The Shadow Over the Boston House
A Tacoman is arrested for the murder of an elderly Seattle woman, weaving a web of gambling, betrayal, and dark secrets.
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.
William A. Wilcox of Tacoma was arrested on suspicion of murdering Mrs. Charlotte Fetting in Seattle and her son-in-law, James King, in Tacoma. Wilcox, once the superintendent of a Tacoma box factory, had been under suspicion since King’s inquest. Detectives believe Wilcox, an intimate friend of King, conspired with him to steal Mrs. Fetting’s money. Following the murder, Wilcox reportedly came into a large sum of money, claiming to have won it gambling, though evidence suggests he was a habitual loser. When questioned about his whereabouts on the night of Mrs. Fetting’s death, Wilcox faltered, offering no explanation. He remains in custody, and authorities expect to charge him with the murder of Mrs. Fetting in King County shortly.
“I won it gambling, was Wilcox’s explanation, but the proofs are that he was a loser and not a winner.”
This case highlights the fragility of life in the 1890s, where workers lived in boarding houses like the Boston House and relied on erratic shifts. The interplay of police suspicion and the desperation of the unemployed echoes the societal anxieties of Seattle during the Panic of 1893.
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