The Persistent Vendetta of Mattie Morrell
A local woman with a volatile history is arrested after firing a revolver at her former lover in a downtown saloon.
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. D. J. Morrell, better known as Mattie Morrell, who shot Dog Catcher Edward Nolan about six months ago, took another shot at him in the Round Bend saloon, corner of King and Seventh streets, last evening at 7:30 o'clock. Nolan was sitting in the front of the saloon, when Mrs. Morrell, who was under the influence of liquor, entered the back door. She no sooner caught sight of him than she drew a 38-caliber American bulldog revolver from her pocket, leveled it at his head and fired. The bullet missed its mark, but tore through the front of the saloon. Nolan fled as fast as his legs could carry him. Mattie Morrell is a woman with a history. About six months ago she was arrested for attempting the life of Nolan at the Orth house. Several years ago she was sent to Walla Walla for robbery, where she met and married Dave Morrell, a guard who eventually became a policeman in Olympia. After their separation, she became well-known to the Seattle police.
“She no sooner caught sight of him than she drew a 38-caliber American bulldog revolver from her pocket, leveled it at his head and fired.”
Public violence and the sensationalized policing of 'women with a history' remain deeply embedded in the narrative of urban Seattle. This incident, occurring in the heart of what would eventually become the Pioneer Square and International District, highlights a recurring pattern of volatile domestic and public confrontations that historical papers were quick to commodify.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.