Domestic Violence in Bellingham
A man attempts to murder his wife at a local hotel, claiming he wanted to end both their lives due to illness and poverty.
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.
Thomas McGee, who arrived from Seattle this morning, made an attempt about 1:00 o'clock to cut his wife's throat with a penknife at the Bellingham hotel, where she has been employed the past few weeks. Her cries brought assistance and McGee, who is weak and ill, was speedily overpowered, but not until he had made a slight gash in his wife's throat. Mrs. McGee says her husband is not in his right mind as the result of sickness and has been unable to support her for some time, and for that reason she has been obliged to leave him temporarily to secure work. His statement that she deserted him she denies, and says that soon after his arrival he called her to her room and told her he would live no longer and intended to end both their lives. He submitted quietly to arrest and will probably be examined as to his sanity.
“He called her to her room and told her he would live no longer and intended to end both their lives.”
This incident highlights the grim reality of domestic violence and the economic desperation faced by families in 1894. More than a century later, the cycle of poverty, health crises, and gender-based violence remains a persistent challenge for community resources in Washington State.
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