The Trial of the Deadly Gun Trap
A Whatcom man faces trial for setting a lethal snare that killed a man, marking a rare legal precedent for the state.
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 case of the State vs. N. S. Barr, who set the gun trap which killed John Erickson some weeks ago, will be the first case called for jury trial in the superior court next week. An unusual degree of interest is manifested in it by attorneys and others owing to the fact that no case involving the same points has ever been tried in this state, and there are but few cases of the kind on record.
“An unusual degree of interest is manifested in it by attorneys and others owing to the fact that no case involving the same points has ever been tried in this state.”
This case reflects the era's brutal methods of 'property protection' and the shifting legal standards of the late 19th century. Similar debates over the limits of self-defense and the legality of protective measures remain relevant in modern Washington law.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.