A Father’s Suit for Seduction
A Seattle father seeks $10,000 in damages for the alleged seduction of his teenage daughter.
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.
Joseph H. Carter brought suit in the superior court yesterday to recover from one John Doe Fabish, whose true Christian name is unknown to him, $10,000 damages for the alleged seduction of the plaintiff's minor daughter, Gertrude, aged 14 years. The crime is alleged to have been committed on December 1, 1892. Carter runs a butcher shop on McClaire street, in the Walla Walla addition.
“Joseph H. Carter brought suit... to recover from one John Doe Fabish... $10,000 damages for the alleged seduction of the plaintiff's minor daughter, Gertrude, aged 14 years.”
This suit reflects the era's legal frameworks where a father could sue for the 'loss' of his daughter's virtue, viewing the minor as property under his care. It serves as a reminder of how drastically the legal and social status of young women has evolved since the 1890s.
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