A Saloon Brawl and Obstruction
A police officer's attempt to arrest a fighter at a Washington Street saloon turns into a melee after bystanders intervene to set the prisoner free.
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.
Police officer L. T. Stevens attempted to arrest one of two men who were fighting in the Merchant saloon, corner of Washington street and Second avenue, at about 12:45 this morning, and was tackled by two bystanders. The officer had his man down, but was unable to keep off the other two. He called on the bartender to help him, and he assisted the officer by getting the prisoner to his feet and then releasing him. The prisoner struck the officer in the face and then escaped, as did the two men interfering. The officer then arrested the bartender, C. H. Caridon, and he was booked at the station as refusing to assist an officer. He gave $50 cash bail for his appearance today at 2 p.m.
“He called on the bartender to help him, and he assisted the officer by getting the prisoner to his feet and then releasing him.”
This incident highlights the volatile street-level policing in 1890s Seattle, where saloons were the central hubs of social disorder and resistance to authority. The site of this clash, Washington Street and Second Avenue, is deep in the heart of the historic Pioneer Square district, a neighborhood that has remained a center for similar street-level interactions for over 130 years.
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