A Newport Barber Walks Free After a Seattle Manslaughter Trial
Frank Poquette's six-hour jury deliberation ended in acquittal, with the defense insisting William King fell drunk on the pavement.
After having been out for six hours, the jury in the case of Frank Poquette, a barber formerly located at Newport, charged with manslaughter, brought in a verdict of not guilty at Seattle and Poquette was released from custody. Poquette was charged with having caused the death of William W. King, at South Seattle, on November 30, 1908, by a blow with his fist. The evidence of the state was to the effect that Poquette, with others, played cards in a saloon at South Seattle until 1:30 on the morning of the alleged crime, and that on leaving the saloon Poquette struck King and knocked down William Booth because they refused to furnish money to hire an automobile for a trip to Georgetown. Poquette stated, on the witness stand, that he had struck neither of the men, but had simply pushed them away from him when they crowded close to him. King, said Poquette, "was drunk and fell on the pavement, striking his head."
“King, said Poquette, "was drunk and fell on the pavement, striking his head."”
The case is a reminder that trials turn on witness credibility and plausible alternatives, not just tragedy. Poquette's Newport ties made a Seattle death local news, and the acquittal left a fatal street encounter officially unresolved.
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