked at her with disdain. “You could do housework, I suppose,” he paused, “under supervision.”

      Flashing him an angry look, she turned away and fixed her attention on some non-existent spot on the ceiling. She made no further effort to answer.

      As quickly as possible, he concluded the cursory mental examination. There wasn’t much more to record beyond the fact that she could count to ten and that, as far as he knew, she had never been given any approved mental testing. The examination ended and, as speedily as possible on that first day of April 1920, Justice of the Peace C. D. Shackelford signed Emma Buck’s Order of Commitment to State Colony for Epileptics and Feeble-minded Commonwealth of Virginia (City) of Charlottesville, to wit:

      To the Sheriff, or Sergeant, of the county or city of Charlottesville and to Dr. A. S. Priddy MD Superintendent of the State Colony for Epileptics and Feeble-Minded of Madison Heights Greetings:

      Whereas, I C. D. Shackelford, A Justice, or judge of said county of Charlottesville and J. G. Flippen and W. H. Turner Jr., two physicians, the said J. S. Davis being the physician to the said Emma Buck, constituting a commission of inquiry, etc., into the mental condition of the said Emma Buck, has this day adjudged the said Emma Buck to be Feeble-Minded, and a suitable subject for an institution, for the care and treatment of the Feeble-Minded, and a citizen of this State, and without means of support and no person appearing before me to give bond with sufficient security to be approved by me, payable to the Commonwealth with condition to restrain and take proper care of the said Emma Buck person, without cost to the Commonwealth, until the cause of confinement shall cease for the said Feeble-Minded, I, C. D. Shackelford, do in the name of the Commonwealth, Command you, the said sheriff, or sergeant, to make provisions for the suitable and proper care and custody of the said Feeble-Minded person and you the said Superintendent of the Colony for Epileptics and Feeble-Minded, are hereby required to receive into the said Colony, and into your care and charge, if there be a vacancy, in the said Colony, the said Emma Buck to be treated and cared for as a feeble-minded person; and I do herewith transmit to you, the said superintendent of the Colony for Epileptics and Feeble-Minded, the interrogatories and answers thereto, taken by said Commission, touching the mental condition of the said Emma Buck and also the adjudication of the mental condition of the said Emma Buck, a copy of each of which has this day been delivered by me to the clerk of the court of the said city.

      The Order of Commitment was supported by the three physicians: J. S. Davis, the mental examiner, J. C. Flippen, M.D. and W. H. Turner, M.D.

      I, J. S. Davis, citizen of Virginia, physician and practitioner in the county of Albemarle, hereby certify that I have examined Emma Buck and find that she is feeble-minded, within the meaning of the law, and is a suitable subject for an institution for feeble-minded, the patient’s bodily health is poor and she has no contagious disorder.

      The Order was further substantiated by the findings and adjudication of the Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia, County of Albemarle.

      Whereas, Emma Buck, who is suspected of being feeble-minded or epileptic…, was this day brought before us, C. D. Shackelford, Judge or Justice of said County and J. C. Flippen and W. H. Turner, Jr., two physicians (said J. S. Davis being the physician of said suspected person) constituting a commission to inquire whether the said Emma Buck be feeble-minded…and a suitable subject for an institution for the care, training, and treatment of feeble-minded or epileptic persons: and whereas the judge or justice has read the warrant and fully explained the nature of the proceedings to the said suspected person, and we the said physicians have in the presence (as far as practicable) of the said judge, or justice, by personal examination of witness, satisfied ourselves as to the mental condition of the said Emma Buck, we, the said judge or justice, and physicians constituting the commission aforesaid, do decide this day that the said Emma Buck is feeble-minded, and ought to be confined in an institution for the feeble-minded.

      Five days later, on April 6, 1920 at 8:30 p.m., Emma Buck was admitted to Ward V of the State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded. According to the Charge Attendant, A. Jones, she brought with her, “$4.80, waist shirt, overshoes, 1 pr. shoes, 1 pr. hose, 1 coat, hat, undershirt 2, skirt.”

      The clothes, the attendant noted, were “in very bad condition.”

      Emma always insisted that she had not been indigent as the court said and her lack of possessions would seem to indicate. She insisted that her family had left her some money. In view of later findings about her family, she may well have been correct. However, only a few half-hearted inquiries were made in her behalf, such as Dr. Bell’s letter three years later to Caroline Wilhelm, a social worker in Charlottesville.

      April 3, 1923

      Miss Caroline E. Wilhelm

      Charlottesville, Virginia

      My Dear Miss Wilhelm:

      Carrie Buck’s mother, Emma Buck, who was committed to this