The Courthouse Brawl of Seattle
A routine legal dispute over the Central Pacific Railway Company explodes into a wild, physical altercation in a Seattle courtroom.
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.
During the trial of a case against the Central Pacific Railway Company, Orin L. Johnson and S.O. Deven, who were opposing each other, had a collision in the courtroom. Mr. Johnson struck Deven in the face with his clenched fist. The lawyers then also clashed and wrestled in the courtroom until subdued by the bailiffs. The court then adjourned and Johnson and a few friends went out onto the steps of the courthouse, Deven remaining in the building. Johnson began talking about the case and became greatly excited, threw off his coat and started for the courtroom with the avowed intention of thrashing Deven. He was caught and held, struggling to get away and shrieking, 'Let me go, I’ll kill him!' The doors were closed, but Deven, doubtless thinking Johnson might come through the corridor, prepared to defend himself, as Johnson had threatened his life. At last, Johnson broke away and ran to his office, soon returning armed and accompanied by his two sons. Fortunately, however, Deven's friends had secured a carriage and had taken him away from the area.
“The lawyers then also clashed and wrestled in the courtroom until subdued by the bailiffs.”
This 1885 courtroom brawl highlights the volatile nature of 19th-century civil litigation, where professional disputes were often resolved with fists rather than motions. It serves as a stark reminder of Seattle’s rough-and-tumble territorial era, pre-dating the professionalized, sterile environment of modern King County courts.
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