The Cigar Salesman Who Never Delivered
A young man is arrested in Seattle after allegedly defrauding a local store owner in a suspicious trade agreement.
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.
E. Weymouth, a young man who has been selling cigars on commission for Arthur Levin, of 117 West Yesler Avenue, was arrested yesterday on a charge of obtaining goods under false pretenses. It is alleged that about a year ago, Weymouth went to Goldberg's store on Marion Street and tried to make a sale. He was told they were overstocked, whereupon he agreed to take cigars and replace them with other goods they required. He obtained the cigars but neglected to complete his end of the trade. A warrant was sworn out before Justice Jobel, and when Weymouth returned to the city yesterday he was arrested by Officer Harding. It is said that he has been in Tacoma and done a turn something similar to the case in question. Weymouth does not enjoy life in the city jail and is making an effort to get out on bail.
“Weymouth does not enjoy life in the city jail and is making an effort to get out on bail.”
While this was a standard petty crime report for the 1890s, it serves as a reminder that Seattle's commercial streets like Marion and Yesler were hubs for transient 'drummers' and independent traders. Today, these neighborhoods are characterized by high-density mixed-use development, but the tension between local businesses and unreliable contractors remains a perennial feature of city life.
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