The Three Christs of Ypsilanti - Milton Rokeach [84]
On July 14, he even went to see the superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Yoder—whom on several occasions he had referred to as his “Dad”—to try to persuade him to approve a transfer. When Dr. Yoder told him it was not possible to deport him to England, Joseph wrote a long letter, which reads in part:
Perhaps, however, you can send me home to my wife? I hope so. I should be most gleeful, if you, Dr. Yoder, would be so kindly as to send me home to my wife. This would alleviate the sorrowness which I have for my not going home to England, the land of my profound love!
I remain, your truly,
(signed) Joseph Cassel
Ward D-16
Ypsilanti State Hospital,
Ypsilanti, Mich.
Additional: Please send me not home for just a week, but permanently. Send me home for good. Send me home to stay. Please don’t let me come back to the hospital, to any hospital!
But a few days later, when the tension had subsided, he said that he really liked the ward, that everyone had been nice to him, that this was the best ward he had ever been in (he had been in many during his twenty years of hospitalization), and that if he was transferred he would probably ask himself why he had ever wanted to leave D-16. “My identity is coming back slowly,” he added, “and then I’ll be able to say I’m God again.”
As for Leon and Clyde, they did not share Joseph’s desire for a transfer. Despite everything that had happened, these two—and especially Leon—were quite adamant about not wanting a transfer.
Finally, it is of interest to note that Joseph spontaneously brought up the subject of the Newsweek article about six weeks after he had been shown it. “There is an article,” he said, “about three fellows being under observation at Ypsilanti State Hospital. One is God, one is Jesus Christ, and one is Napoleon or something. Hell! That makes you kind of scared. You wish you were somewhere else. What they ought to do is dissolve the meetings, not have any meetings, don’t you think?”
[1]From Ypsilanti Daily Press, January 29, 1960.
CHAPTER X
THE FLORA AND FAUNA COMMISSION
WHILE THE new series of identity confrontations was putting renewed strains on the three men, we tried at the same time to find additional ways of bringing them into closer and more interdependent relations with one another. The major changes that had taken place so far had occurred during a relatively harmonious period; now we wished to learn whether by such means as the rotating chairmanship we could evoke still more changes in any of the three. Thus, we conceived the idea of getting them to work together on a project of common interest.
At the group meeting on April 22, 1960, we told the three Christs that they were to be issued a ground pass, which would entitle them to free run of the hospital grounds and the patients’ store. But, we added, the card would be issued in the names of all three men, and they would have to use it together.
“I don’t want it,” Leon said flatly.
“I agree with Dung on this particular matter,” said Joseph.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Peeling potatoes is bad enough,” Joseph went on, “but I should be able to go out on my own.”
“On your own merits, you’re right, sir.”
The group card was nevertheless offered at the end of the meeting, and refused, with Joseph visibly angry.
The agreement between Joseph and Leon about the group ground card suggested to us that we might use this as a means of drawing the two men closer together, and in the next few days we repeated our offer at the close of every meeting, always making it clear that the card was available only on condition that all three men use