Home Burglarized While Family Attends Church
A bold break-in at a Seattle residence highlights a spike in property crime.
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.
According to the signs of the times, the burglars, after a short vacation, have returned to their vocation. It transpired yesterday that the residence of H. O. Shuey, at 222 Lake street, was burglarized Thursday evening, and $75 worth of silverware, jewelry and clothing taken. Mr. and Mrs. Shuey went to church and returned home to find the house in disorder. An entrance had been effected by prying open the kitchen door with a chisel. Then the burglars went through every room in the house, turned things topsy-turvy, threw the contents of bureau drawers on the floor, and when they had satisfied themselves, left with the goods mentioned. The fact that the burglars used a chisel to pry open the door would indicate that the work was done by the same gang as operated on J. B. Agen's house a few days ago.
“According to the signs of the times, the burglars, after a short vacation, have returned to their vocation.”
Property crime remains a perennial concern in Seattle, though today’s homeowners likely utilize security systems rather than worrying about neighborhood gangs with chisels. The story illustrates the vulnerability of residential life during the city’s early, rapid expansion.
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