The Tragedy of Suzuki Kumakichi
A Japanese fisherman is discovered dead in his cabin at Holmes Harbor, the victim of accidental asphyxiation.
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.
Suzuki Kumakichi, a Japanese fisherman, was found dead in the cabin of his fishing sloop, the West Seattle, near Holmes Harbor on Whidby Island. William Frier, who operates a logging camp at the head of the harbor, had observed the boat anchored nearby. After failing to see any movement from the occupant for two days, Frier and an associate boarded the vessel and discovered Kumakichi dead, his hands crossed over his chest. An inquest conducted by Coroner Dr. W. L. White determined that the man had perished from accidental asphyxiation caused by coal gas fumes.
“Found dead in the sloop West Seattle... came to his death by accidental asphyxiation in coal gas.”
This story highlights the often invisible but perilous lives of early immigrant fishers in the Puget Sound. The hazards they faced—from harsh winters to dangerous equipment—remain a sobering part of Washington’s maritime heritage.
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