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77 stories matching sureti
- The Krug Bond Fight at the North End Bank
A two-day Seattle trial asks whether Krug's bondsmen—having paid the city—can step into the city's claim against a bank and recover what they say is owed.
- The Treasurer's Escaped Liability
A landmark state supreme court decision saves King County bondsmen from paying for a massive treasury shortage.
- The City Hall Stumping Standoff
A citizen refuses to pay a surety bond for the 'privilege' of removing eight stumps from his own property.
- The Seattle Bond That Broke the Rules
A legal dispute over a $15,000 appeal bond reveals the messy, high-stakes nature of early Seattle commerce and the scrutiny of contract law.
- The Great Sweep: Jefferson County Goes Republican for the First Time
In a historic political shift for Washington Territory, the newly elected county officers in Port Townsend take office, marking the first time Jefferson County has been governed exclusively by Republicans.
- The Treasurer's Bond Begins to Crumble
Two surety names vanish from John W. Maple's $400,000 bond, and more may follow as King County waits for its prosecutor.
- A County Treasurer’s Bond With Too Many Holes
Seattle’s newly elected county treasurer filed a surety bond riddled with defects, withdrawn signatures and backers who pledged more than they could justify.
- The Case of the Empty Bond: A Cautionary Tale of Corruption in Walla Walla
When an elected official absconded with nearly $20,000 in public funds, the court had to decide if his sureties were still on the hook—even though they had signed a blank piece of paper.
- The Unlucky Clerk of Ballard
A city clerk-elect struggles to secure his required $5,000 bond after his sureties back out, reportedly due to his stance on the location of a new railway hub.
- A School Board’s Paper Trail of Negligence
Aberdeen’s School District No. 5 accepts a contractor's bond that admits to being filled out by 'inexperienced persons' with no legal sureties.
- The Courthouse Bond Battle
King County commissioners face a high-stakes decision on competing bonds from I.W. Maple and A.P. Mitten, sparking a debate over political influence versus business integrity.
- The $430,000 Question: King County's Treasurer Bond Fight
A taxpayers' committee demands commissioners reduce John Maple's bond and seat him as county treasurer, but the board says his sureties aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
- The Treasurer’s Bond Had a Hole in It
Seattle’s treasurer-elect filed a $90,000 bond, but wives’ names were penciled in, signatures were missing, and one backer wanted out.
- A Mystery in the School District Archives
A search through district records reveals suspicious 'straw bonds' and contract irregularities in the building of a new school.
- King County's Treasurer Missed His Bond Deadline. Then the Fight Began.
Elected treasurer Maple failed to file a legally sufficient bond by January 14, prompting a substitute appointment and a sharp editorial fight over forfeiture, sureties and the public's right to an investigation.
- The Steamer That Slipped Through the Owners’ Hands
The Pacific Navigation Company sues the men who bought the Henry Bailey, claiming unpaid debts and liens sent the vessel to a marshal’s auction.
- A Passport and a Perjury Charge: Naturalization Fraud in Walla Walla
Adam Schmidt was bound over to a federal grand jury after a Russian immigrant testified that Schmidt told him to swear falsely about five years' residence.
- The Great Everett Libel Feud
A theatrical legal battle between an Everett editor and his rival unfolds, characterized more by grandstanding lawyers than actual injury.
- County Commissioners Hunt Down Missing Treasurer’s Funds
A forensic audit reveals that former Yakima County Treasurer John A. Splawn left a deficit of over a thousand dollars, sparking a legal demand for repayment from his estate.
- A Bank President’s Arrest Leads to a Habeas Corpus Fight
Dr. W. P. Book, former president of the failed Aberdeen bank, is arrested in Seattle and released on $2,000 bond while his lawyers challenge the case.
- King County's Bond Fight Ends With a New Treasurer—and a Demand for an Audit
After J.W. Maple fails to perfect his bond and Dr. Mitten resigns, commissioners appoint chief deputy John Riplinger and promise scrutiny of the treasurer's books.
- When Two Postmasters Abandoned Their Offices to Join the Legislature
In 1879, two Washington Territory postmasters resigned their federal jobs to become legislators — but their resignations were still in the mail, so they simply left.
- The Chambermaid’s Missing Cash
A local politician, previously cleared of theft charges, finds himself back in legal hot water after fresh evidence surfaces in a hotel pilferage case.
- The Great Seattle Gamblers' Bailout: How the City's Elite Let Off the Hook
In a crowded courtroom, dozens of men accused of running illegal gambling rings were released on massive bonds, while the sheriff’s office scrambled to account for thousands in cash.
- The Corruption of the City Council
Mayor John N. Nickols of Tacoma is arrested and indicted for soliciting a $10,000 bribe to approve ordinances ratifying city contracts.