The Detective’s Trap: A High-Stakes Kidnapping and Coercion Plot in 1889 Seattle

The celebrated Wickersham case was thrust back into the public eye following disclosures by Miss Sadie Brantner. Brantner, who had previously given damaging testimony against James Wickersham, revealed that she had been trapped and coerced into a false retraction. A woman identifying herself as 'Mrs. Snyder' gained the trust of Brantner’s guardian, Mrs. Handsaker, by posing as a wealthy woman seeking investment advice. Once settled in the home, 'Mrs. Snyder' used a ruse about dressmaking to lure Brantner into a buggy ride. Instead of a routine trip, she drove the girl to a secluded area near a race-track where Wickersham and a private detective, A.J. Lucas, were waiting. Under threat of a revolver and intense psychological pressure, Wickersham attempted to force Brantner to recant her testimony to help him quash an indictment for subornation of perjury. The plot later extended to a private office in the Denny block, where she was held for hours until she signed documents under duress. The scheme was eventually brought to light when a package containing money and a congratulatory note from Wickersham—intended for the imposter—was accidentally intercepted.