The Shadow Over the Graders' Camp
Two workers in the Cascade wilderness are shot in cold blood by a pair of escaped convicts, fueling local fear and resentment.
Cascade, July 28.—Robert O. Lytle and his partner, whose name is not yet known, were working as railroad graders near the town today when they were approached by two men. These strangers, later identified as escaped convicts from the territorial prison, engaged the men in conversation. Without warning, the convicts pulled weapons and opened fire, striking Lytle and his companion. Both men were left for dead. Following the assault, the culprits stole the graders' tools and fled into the dark, timbered wilderness. The authorities have organized a posse to scour the region, but as night falls, the danger to those working in the isolated camps remains high. It is feared that the suspects will attempt to hide in the deep brush until they can reach the coast.
“Both men were left for dead. Following the assault, the culprits stole the graders' tools and fled into the dark, timbered wilderness.”
Labor in the PNW has long been defined by the intersection of remote, dangerous industrial work and transient populations. The fear of lawlessness in the 'wilderness' persists in modern discourse around the safety of itinerant workers and the infrastructure projects that cut through the Cascades.
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