A Costly Night in the Variety District
A visitor to Seattle finds his night out ending in theft and a trip to court after a spree in the city's rough-and-tumble nightlife.
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.
Robert DeLancy, visiting from Arlington, brought $310 to Seattle for a night out but ended up in Justice Caldwell's court after being robbed. DeLancy recounted meeting a woman near the Clancy building, enjoying dinner, and hiring a room where wine was consumed. When the woman vanished, so did his money. DeLancy identified a woman named Nellie Blanchard as the thief, citing two moles on her cheek. The defendant denied the encounter, claiming she was ill at home. The case offers a glimpse into the transient, often dangerous nightlife of 1890s Seattle.
“DeLancy called it a 'hole in the wall,' but when the room was opened no one was there.”
This story captures the 'variety district' era of Seattle, where visitors often found themselves preyed upon in the unregulated urban sprawl. It echoes modern concerns about tourist safety and the vulnerability of transient populations in city centers.
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