The Mysterious Death of Mr. Pullin
A citizen questions the official report of a man found dead in the water, fearing he was silenced before a looming lawsuit.
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.
This morning's Post-Intelligencer reports the body of the late Mr. Pullin was found in the water. I fear the report is the result of the usual haste. It has been noticed that people who know things disappear and make it not worth investigation. It has become monotonous. Mr. Pullin was an old resident who had many friends. He would have been an important witness in a not-impossible upcoming suit. It would be a great deal more satisfactory to know that his death was the result of accident or disease than that he was put out of the way.
“It would be a great deal more satisfactory to know that his death was the result of accident or disease than that he was put out of the way.”
This reflects the deep suspicion early residents held toward the 'powers that be' in a rapidly growing city. The fear of being silenced in legal or land disputes remains a common trope in stories of frontier justice and modern civic corruption.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.