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Tell Tale Heart: Letter 1 - Transcript

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a certified or verbatim transcript, but rather represents only the context of the class or meeting, subject to the inherent limitations of real-time captioning. The primary focus of real-time captioning is general communication access and as such this document is not suitable, acceptable, nor is it intended for use in any type of legal proceeding.

RICHARD HARLAND SMITH: From: The Offices of Dr. Edgar Allan Poe
6850 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Canoga Park, CA 91303
February 25, 2021
To: Utica Psychiatric Hospital
1213 Court Street
Utica, NY 13502

RICHARD HARLAND SMITH: Dear, Gregory Butterworth,

RICHARD HARLAND SMITH: I am Dr. Edgar Allan Poe, a physiatrist who specializes in dealing with the mentally insane. I am writing this letter to confirm our discussion that there are three men who must be sent into your care immediately. The first is Samuel Browning, a man who was found crying on his floor after his neighbors alerted the police about abnormally loud crying coming from next door. When they approached him, he started ranting about a talking raven sitting on top of his door despite there being nothing there in reality. We have since diagnosed him with schizophrenia and have started giving him anti-tremors medications. The next patient is Mario Lee, a man whose life went downhill ever since his wife Annabel bit the dust, as even in death, he still wants to sleep next to her coffin. Lee insists that the angels were jealous of their relationship and killed her for that reason. We believe the truth is that all it was was a simple fever, although we still haven't been able to pin down what's wrong with him. It has been suggested that it might be a case of psychosis and we suggest that he be admitted to your hospital and receive counseling at least twice a week. The final patient is Simon J. Tod, a man, aged 20, who was found the same way as Browning - by his neighbors’ reports of loud noises from next door - only this time instead of crying they were sounds of laughing. The next day the police went over to his house where they say that Tod was calm upon opening the door and even showed them around the house at one point. Tod and the officers walked into the room where the body was concealed and they were in there for a very long time. Officer Eugene Flowers has said that Tod just randomly flipped: he got up, started yelling and ripping out the floorboards below the stool on which he had been sitting, and he then reached into the hole he made and pulled out several body parts of the murder victim. I am going to recommend putting him in one of the padded cells in a straightjacket as he is too insane to be given a regular room where he could easily hurt himself or others. Let's set up a day when I could transfer the patients to you. I look forward to it. Sincerely, Dr. Edgar Allan Poe

[END OF RECORDING]

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a certified or verbatim transcript, but rather represents only the context of the class or meeting, subject to the inherent limitations of real-time captioning. The primary focus of real-time captioning is general communication access and as such this document is not suitable, acceptable, nor is it intended for use in any type of legal proceeding.

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