The Seduction Trial of J. D. Stryker
A teenage girl testifies in a high-profile courtroom drama that captivated Tacoma.
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.
TACOMA, June 22.—The Bowers-Stryker seduction case began today. After Miss Bowers testified that J. D. Stryker, the defendant, a prominent business man of family, had invited her into his private office, held her on his lap, kissing her repeatedly, forced money down her dress in front and finally accomplished his purpose, the court adjourned until tomorrow. The court room was crowded. Miss Bowers, who is aged 14, exhibited a typewritten letter alleged to be from Stryker. It is unsigned, and professes great love, saying that the writer felt like a crazy man without her pretty face. Miss Bowers was attired attractively, and told her story unblushinglv. She testified to her intimacy with Stryker, he buying her dresses, underwear and stockings, until Stryker said he had another girl at Seattle. Defendants are confident of proving that the alleged letter is a forgery and establishing blackmail.
“The court room was crowded.”
This trial highlights the era's exploitative power dynamics and the legal mechanisms used to discredit young women in public forums. It captures a specific, grim moment in Tacoma's social history.
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