Tragedy in the Basement on Washington Street
A cook and cannery worker, struggling with isolation and mental illness, was found dead in a basement apartment.
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.
Dong, a Chinese cook and cannery worker, committed suicide in the basement at 504 Washington Street by hanging himself from the rafters about 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He was found by some of his countrymen about 4 o'clock, and the case was reported to the coroner's office shortly after. Dong worked in a cannery in Bellingham Bay and recently ran away, coming to Seattle. It is stated by his countrymen that his mind was unbalanced. Dong had resided in the United States, and he had a cousin living here.
“It is stated by his countrymen that his mind was unbalanced.”
The neighborhood surrounding 504 Washington Street, located in what was then known as the Chinatown district, has seen immense shifts in density and demographic character over the last century. Today, this site reflects the ongoing struggle for precarious workers to find stable housing and mental health support in a city with a high cost of living.
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