The Opium Sidewalk Mystery
Two men were accused of smuggling nearly a hundred pounds of illicit opium, but the case crumbled under the weight of insufficient evidence.
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.
John Gordon and John Manson, who were arrested by Officers Willard and Templeton on a charge of smuggling ninety-eight pounds of opium, were discharged yesterday by Commissioner Emery for lack of conclusive evidence. The officers saw them walking up and down South Fifth street early last Friday morning and, suspecting some criminal intent, arrested them on suspicion. The opium was afterwards found hidden under the sidewalk, and they were charged with smuggling it. The officers, however, failed to connect them with the opium, hence their discharge.
“The officers saw them walking up and down South Fifth street early last Friday morning and, suspecting some criminal intent, arrested them on suspicion.”
This incident highlights the intense focus of local authorities on the illicit trade routes of the 1890s, often centered around Seattle's waterfront and downtown neighborhoods. Today, South Fifth Street remains a bustling urban corridor, far removed from the era of clandestine opium stashes, yet the city continues to grapple with the legacy of how enforcement policies were applied to different populations during the late 19th century.
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