Servant Girl Sues for Alleged Cruelty
A domestic worker alleges her employers incited their young son to assault her, leading to a miscarriage and her subsequent abandonment.
Jeanette Cuthbert, formerly a servant girl in the employ of Mr. and Mrs. James Spurr of this city, brought action against them in the superior court yesterday to recover $30,000 for alleged cruel treatment. She claims that Albert Spurr, a 6-year-old son of her employers, was incited by them to strike her, although they knew that she was pregnant at the time. In consequence of a blow inflicted by the little boy, she says, her child was killed and she gave a premature birth. She also says that on November 25, Mrs. Spurr refused to take care of or assist her when she gave birth to a dead child, and that she turned her out in the street while still weak and in a critical state of health.
“She also says that on November 25 Mrs. Spurr refused to take care of or assist her when she gave birth to a dead child, and that she turned her out in the street while still weak and in a critical state of health.”
This 1893 legal action highlights the profound lack of labor protections and the extreme vulnerability of domestic workers in early Seattle. Today, while labor laws have evolved, the isolation of domestic work remains a challenge, echoing the persistent struggle for fair treatment and dignity within private households.
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