A Mystery in the Northwestern Hotel
A California sheriff inquires about a man who vanished in Seattle, sparking rumors of a dark fate.
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.
E. D. Gibson, sheriff of Los Angeles county, Cal., has written to Sheriff J. H. Woolery relating a rumor which has reached him that Francis M. Harris was killed in Seattle by his wife or some other woman with whom he was living. The letter stated that Harris was last heard from in November, 1891, at which time he was staying at the Northwestern hotel. Sheriff Woolery has not heard of Harris' death.
“E. D. Gibson, sheriff of Los Angeles county, Cal., has written to Sheriff J. H. Woolery relating a rumor which has reached him that Francis M. Harris was killed in Seattle.”
Missing person reports are a staple of urban life, though today’s digital breadcrumbs make complete disappearance nearly impossible compared to 1892. The Northwestern Hotel is long gone, reflecting the constant churn of Seattle’s downtown real estate.
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