Attempted Suicide on Fourth Street
A local woman survives an attempted act of self-harm following domestic troubles.
Mrs. Joseph Knight, of 1530 Fourth street, near the corner of Pine, a colored woman, made a bungling attempt at suicide last evening about 6:30 o'clock with the proverbial razor. Mr. and Mrs. Knight live in a small wooden building, so small that there is not much room for quarrels. In spite of this, family troubles crept in and set the guitar strings to giving forth discord. At last Mrs. Knight could not stand the trouble any longer, so she waited until she was all alone last evening. Then out came the treasured razor, but her nerve weakened and she only made a little cut, not deep enough to harm a mouse. Dr. Backs, who lives at the corner of Madison and Broadway, was called and quickly bandaged the wound.
“Mr. and Mrs. Knight live in a small wooden building, so small that there is not much room for quarrels.”
Reports like this, while common in 19th-century crime columns, highlight the intersection of domestic hardship and the lack of social support systems for marginalized residents in early Seattle.
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