Suspicion After a Politician's Sudden Death
A state representative dies in an asylum, and his father suspects poisoning by atropine.
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.
Several weeks ago, when the Post-Intelligencer announced the mysterious death of State Representative Shadle at the Steilacoom asylum, there was no direct evidence that he had died of poisoning. Shadle's father, however, has been inquiring into the matter, apparently on the theory that his son was poisoned. The body was exhumed after burial, and the contents of the stomach analyzed. Mr. Shadle has telegraphed the Prosecuting Attorney, stating his son was 'poisoned with atropine.' Various stories have been told since Shadle's death, some hinting at murder to remove him, and even linking the death of Mrs. Li. Redpath with the alleged murderous work.
“The body was exhumed after the burial, and the contents of the stomach analyzed.”
Steilacoom has a long, troubled history as the site of the state's first psychiatric hospital, a place that occupies a grim space in Washington's institutional lore.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.