The Tragic End of a Gambler
After losing his entire fortune at the gambling tables, L.W. Bernstein ends his life in Tacoma, leaving his family behind in Seattle.
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.
The body of L. W. Bernstein, of this city, who committed suicide last Saturday in Tacoma by hanging, was yesterday buried in the Jewish cemetery by his friends. The funeral took place at 8 o'clock in the morning from Bunney & Stewart's undertaking rooms. Bernstein was 40 years old and leaves a wife and two children, who live at 1,225 Washington street, this city. He came to Seattle about six years ago with $10,000 and opened up a second-hand store on South Third street, near Washington. He had a passion for gambling and passed in his fortune over the green tables. Last April, he was forced to sell out his store to pay off his debts and since that time he has been wandering about the various towns in the state.
“He had a passion for gambling and passed in his fortune over the green tables.”
The neighborhood around Washington and Third Street—now the heart of Pioneer Square—was the site of Seattle's early red-light and gambling district. Today, the area is better known for its preserved historic architecture than its former 'green cloth' vices, but it remains a reminder of the personal volatility that accompanied the city's rapid early growth.
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