The Ousting of Professor Willers
A prominent Tacoma linguist and ordained minister is kidnapped by a group of men following allegations of 'unnatural conduct' with his students.
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.
Prof. J. C. Willers, an ordained minister of the gospel and prominent linguist, has been kidnapped or driven out of the country. His friends say he has been kidnapped. He gave private lessons to boys in Greek, Hebrew, Latin, French and German, and has had some difference with the German church organizations here. Three weeks ago an express wagon and three men came to his lodgings and took him and his luggage away. He was greatly distressed and excited. He has not been seen since. The previous night he had quarreled with a caller. Charles T. Muehlenbruch and Fred Schuh, prominent Germans, were with a party that called at Willers' lodgings. Friends of these gentlemen say Willers was guilty of indecent conduct toward his pupils, one of whom was brought to accuse him. Beside, Willers was confronted with official notice of how he fled from Geestrow, Germany, for like unnatural conduct. The Germans are much excited over the matter. Some criticise Willers' persecutors for taking the law into their own hands. His accusers say Willers will be hounded out of the United States. Willers resided with W. H. Kent at 1151 South J street.
“His accusers say Willers will be hounded out of the United States.”
This case highlights the brutal intersection of vigilante 'morals' enforcement and historical attitudes toward homosexuality, here coded as 'unnatural conduct.' It remains a grim reminder of how private lives were policed by local organizations in the absence of due process in 1890s Tacoma.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.