While streaking is often seen as a college prank or even as a protest tactic today, history has shown us that spontaneous public nudity has long had its moments. In the early 1900s, several people dashed through city streets in nothing but their skin, leaving onlookers shocked and newspapers buzzing. From hospital escapes to divine visions, these five historic incidents prove that the urge to run wild and free has deep roots in our past.
1. The Minot Screamer (1913 – North Dakota)
In 1913, North Dakota, people witnessed a bizarre sight when a man was spotted running through the streets and screaming so loud that the local courthouse had to call their session to a halt.
The man, a patient at St. Joseph’s Hospital, had become violently agitated during a cataleptic episode. He overpowered a fellow patient, dashed past startled nurses, and ran into the city streets unclothed and howling. It took three men—including the deputy sheriff—to subdue him. Nurses finally covered him with a sheet before bringing him back to the hospital.
Source: The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican. Fargo, N.D., 01 Dec. 1913.
2. Fever-Fueled Escape (1905 – Grand Forks, North Dakota)
Typhoid fever doesn’t typically lead to spurts of energy, but in 1905, John Cantlin proved otherwise. Suffering from the illness and confined to the Deaconess Hospital, he suddenly broke away from his attendant and sprinted, naked, to the nearby courthouse.
He was soon caught and bundled up in an overcoat, and returned to the hospital.
Source: The Ward County Independent. Minot, Ward County, N.D., 04 Oct. 1905.
3. Fleeing the Knife (1915 – Topeka, Kansas)
Just before an appendectomy, one man decided enough was enough. The drugs had dulled his pain but not his resolve. According to the report:
“[He kicked] aside surgeon and nurses, leaped from the operating table, ran naked to his room and then dashed through the streets, dressing at intervals.”
Despite their best efforts, hospital staff couldn’t stop him. He escaped the building mid-operation prep and was still at large when the story hit the papers.
Source: The Daily Ardmoreite. Ardmore, Okla., 08 Jan. 1915.
4. The Delirium Dash (1913 – Racine, Wisconsin)
Tragedy met absurdity when Jason Cable, in a fevered delirium, jumped from a hospital window during a snowstorm and fled naked into the blizzard. He did not survive.
A brief newspaper report tells us that:
“Jason Cable, who, in a delirium, jumped from a hospital window and ran naked through the snow storm, is dead from exposure.”
Source: The Day Book. Chicago, Ill., 10 Jan. 1913.
5. Chased by the Devil (1904 – Huffton, South Dakota)
One of the more haunting tales comes from Huffton [Houghton], where a man named Frank Anderson had been attending revival meetings for several days. Then, on a snowy Sunday, something came over him.
He stripped off all his clothing, ran barefoot and nude through the snow, and arrived home frostbitten. When asked why, he simply said:
“The Lord had ordered him to take off his clothing in the open air, and just as he got them off, the devil got after him.”
Anderson was soon taken to Aberdeen for psychiatric evaluation.
Source: Eureka Post. Eureka, McPherson Co., S.D., 04 March 1904.
