The scaffolding around Pioneer Square’s Metropole Building (423 2nd Ave S) has just been removed. This building has been boarded up for over 15 years and is one of the most fascinating spots in Seattle history where a disgraced ex-police chief attempted a revenge ambush on his nemesis which failed horribly and ended up being shot and beaten to death with a police officer’s gun in 1901.
For those more interested in the present, here are more details about the upcoming redevelopment plans for this site.
William Meredith met his future nemesis John Considine 12 years earlier and they were originally buddies. Considine was the owner of several “box houses” (a combination casino/ saloon/ theater/ bordello with hidden rooms in the walls where the waitress performed “personal services” for the customers) in Spokane and Seattle, and originally employed Meredith in one of these establishments.
Years later, Meredith was appointed Seattle police chief and began ordering raids on Considine’s casinos and demanding a $500 bribe for protection. He took the bribe but then continued the raids anyway, so Considine reported his corruption to City Hall leading Meredith to resign in disgrace.
The day after losing his job, the ex police chief hunted down the casino owner to get revenge. He found him on the corner of Yesler & 2nd Ave joking about the scandal with his brother and another cop (who also has a grudge with the ex chief).
Ex Police Chief Meredith snuck up on them and fired a shot gun at the back of Considine’s head from 2 feet away but somehow missed the casino owner who ran into a drug store (now the Metropole Building).
Meredith chased him inside and fired a 2nd shotgun blast but someone knocked his arm as he pulled the trigger so he missed again (grazing Considine and hitting a random bystander drinking sarsaparilla). He then cornered the casino owner in the back of the store who turned around and tackled him.
The casino owner’s brother Tom grabbed the ex police chief’s pistol (he had multiple guns) and repeatedly smashed it into Meredith’s skull fracturing it in two places.
Actual police officers rushed in and broke up the fight, but Tom Considine grabbed one of the cop’s guns and pointed it at the officers yelling “Stand back, you son’s of bitches!”
John Considine pushed the officers holding him aside and took out his own pistol shooting the ex police chief twice and puncturing his heart, liver, and lung. Meredith’s clothes also caught fire from the heat of the gun shots.
The blazing and bleeding ex police chief lunged at (or perhaps just fell towards) the casino owner who shot him a 3rd time in the neck, finally killing him.
The Considine brothers are tried for murder and acquitted. John Considine later went straight and had a very successful career in vaudeville.
submitted by /u/Constructive_Entropy
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