The Strange Case of the Missing Bracelet
A young man finds himself the pawn in a political scheme involving police reform, an ex-chief, and a diamond bracelet.
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.
Floyd Cobb, a young man who while intoxicated took Mrs. Mayberry's diamond bracelet from Dr. Henderson's office last Friday, further implicated himself yesterday by telling Chief Jackson that he also took a coat from a dummy in front of a clothing store last week. Cobb is still in the city jail, but his friends are making an effort to procure bail. Cobb is keenly aware of the disgrace he has brought upon himself but says he has no idea what made him take the bracelet and coat. The unusual interest taken by high officials in what would otherwise have been an unimportant case is said to be wholly due to their desire to get some hold on ex-Chief Rogers, who had the temerity to recover goods and money for individuals who have been robbed by thieves and bunko men under the very nose of the police department.
“The unusual interest taken by these high officials in what would otherwise have been an unimportant case, is said to be wholly due to their desire to get some hold on ex-Chief Rogers.”
This story highlights the perennial tension in Seattle between police accountability, political maneuvering, and the treatment of vulnerable individuals within the justice system. The 'bunko men' and corruption scandals mirror the long-standing civic arguments regarding the city's power structures.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.