Sniper Targets South Tacoma Streetcar
A motorman narrowly escaped death when a mysterious horseman fired a shot into his passing transit car.
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.
Motorman F. J. Morgan, of the South Tacoma line, again narrowly escaped from the clutches of a highwayman early this morning, when an attempt was made to shoot him while his car was going at full speed. The bullet missed its mark and, whizzing by the motorman's face, lodged in the car door. It was about 12:15 this morning and while the car was making its last trip from South Tacoma to the city, that the incident happened. Near the Wapato bridge the car met a horseman, going in the opposite direction, and when the two passed, the horseman raised his gun and fired. As soon as the car reached the city the happening was reported to the police. It is thought that this case may have a bearing on last Wednesday morning's hold up, when two men attempted to rob Morgan and failed, departing with bruised bodies instead of Morgan's cash.
“The bullet missed its mark and, whizzing by the motorman's face, lodged in the car door.”
This incident highlights the dangers faced by transit workers in early 20th-century Tacoma; violence against operators remains a pressing contemporary issue for local transit authorities.
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