In 1880 a tragic event unfolds in France’s largest mental asylum at Clermont (Oise). A young lunatic is savagely beaten to death by the very man responsible for his recovery, the chief warden. At first glance, it seems to be just another sordid news story, evidence of the violence often inflicted upon the mentally estranged. But beyond the horror of the 1880 drama lies precious material for anyone interested in the history of insanity in France. In effect, the investigation and scandal that follow the assasination force the insane asylum to open its doors to the outside world. The historian thus acquires the unprecedented testimony of the mentally ill who deliver their version of an average day in the asylum without the typical influence of the psychiatrist who normally acts as an intermediary. Equally exceptional is the fact that the press seizes the opportunity to profoundly criticize the treatment of the mentally deranged. The pressure is so great that the authorities take it upon themselves to reform the laws regarding the institutionalization of the mentally ill. The patients’ accounts along with the press articles shed a whole new light on the perception and management of the insane during the Nineteenth Century, a perspective not often dealt with by historians of psychiatry who depend mostly on the medical archives.