The Tragic End of 'Wienerwurst Charlie'
A young immigrant street vendor in Tacoma takes his own life, leaving behind little but a nickname and a grieving brother.
Charles Niehoff, better known as 'Wienerwurst Charlie' on account of his recent occupation of selling that article on the streets, committed suicide this evening by taking a large dose of strychnine. He did not live an hour after. He was a native of Germany, 26 years of age and single. No reason is assigned for the act. He was a steady, industrious fellow and has a brother who is a well-known baker here.
“No reason is assigned for the act. He was a steady, industrious fellow.”
Short, tragic reports of this nature were common in turn-of-the-century papers, often providing little insight into the mental health struggles that led to such acts. It serves as a reminder of the isolation and precarity faced by many young immigrant laborers in the developing cities of the Pacific Northwest.
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