Sniper Fire on the Seattle Commuter Line
Commuters on a Northern Pacific train near the Seattle brewery had a brush with death after a bullet shattered their carriage window.
Attorney William O. Chapman and W. B. Hoxie of Tacoma narrowly escaped injury while on a train to Tacoma from Seattle. As they passed through the outskirts of Seattle near the brewery, a bullet crashed through the glass, missing the men by inches. The window shattered, covering Mr. Hoxie in glass shards. The conductor noted that this was not the first time the train had been fired upon in that vicinity, raising concerns that it is only a matter of time before a passenger is killed.
“It is considered only a matter of time, unless the criminals are arrested, when some one will be killed.”
This incident highlights the precarious nature of early rail transit in Seattle and the persistent, lawless danger often found on the outskirts of the growing city. It reflects the same safety concerns that continue to dominate regional transit debates today.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.