The Unsolved Murder of James A. Frace
A quarrelsome man is found riddled with bullets, leaving behind a confusing trail of clues and a city full of suspects.
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.
It is not a scarcity of clues but the great number of clues in the Frace murder mystery that is baffling detectives. James A. Frace, a man known for being quarrelsome and an enemy of union men, was found dead beneath a fir tree about a mile from his home. He had been shot eight times with steel-jacketed bullets from an automatic pistol. He was last seen riding a Regents Park car, appearing in good humor. While he had numerous disputes with workmen, detectives believe the murder was premeditated and potentially related to serious business matters. No arrests have been made.
“It is not a scarcity of clues but the great number of clues in the Frace murder mystery that is baffling the detectives.”
This 1909 murder case highlights the volatile social dynamics of early Tacoma, where labor tensions and business disputes frequently boiled over into public violence. While the city has grown immensely, the geographical references to Regents Park and Proctor Street remain key markers of the city's historical evolution.
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