The Lonely Death of Charles J. Norton
After taking his own life in the woods near Gilman, a young man with a history of luxury is mourned by strangers.
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.
The funeral of Charles J. Norton, the young man who fatally shot himself on Saturday evening in the woods near Gilman, took place on Sunday afternoon. At the hospital, where the body lay, a beautiful service was held by Dr. Hickerson, of Seattle, whose remarks touched the hearts of those present, many being bathed in tears. The simple story of the deceased's life, as known for the past two years, was told, and as it was realized that he, who always had had loving and careful hands to attend to him, and even luxury in life in earlier years, was to be buried without kith and kin attending, the 'pity of it' was doubly felt by all.
“As it was realized that he... was to be buried without kith and kin attending, the 'pity of it' was doubly felt by all.”
The tragedy of the 'unclaimed' death is a recurring shadow in a city defined by transient migration. Today, this story would likely be discussed as a crisis of mental health and social isolation, but it remains a poignant look at how the community reacts when an individual dies far from their roots.
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