Arson After a Labor Dispute
A disgruntled worker is suspected of burning down his former employer's new home near Dieringer station.
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.
C. H. Aitken's new residence, near Dieringer station, was burned yesterday while he was in Tacoma and it is believed an evil-faced hired man who claimed that Aitken owed him $13, fired it to spite his employer. On Monday Aitken threatened to arrest the hired man and told him to leave. Yesterday an Indian standing on a bluff near the house saw the man stealing away. An investigation proved that the house had been fired. King county officials have been notified. Aitken was just moving in and had a fine library in the place. Loss, $4,000; insurance $2,000.
“It is believed an evil-faced hired man who claimed that Aitken owed him $13, fired it to spite his employer.”
This story highlights the volatile labor relations of the 1890s, where disputes over small sums of money could escalate into total destruction. While modern labor laws provide more robust pathways for wage claims, the underlying tension between employer and laborer remains a constant thread in Washington history.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.