The Shadow Over the Maxwell Trial
A grizzly discovery in a Seattle warehouse forces a local businessman to defend himself against a charge of murder.
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.
The Maxwell trial continues to stir much interest in legal circles. Maxwell, who stands accused of the murder of Seattle businessman Silas Karr, maintained his composure today as witnesses described the grim discovery of the body. Maxwell claims he was merely in the vicinity of the warehouse for business reasons when the crime was committed, but prosecutors have identified the prisoner as a man who had previously had altercations with the deceased. Witnesses detailed finding the body packed into a large crate, which Maxwell claimed was merely a consignment shipment. A local hat dealer testified that he had sold Maxwell a hat on the day of the disappearance, while a druggist stated that Maxwell came into his store shortly after, acting in a hurried and suspicious manner. The trial remains ongoing as the jury begins to weigh the evidence.
“The manner in which Karr's body was stowed to fit the crate raised questions as to whether the tray could be maintained at all.”
This 1886 trial captures a moment when Seattle was transforming from a frontier outpost into a city of commerce and crime. The fixation on the 'warehousing' of a body in a crate echoes the city's long history of finding dark, industrial secrets hidden within its booming waterfront infrastructure.
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