The Mystery of the Admiralty Bay Boatman
A lonely death in a remote bay leaves more questions than answers about a man whose final protest was written on a slip of paper.
Thomas Robinson, a boatman running between Seattle and Whidby Island, brought the news Wednesday afternoon that the body of an unknown man had been found in Admiralty Bay on the morning of the 27th instant, lying in a skiff. The remains were clad in red-colored canvas overalls, gray flannel drawers, red inside flannel and checked plaid outside shirts, and heavy gum boots, and in the skiff was an oil-skin overcoat. He had evidently died from exposure or sudden illness. A paper was found in one of his pockets stating in substance that a man by the name of S. Anderson had entered his house and put some cloth on the walls, to which he had objected and torn it down.
“A paper was found in one of his pockets stating in substance that a man by the name of S. Anderson had entered his house and put some cloth on the walls, to which he had objected and torn it down.”
While death on the water remains a tragic reality of life in the Puget Sound region, this 1876 snippet captures a poignant, forgotten life. It echoes modern concerns regarding housing security and interpersonal disputes, proving that even a century and a half ago, a man's home was his castle—even if the details of his final struggle were destined to remain a mystery.
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