Tragedy in Whatcom
A woman dies of acute alcoholism while her husband, a local editor, vanishes amid the fallout.
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.
Mrs. Russell, about 35 years of age, died at St. Joseph's hospital in Whatcom on Monday evening from the effects of acute alcoholism, having been more or less under the influence of liquor since the 4th of this month. Her husband, Jock Russell, who edited a few issues of a weekly paper here called The Breeze, has not been seen since yesterday. He is said to have been on a spree since the 4th. If found, he will be arrested on the charge of criminal negligence. The couple came here from Juneau two or three months ago. The maiden name of the deceased was Smith. She has a brother living in Callender, Iowa.
“Her husband, Jock Russell, who edited a few issues of a weekly paper here called The Breeze, has not been seen since yesterday.”
Public discourse around addiction and 'criminal negligence' in domestic tragedy remains a fraught issue in local Washington news, echoing the moralizing tone found in 1903 broadsheets when addressing alcoholism.
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