The Burglars Who Rang the Doorbell
In a brazen early morning attempt to rob W. I. Thompson’s Broadway residence, thieves cut telephone wires and rang the front door bell—only to be foiled by Mrs. Thompson’s sharp eyes.
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.
Burglars attempted to enter the residence of W. I. Thompson on Broadway early this morning. They first cut the telephone wires and then rang the front door bell. Fortunately, Mrs. Thompson saw them cutting the wires and making a noise, which frightened them away. Officer Adams arrested a man this forenoon giving the name of McMillan, having in his possession a pair of wire-cutters, and it is thought that he may know something about the matter.
This 1908 burglary attempt highlights the audacity of crime in Seattle’s growing downtown. While technology has changed (smart alarms vs. cut phone lines), the core dynamic of targeting wealthy homes on major arteries like Broadway remains a persistent urban issue, reminding us that property security is an eternal arms race between homeowners and criminals.
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