The Case of the Missing Two Hundred
A cable-splicer out on a drinking spree accuses his companions of lifting his life savings in a downtown hack.
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.
As the result of a spree last Saturday, C. Benson, a cable-splicer formerly employed on the Madison street road, was relieved of a sack of money containing about $200. G. Bradley, J. Bradley, Helen Clayton, and Irene Smith, Benson's companions during a part of the drunk, are in the city jail on suspicion of having had a hand in the affair. It was about 1:00 o'clock yesterday morning that Benson and the parties who are in jail got into a hack on Third street and were driven down to an oyster house on Yesler avenue and Second street. After supper, Benson suddenly became aware of the fact that his money was gone and accused everyone with him of the theft. They returned to Third street and separated, but J. Bradley remained with Benson. Officer John Corbett stepped in to quiet their jangling and arrested all parties. Benson later realized he couldn't actually pinpoint when the money was taken and expressed his belief that his friends in jail were innocent.
“Benson got out on bonds, and after sobering up came to the conclusion that he couldn't really tell when the money was taken.”
Public intoxication and the vulnerability of those carrying cash on a night out remain perennial issues in urban Seattle, even as the 'hack' and the oyster house have been replaced by ride-shares and modern nightlife. The incident captures a fragile moment of 1890s civic life where personal trust and police intervention collided on the streets of the city.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.