The Widow, the Prisoner, and a Near-Miss on Yesler Hill

A sorrow-stricken and perhaps desperate woman in search of the man who took her husband's life called at the county jail yesterday afternoon, and her every action indicated that she meant to do violence in case she succeeded in getting an interview. She was Mrs. Harry L. Fraser, whose husband was shot in the Northern Hotel barroom early Monday morning, and the man she demanded to see was Paul Page, now in jail awaiting the determination of the accusation against him. Deputy Jailer Burkman recognized the woman, and told her that Page was not in the jail—which was true, for the prisoner was undergoing his preliminary examination. Yet Mrs. Fraser and Page passed each other in carriages later, although neither of them was aware of the fact. Page was returning from the justice court where the arraignment took place, and Mrs. Fraser was coming down Yesler Avenue hill after her unsuccessful visit to the courthouse.

It was by a peculiar combination of circumstances that Page and Mrs. Fraser came to pass each other on the street, and perhaps it was luck that Mrs. Fraser did not recognize him. Mrs. Page and her daughter Anna, who arrived yesterday morning from California, went up to the courtroom in the middle of the afternoon to see the prisoner, who has been quite unwell since Friday evening. The meeting took place in Sheriff Van de Vanter's private office and lasted about an hour. Page kept up well, but just as he was clasped in his mother's arms came near falling to the floor from one of those momentary fainting fits of which he has had several during the past few days. After the meeting of mother and son, Page was taken in a carriage by Sheriff Van de Vanter down to Justice McKibben's court, where he was formally arraigned on the charge of murder in the first degree. The preliminary examination was set for 10 o'clock next Tuesday morning.

Only a short time after the sheriff and Page left, a heavily veiled woman, clad in deep mourning, and who from her actions was evidently laboring under excitement, walked into the jailer's office and took a chair. Jailer Burkman did not have to wait long before he found out the object of her visit.

"I want to see Paul Page," said the woman, in a low, husky voice. Burkman is a very large man, good-natured and always a gentleman. He looked at his visitor a moment and then said:

"Madam, please raise your veil."

The woman did so, and Burkman immediately said:

"You cannot see Mr. Page, for he is not in the jail."

This gave Mrs. Fraser a shock and she inquired if it was customary to allow prisoners to go about the city. Burkman replied that sometimes it was necessary to take them to court, this being the case with Page. Mrs. Fraser then stated that she did not mean any harm to Mr. Page, but she desired to have a look at him. As she was coming down the hill in her carriage, Sheriff Van de Vanter and Page, coming up, passed her.

The funeral services over the remains of Harry Fraser will be held this morning at 10 o'clock at Bonney & Stewart's chapel under the auspices of Court Friar Tuck, No. 7921, A.O.F., Rev. Clark Davis officiating. After the services the remains will be sent to Stockton, Cal., for interment. Mrs. Fraser will accompany them.