The Trial of Prince the Dog
A Seattle jailhouse standoff erupts when two men both claim ownership of a local canine, forcing a judge to decide who the dog really belongs to.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There was a great deal of local interest in the County Jail yesterday regarding the identity of a dog named 'Prince.' Mr. Proust and Mr. Wright both appeared to be delighted with joy when the big dog was let out of his cell. 'Boy, old boy,' chirped Mr. Proust, as he patted Prince on the head, 'he knows me. Of course he’s my dog. Anybody can see that.' Mr. Wright insisted the dog knew him, stating, 'He certainly knows me, Mr. Proust.' Mr. Wright then whistled, and 'Prince' trotted in from Mr. Proust's hand and wagged his tail most affectionately, as it stopped before Mr. Wright and looked at him inquiringly. Mr. Proust became quite agitated, claiming the dog was his. There was no doubt that the dog had been in the jail house for some time in April. Mr. Proust said he bought it and part of his tax had been paid. Both men laid claim to the dog, and yesterday Mr. Proust, with tears in his eyes, asked the police justice to sort out the case. When the case was finally laid before the judge, Mr. Proust said he would abandon his claim, and Mr. Wright left the courtroom happy.
“Of course he’s my dog. Anybody can see that.”
This oddity from 1891 captures the perennial human attachment to pets as status symbols and companions. Just as in modern-day Seattle, where ownership disputes and local ordinances regarding animal welfare often dominate neighborhood discourse, this case shows that civic institutions have long been used to settle the most trivial, yet deeply personal, of local conflicts.
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