The Seattle Restaurant Pistol Melee
A breakfast turned violent when a man confronted the two thieves who had stolen his belongings—and who had served as witnesses in the Squak massacre trials.
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.
At 6:30 a.m. yesterday, the report of a pistol was heard in the vicinity of the Seattle Restaurant on Mill Street. A reporter hastened to the scene and found a crowd assembled. From a well-informed person, he learned that a man by the name of T.J. Wells, who rooms over the Oak Restaurant, had his room entered by thieves on Wednesday and lost a gold watch, chain, and ring. At noon on Thursday, the room was again entered and an overcoat and pistol were stolen. About 6:30 a.m. Friday, two rough-looking customers, both of whom were witnesses in the Squak murder trials, entered the Seattle Restaurant and ordered breakfast. One of them was Jack Crow, commonly known as Jack the Sailor, and the other's name we could not learn. While they were eating, Mr. Wells came in and recognized his coat on the back of Jack the Sailor. He immediately went out and, not finding an officer, engaged two men to assist him in recovering his property. As they entered the restaurant, the two rough-looking customers arose from the table, one of them exclaiming, 'What in the devil does all this mean?' A squabble ensued, during which Jack the Sailor drew Wells' revolver, which he had stolen, from his pocket, and during the melee the weapon was discharged. At the report of the pistol, there was a grand scattering, during which the thieves reached the street and disappeared. Later in the day, the police were notified, but up to last evening the thieves had not been apprehended.
“A squabble ensued, during which Jack the Sailor drew Wells' revolver, which he had stolen, from his pocket, and during the melee the weapon was discharged.”
This 1885 incident on Mill Street (now Yesler Way) captures the volatile social climate of early Seattle. The mention of the 'Squak murder trials' refers to the brutal 1885 massacre of Chinese hop pickers in the Snoqualmie Valley, an event that deeply polarized the city and led to widespread anti-Chinese labor violence.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.