The Peeping Miner and the Stolen Money
A miner from Franklin claims to have witnessed a robbery at a saloon on King Street through a crack in the door.
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.
Belle and James Martin, who are accused of robbing Charles Murphy, a Franklin miner, of $100 in a room at the rear of the Dove saloon on King street, were bound over to the superior court by Justice Caldwell yesterday afternoon. Bonds were set at $500 for each, in default of which they were committed to the county jail. The same strenuous effort to conceal the name or assumed name of the female defendant that has appeared prominent in the case from the time of arrest came out at the hearing, but by persistent questioning Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Bass made it clear that Belle Doe was either Martin's wife or mistress. Murphy testified that while looking through a crack in the door he saw Belle Martin pass money to James Martin.
“Murphy testified that while looking through a crack in the door he saw Belle Martin pass money to James Martin.”
This case highlights the informal and often transient nature of early Seattle lodging and entertainment, where 'rooms at the rear of saloons' were common settings for vice and crime. Today, the area around King Street in Pioneer Square remains a historic core, though the casual violence and legal policing of 'mistresses' mentioned here reflect the gendered moral policing typical of the era's legal system.
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