Five Years in Black: A Widow's Suit for a Captain Lost on a Dark Gangplank
Eliza Hill takes the Oregon Improvement Company to federal court for $50,000 over the death of her one-armed husband, who fell between a pier and a steamship at Anacortes.
Trial of the damage suit of Eliza M. Hill, widow of the late George D. Hill, ex-treasurer of King county, against the Oregon Improvement Company, wherein she is seeking to recover $50,000 for the loss of the life of her husband, commenced in the United States court yesterday before Judge Hanford. The three children of Captain Hill — George Edward Hill, Ellen Kellogg Hill, and Eugene Carey Hill — are named as plaintiffs.
The children and the widow were in court yesterday and, although it is almost five years since Captain Hill lost his life, the widow was still in mourning.
The morning was taken up in empaneling a jury, which was finally selected as follows: Charles O. Keefe, M. A. Carr, W. E. Parker, H. G. Sutton, A. Mehlhorn, E. Meise, F. F. Hunter, A. D. Shipman, W. D. Lyts, R. D. Henderson, R. S. Gardner and Fred Grow. Court was held in the afternoon. Judge Hanford adjourning the session in order to attend the funeral of Jesse W. George.
Captain Hill's death is well remembered in Seattle. He was killed at Anacortes by falling between the pier and the Oregon Improvement Company's steamship Eastern Oregon while going on board. The night was dark and the captain was attempting to board the steamship, intending to come to Seattle. He fell off the gangplank into the water, striking on the guard of the vessel. He was fished out unconscious and lived but a few moments. It will be remembered that he had but one arm, and on the armless side several ribs were fractured, while he also suffered concussion of the brain.
“Although it is almost five years since Captain Hill lost his life, the widow was still in mourning.”
A widow suing a powerful steamship corporation for the death of her husband, and waiting years for her day in court, has a painfully modern ring — wrongful-death claims, corporate liability and the safety of working vessels are still live questions on Puget Sound. The detail that Judge Hanford recessed the trial to attend another funeral reminds us how tightly knit and how deadly this waterfront city could be.
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