Fatal Panic Following a Cruel Hoax
A woman drowns in a desperate escape attempt after a stranger falsely claims a Seattle saloon is under quarantine.
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.
Coroner Horton has consulted with the prosecuting attorney regarding the investigation of Kitty Allen, who drowned under the Blue Front saloon on Thursday night. The tragedy occurred after an individual raised a false alarm, claiming the premises were under quarantine. The panic resulted in a stampede, during which Allen attempted to escape through a window and subsequently perished. Police have arrested C. E. Lynch on suspicion of being the man who raised the alarm, though he denies culpability. Allen's brother arrived from Portland to take charge of funeral arrangements.
“I was in the saloon at the time of the stampede, but did not have anything to do with it.”
The fear of quarantine and public health orders causing panic in dense quarters feels hauntingly familiar, even if this specific incident was triggered by a malicious hoax rather than a legitimate health crisis.
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