The Self-Appointed Officer
A private detective finds himself behind bars after harassing a local merchant.
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.
F. Hagedorn, lieutenant of the so-called Northwestern Detective Agency, occupied a cell in the city jail last night on the charge of impersonating an officer. Mr. McCormick, who runs the phonograph at the corner of Jackson and South Second streets, was coming off the boat yesterday morning when he was met by Hagedorn and another member of the detective agency. McCormick says they insisted on seeing what he had in his case, and showed a star when he objected to talking with them. He mentioned the matter to Lieut. Brennan and Officer Pierce and as a result the private detective was arrested.
“He showed a star when he objected to talking with them.”
This incident highlights the tensions surrounding private security forces in Seattle, a theme that remains highly resonant as modern debates over private patrols and surveillance continue to shape the city's civic life.
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