Everett Saloon Shooting Ends in Acquittal
A jury clears a bartender of murder charges after he killed a former coworker who threatened his life.
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.
The trial of Edwin R. Jameson for the murder of John H. Dandridge at Everett ended shortly after noon today with a verdict of acquittal. This result had been anticipated, owing to the skillful management of the attorney for the defense, Samuel H. Piles, of Seattle. The offense for which Jameson was tried was committed September 8 last in the Board of Trade saloon, Everett, where he was employed as bartender. Dandridge, a negro known as 'Johnny the Shiner,' had been a porter in the saloon and had been discharged. He was quarrelsome and of ungovernable temper. He blamed Jameson for his discharge, and on several occasions had threatened the latter's life. It appeared from the evidence that on the night before the tragedy Dandridge publicly declared his intention to cut out Jameson's heart. He called at the saloon about noon on September 8 and announced that he had come to perform the surgical operation mentioned above. The negro was very abusive, and Jameson, in alarm, seized a revolver and ran to the door calling for the police. Dandridge followed, when Jameson fired two shots at him, the second of which severed an artery, causing instant death.
“Dandridge, a negro known as 'Johnny the Shiner,' had been a porter in the saloon, and had been discharged. He was quarrelsome and of ungovernable temper.”
This trial highlights the volatile environment of early Everett, a booming industrial frontier town. The acquittal of Jameson, based on a self-defense claim against a man who allegedly threatened him, offers a grim look at the era's lack of mediation in labor and interpersonal conflicts.
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