The Mail-Order Crank of Seattle
A local mining broker faces prison for years of threatening and scurrilous letters sent to the Post-Intelligencer and national leaders.
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.
Charles F. Blackburn, a mining broker, has been arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshal Ruger for mailing defamatory and threatening postal cards to the Post-Intelligencer and political leaders including President Cleveland. Blackburn, described as a 'crank' on silver and religion, had been sending hundreds of such cards over three years. While his mining correspondence was considered professional, his political critiques were erratic and vitriolic. Postal Inspector Thrall determined that Blackburn was not insane, but rather an unsafe presence who required legal intervention. Blackburn, who had previously avoided charges after threatening a business associate, now faces a potential $1,000 fine or three years in the penitentiary.
“Are you ready for the devil to flap you over to the NE corner of the hottest hell?”
Harassment through anonymous correspondence is a historical constant, though the medium has shifted from penny postcards to modern digital platforms. Blackburn's case reflects the era's struggle with political polarization and mental health, with the 'silver question'—a complex monetary debate—acting as the primary trigger for his rage.
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