The Tragedy at Fernhill
A domestic dispute in a Tacoma suburb ends in a horrific murder-suicide, leaving a community shaken.
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.
Mrs. Mortimer Lewis, who was shot through the lung Friday night by her husband at Fernhill, died tonight. The couple unfortunately did not live happily together. He was a drunkard and his wife had him bound over recently to keep the peace. Swearing to be avenged, he went home Friday night, shot her through the lungs and then, turning the weapon on himself, blew out his brains. They have resided for about 5 years in Tacoma.
“Swearing to be avenged, he went home Friday night, shot her through the lungs and then, turning the weapon on himself, blew out his brains.”
Domestic violence reporting in 1892 often relied on the trope of 'intemperance' or alcoholism as the sole driver for domestic homicide, a narrative that often obscured the systemic nature of intimate partner violence. Today, Fernhill remains a residential neighborhood in Tacoma, continuing the city's long struggle to provide resources and safety for victims of domestic abuse.
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