A Sad Discovery Near the Barrel Factory
A German immigrant who arrived in Seattle to start a new life dies by suicide, leaving behind his wife and business worries.
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.
In yesterday's paper, a man was mentioned as disappearing from town, and yesterday at 4 p.m. he was found dead near the barrel factory. Charles Boerner was a native of Saxony and about 39 years of age. He leaves a wife and several little children. He came here about two months ago and, being pleased with the place, returned to Stockton for his family. Mr. J. J. Quinn, who found the body, immediately notified the Coroner. Boerner left a letter in German explaining his intention to end his life due to sickness and misery, asking that his property be sold so his wife could return home. Officer Manning testified that he saw Boerner earlier that morning looking worried about 'hard cases' around town. The jury verdict confirmed death by a pistol shot fired by his own hand.
“I am sick, and why should I run around in misery? Give my regards to my wife and children. Sell my two lots in Tacoma as quick as possible, and my business here, so my wife can go back to Stockton.”
The tragedy of Charles Boerner—a man seeking a fresh start in a burgeoning Seattle only to be overwhelmed by the pressures of his new environment—remains a stark, perennial story in a city that has seen waves of newcomers seeking a better life for nearly 150 years.
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