George Donworth
Named in 18 stories. Back to all names
- Feb 24, 1892The Bosses’ Choice: Seattle’s Machine Politics in 1892A scathing editorial account of a closed-door convention where the Democratic party leadership hand-picked a candidate for mayor who was widely viewed as a puppet.Seattle, WA
- Apr 28, 1892The City’s Missing VoteSeattle’s ambition to modernize was stalled in 1892 when a legal technicality regarding the Ninth Ward annexation invalidated $135,000 in city bonds, exposing the messy reality of rapid municipal expansion.9th Ward, Seattle, WA
- Feb 16, 1893The Yesler Will Case: A Dead Millionaire, a Missing Will, and a Widow on TrialIn a Seattle courtroom, prosecutors argue that Mrs. Yesler conspired to destroy her husband's will—while defense lawyers call the case a web of speculation and newspaper rumor.Seattle, WA
- Feb 20, 1893The Right to Offset Benefits in Land SeizuresA landmark Washington Supreme Court decision settles a heated dispute over whether the city can lower compensation for seized land by claiming the public improvement adds value to the owner's remaining property.Weller Street, Seattle, WA
- Mar 10, 1893The Peril of the Open SewerA pedestrian’s fall into an unlit excavation leads to a three-way courtroom battle between the injured man, the city, and a railway company.Second Street, Seattle, WA
- Mar 20, 1893The Power to Seize: A New Law reshapes SeattleA sweeping new state law gives cities unprecedented authority to condemn private property for public projects, fundamentally changing the relationship between the city and its citizens.Seattle, WA
- Apr 16, 1893Mayor Sweeney and Comptroller Carson Clash Over City AssessmentA legal battle erupts over whether the city comptroller or the county assessor has the power to prepare Seattle's tax rolls under a new state law.Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA
- Apr 16, 1893The Ram's Horn: When Seattle Went to War With a Railroad Over Six Blocks of Public StreetBoxed in by an injunction, Corporation Counsel Donworth finds a lawyer's loophole: let the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad lay its rails, but serve notice that the city denies the right-of-way exists at all.Seattle, WA
- May 15, 1893The Supreme Court Rules on City DebtA landmark decision clarifies that Seattle is not liable for 'grade scrip' debts, protecting the city treasury but leaving contractors in a precarious position.12th Ave S, Seattle, WA
- May 29, 1893A Beloved Priest Departs for New YorkParishioners of Sacred Heart Church bid an emotional farewell to Father Charles Sigl as he departs for a new assignment in New York City.Seattle, WA
- Sep 28, 1893The City Treasury ScandalSeattle sues former treasurer Adolph Krug and his bondsmen after a massive public funds deficiency is uncovered.Seattle, WA
- Feb 22, 1894The Fight to Modernize City HallSeattle's Chamber of Commerce debates radical changes to city governance, including the push for initiative and referendum to curb council power.Seattle, WA
- Feb 28, 1894The Party Says Not Guilty—and Cheers the Man It RemovedSeattle Democrats put their scandal-scarred administration on trial at Haake's Hall, buried a First Ward delegate fight, and sent David E. Durie into the mayor's race while J.M. Wolfe got the ovation.Seattle, WA
- May 29, 1894City Declines Responsibility for Injured Man in Saloon BrawlA man with a broken leg from a tavern brawl was left in limbo after the City Health Officer ruled the city was not responsible for the hospital care of indigent non-prisoners.Seattle, WA
- Jul 6, 1894Queen Anne Taxpayers Fight for School FundingLocal residents mount a legal challenge against the county treasurer to ensure tax levies specifically intended for new schoolhouses are spent as promised.Queen Anne, Seattle, WA
- Jan 19, 1900The Political Pot Boils Over in SeattleAs the municipal election approaches, local factions scramble to assemble winning coalitions and candidates.Seattle, WA
- May 10, 1909Tacoma's Federal Bench SnubCongressman Cushman is under fire for failing to secure a local appointment for a federal judgeship, allegedly sacrificing Tacoma's interests for Seattle candidates.Tacoma, WA
- Mar 18, 1910Judicial Bias Against Organized LaborThe Labor Journal clashes with a federal judge over his interrogation of naturalization applicants regarding their union ties.Everett, WA