Dispute at the Washington Street Boarding House
A confrontation between a landlady and her tenant over unpaid rent escalated into a physical brawl.
Annie Wilson, proprietress of the house of ill-fame at 310 Washington street, was arrested yesterday afternoon by Bailiff Wheeler, of the municipal court, on a warrant sworn out by Leona Spencer, one of the inmates of the house, charging assault and battery. The latter was removing her goods when Wilson objected, demanding payment of $12 alleged to be due. The result was a scrimmage in which Spencer was hit under the left eye. Wilson, having locked up Spencer's goods, held them, but was compelled to deposit $25 cash bail for her appearance Monday.
“The result was a scrimmage in which Spencer was hit under the left eye.”
This incident highlights the precarious lives of women in Seattle's historic red-light district, where 'rent' was often weaponized by proprietors to keep workers in debt bondage. The intersection of 310 Washington St places this right in the heart of the old Skid Road area, now deeply transformed by Pioneer Square development.
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