June 2 – July 13, 1885
The Trial of the City Marshal
Seattle's 1885 impeachment fight over saloon enforcement and mayoral authority.
5 reports in Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer, June 2 – July 13, 1885.
The story
Seattle newspaper reports in June 1885 said the City Council—or, in another account, the Mayor—moved to impeach Chief of Police James H. Woolery over allegations that he failed to enforce the law against unlicensed saloons. The same paper described the matter as an impeachment trial entangled with saloon regulation, morality politics, and the limits of mayoral authority. Later July reports tied the dispute to a municipal election and an editorial appeal to women’s civic influence to support a law-and-order candidate and target Woolery’s conduct; the reports gave no clear trial outcome.
Told from the 5 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 5
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Chief of Police, The Saloon, and The Impeachment
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council moved to impeach Chief of Police James H. Woolery for allegedly turning a blind eye to unlicensed saloons and failing to enforce the law.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Trial of the City Marshal
In 1885, Seattle’s police chief faced an impeachment trial over the politics of morality, saloon regulation, and the limits of the Mayor’s authority.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Mayor vs. The Chief of Police
A high-stakes power struggle unfolds in 1885 Seattle as the Mayor moves to impeach his Chief of Police for refusing to crack down on unlicensed saloons.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Battle for the Soul of Seattle’s Police Department
In 1885, a local editorial called on women, who held significant civic influence, to reject a mayoralty candidate beholden to the 'saloon interest' and elect a law-and-order candidate to clean up the force.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Battle for the Soul of the Seattle Police Department
In an 1885 municipal election, Seattle women flexed their new political power to demand a moral cleanup of the city’s police force, specifically targeting the conduct of Chief of Police James Woolery.
From the pages
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jun 2, 1885
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jun 4, 1885
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jun 5, 1885
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jul 10, 1885
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jul 13, 1885
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.