Hamilton Howard Fish Essay

Hamilton Howard “Albert” Fish was born in Washington D.C. on May 19, 1870. His mother and father were Ellen and Randall Fish. Fish’s family had an extensive history of mental illnesses, making him possibly prone to different disorders. Several of his family members were diagnosed with different mental disorders. His uncle suffered from religious mania, his brother was placed in a state mental hospital, and his sister was diagnosed with a mental affliction. Several of his other relatives were diagnosed with mental illnesses including his mother, Ellen Fish, who was believed to have had visual hallucinations.

His father, Randall Fish, was seventy five at the time of Fish’s birth. He later died from a heart attack, leaving his family in distress.

During this time, he began to sexually assault boys, beginning his first criminal acts against children, which he would continued to do. In 1898, his mother arranged a marriage for Fish, later becoming a father of six children. His children lived average lives until 1917, after Fish’s wife moved on to another man, leaving him to care for the children alone. He found the opportunity to further his sadomasochistic urges and had his children participate in his disturbing games, which included them inflicting pain on Fish with a nail filled

His time at the orphanage made him lack the chance to receive a proper education, so he would later begin to work more with his hands rather than pursuing to further his education. Although it was recorded that he expressed symptoms of schizophrenia, after his wife left him, he was never diagnosed with a mental illness even though he was incredibly prone to mental illnesses due to his family’s genetic history. Albert Fish was a sadomasochist who targetted young children. He was sexually attracted to young boys, who he would forcibly fulfil his disturbing fantasies with. He would often lure children away from their homes and carry out torturing them in myriad ways. After torturing them, he would rape them and often end it with murdering them and committing cannibalistic acts to his young