February 20 – February 24, 1889
The Judge’s Double Life: Seduction, Abortion, and the Cover-Up That Shook Tacoma
Papers report Sadie Brantner's accusations against Judge Wickersham; details conflict.
3 reports in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 20 – February 24, 1889.
The story
From Feb. 20 to Feb. 24, 1889, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer carried reports on a Tacoma trial in which a young canvasser named Sadie Brantner accused Judge James Wickersham of luring her to Seattle, forcing an illegal abortion, and paying her to keep silent. The reports say the proceedings touched on fake names, land fraud, and medical matters, and one describes a courtroom battle involving character assassination, but they give no verdict and few specifics of the testimony. They also differ on the judge's office, calling him a Pierce County probate judge in one account and a powerful federal judge in another.
Told from the 3 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 3
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Judge’s Double Life: Seduction, Abortion, and the Cover-Up That Shook Tacoma
In 1889, a young canvasser named Sadie Brantner took the stand to accuse Pierce County Probate Judge James Wickersham of luring her into a trap in Seattle, forcing an illegal abortion, and paying her off to silence. The trial revealed a web of deceit involving fake names, land fraud, and medical conspiracies.
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Trial of Judge Wickersham: A Tacoma Scandal Over Land, Lies, and 'Delirium'
In February 1889, the trial of a powerful federal judge in Tacoma exposed a web of political corruption, land fraud, and sexual scandal involving a young woman named Sadie Brantner.
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Trial That Shook Tacoma: The Scandal of Sadie Brantner and Judge Wickersham
A dramatic courtroom battle in the late 1880s reveals a web of sexual politics, professional ethics, and character assassination involving a prominent probate judge and a young woman accused of immorality.
From the pages
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Feb 20, 1889
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Feb 22, 1889
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Feb 24, 1889
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.