A Ghastly Discovery on Samish Island
A decomposed body found on the shores of Samish Island reveals signs of a brutal, weighted murder.
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.
A badly decomposed body was found yesterday morning on Samish Island, where the bodies of drowned men of the vicinity seem to congregate, four having been found there within a year. Word was sent to Coroner Mower, who on arrival saw the serious nature of the case and sent for the county attorney. The examination developed the fact that the corpse was that of a man, but it was so thoroughly decomposed that it was unrecognizable. A Chinaman working for W. B. Clark, of Bay Centre, identified him as one of his race from the nature of his clothing. The skull showed a deep slash, evidently made with an ax, extending clear across the top of the head; the lower jaw was badly mashed, while on the breast was a dasher's thrust. The feet were bound together with rope and wire, and to them attached a plate of iron taken from a firebox and weighing fourteen pounds. It is probable that he was murdered on board ship and thrown overboard, weighted down so as to sink, but the gases developed by decomposition brought the corpse to the surface.
“The remains gave out such a stench that the inquest was held on the windward and at a respectful distance.”
This discovery highlights the hidden violence often directed toward the Chinese community during the 19th-century anti-Chinese movement in Washington. Today, Samish Island is a quiet residential community, but the waters of the Puget Sound remain a historical repository for the stories of those marginalized or erased by the growth of the region.
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