A Fireman's Long Injury Ends in Tragedy at Headquarters
Assistant Fire Chief George H. Leggett, still suffering from a railroad wreck injury, took his life at department headquarters—a death that stunned the men who slept nearby.
The story, cleaned up
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George H. Leggett, assistant chief of the Tacoma Fire Department, committed suicide in the department headquarters at 10 o'clock last night by shooting himself with a combination rifle and shotgun. The muzzle was placed close to his forehead and the charge killed him instantly. Despondency over prolonged ill health, which had resulted from an injury sustained in a railroad wreck about a year ago, is given as the cause. It is evident that he had premeditated the act for several days, during which his illness had prevented him from reporting for duty. After being absent since Friday, Leggett called at the station about 10 o'clock. Most of the firemen had retired, and he went to the night watchman and secured a key to the chief's office, where he kept his gun. After preparing the weapon, he walked upstairs, removed his coat and vest, placed them in his room, then walked into the hall near the stairway and fired the shot. Firemen sleeping nearby were aroused and hurried to the hallway, where they found him dead. The remains were removed to the morgue. Leggett was unmarried, 39 years old, and born in a New England state, probably Massachusetts. A sister, Mrs. George Leslie, lives at 614 Eleventh Street, Denver, Colorado, and other relatives live in the Eastern states. He had been a member of the Tacoma Fire Department at various times since 1891. Between 1891 and 1898 he served a continuous term, then returned to railroading. He was a railroad engineer for years and was injured in a train wreck about a year ago. Last April he was appointed engineer in the fire department and later promoted to assistant chief. He carried a life insurance policy in the Mutual Life Insurance Company and was a member in good standing of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Washington Loyal Orange Institute Lodge No. 277, and Masonic Lodge No. 88. The funeral will be held under the auspices of the Masons, but no date will be set until word is received from his sister in Denver.
“Despondency over prolonged ill health, which had resulted from an injury sustained in a railroad wreck about a year ago, is given as the cause that drove Leggett to commit the horrible deed.”
Leggett's death is a reminder that first responders' mental health and line-of-duty injuries were little understood in 1904. Today, worker trauma and suicide prevention are recognized as public-safety concerns, though stigma and access to care still shape outcomes.
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