The Cabin Door Mystery
A witness disputes rumors surrounding a suspicious fire and death in South Seattle.
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.
The theory that 'Tommy' Anderson was murdered before being burned in his cabin at South Seattle received a setback yesterday when John Powell, who lives at the corner of Grant and Market streets, came to police headquarters and reported that the talk about the kitchen door being open when the fire was discovered was unfounded. He said that he and L. V. Snyder were among the first ones at the house and the door was locked.
“The theory that 'Tommy' Anderson was murdered before being burned in his cabin at South Seattle received a setback yesterday.”
Unsolved deaths in isolated shacks were a recurring trope in early Seattle journalism, often reflecting the dangerous lack of oversight for migrant workers. This incident highlights how quickly rumors—and 'facts'—could diverge in the days before forensics provided definitive answers.
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