The Drunken Gunman of Cottman Rooming House
A visiting fruit packer fires four shots through a wall for 'the fun of it,' leaving town before police can reach the scene.
Chief of Police Copeland answered a hurry-up call last Thursday evening to find that L. Moore had fired four shots from a revolver through the wall of a room in the Cottman Rooming house. Moore made his escape before the police arrived and has not been heard of since. According to Miss Jennie Schrieber and R. Ingersoll, who witnessed the shooting, the affair was nothing more serious than the careless prank of an intoxicated man. Ingersoll was taken into custody as a witness and a warrant was issued for the arrest of Moore, who could not be located in the city. At the suggestion of Judge Staser, Chief Copeland returned to the rooming house to take charge of Moore’s personal belongings but found that they had been removed. It was learned that they had been removed from the rooming house by Harry Hill, a local barber, who was arrested the next morning and paid a fine and costs amounting to $14.70. Miss Schrieber and the two men are expert fruit packers and came here from California, where they were acquainted.
“The affair was nothing more serious than the careless prank of an intoxicated man.”
Early 20th-century Kennewick was a transient town fueled by seasonal labor, and this story highlights the volatility inherent in that migrant workforce. While the 'fruit packer' lifestyle is a staple of our history, the lawlessness of boarding house life remains a stark reminder of the social friction that occurred when seasonal populations converged in a small town.
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