The Murder Trial That Gripped the Sound
A high-stakes murder trial in Seattle descends into a technical battle over pharmacy labels and the identity of a 'Washington oval' bottle.
The trial of W. A. Wilcox for the murder of Mrs. Vetting has centered on circumstantial evidence, particularly the purchase of chloroform used in the crime. The prosecution alleges Wilcox bought the drug at a Tacoma pharmacy to facilitate the murder. However, the defense, led by Mr. Coiner, has spent the week attacking the state's evidence piece by piece. In a dramatic display in the courtroom, Coiner cross-examined a pharmacy clerk, Herbert Hafer, forcing him to admit that the 'Washington oval' bottle found at the crime scene—labeled with a poison sticker from Studress's drug store—was virtually indistinguishable from other bottles found in many local pharmacies.
Witnesses for the defense testified that Wilcox was a known gambler and often carried large sums of money, which the prosecution claimed were stolen. Other witnesses placed Wilcox in Tacoma during the time of the murder, contradicting the state's timeline. Judge Humes refused to throw out the case, and the courtroom remains packed with spectators, as the trial continues to draw intense interest across the region.
“The courtroom was crowded with spectators all day and more than an hundred were refused admission by the bailiff.”
The trial highlights how Victorian-era forensic evidence relied heavily on shopkeeper testimony and branding, a precursor to modern debates over the reliability of physical evidence. It also reflects the social anxiety of the 1890s regarding 'sporting' men, saloons, and transient gamblers in the growing towns of Seattle and Tacoma.
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