The Tragedy of William Owens
A vulnerable man’s lonely trek to Seattle ends not in hope, but in the county jail and the looming shadow of the state asylum.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Early yesterday morning a man, apparently aged about 38 years, in ragged clothes and bare feet, called at the residence of City Assessor Wm. Hughes, in the northern part of town, and asked for some breakfast. While Mrs. Hughes was busy getting something ready for the hungry man to eat, Mr. Hughes entered into a conversation with the stranger, and soon became convinced that he was insane. After giving him breakfast, Mr. Hughes turned him over to Policeman Bange, who took him to jail. During the afternoon he was examined in Probate Judge Wood's court, and found to be hopelessly insane. Sheriff McGraw bought the poor fellow a pair of shoes and stockings, and today will send him to Steilacoom. He says his name is Wm. D. Owens; that his father's name is J. H. Owens, and that he resides at Ottawa, Wilson county, Kansas. He claims to be only 28 years of age. He talks very incoherently, and seldom answers a question intelligently. When asked if he had any relatives in the Territory, he said, 'Yes; lots of them.' 'What relatives have you?' 'Oh, shall I tell you? Have you any brothers?' 'Yes.' 'How many?' 'Oh, about two thousand.' 'I think you are away off, and I will telegraph to your father,' said the Judge. 'Yes, I guess I am a little off,' he said, as he threw his hat on the floor and kicked it across the room.
“He talks very incoherently, and seldom answers a question intelligently.”
This story of a transient man in a mental health crisis being processed through the criminal justice system and sent away to an institution reflects a recurring struggle in Seattle’s history. Today, the conversation has shifted toward the limitations of relying on carceral systems for behavioral health, though the difficulty of connecting unhoused individuals in crisis with appropriate long-term care remains a persistent local challenge.
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