The 'Sullivan Thugs' and the Battle for Seattle's Soul
On the eve of the 1892 mayoral election, a local political scandal involving hired enforcers and intercepted telegrams brings Seattle to the brink of chaos.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The exposure made by the Post-Intelligencer regarding the relations between J. T. Ronald and the Sullivan thugs created a tremendous sensation. The Democrats, initially attempting to deny the authenticity of the telegrams, were forced to admit they were genuine. At 2 o'clock, a delegation including J. T. Ronald, Junius Rochester, and J. C. Martin—the Sullivan 'thug' whose telegrams were published—waited upon Mayor Hall to demand the suspension of Chief of Police Rogers. Ronald claimed Rogers had obtained the telegrams through intimidation. Chief Rogers, arriving during the heated exchange, stood his ground, offering to submit to an immediate investigation by the police commission provided the hearings were conducted fairly. While tensions ran high, with supporters of both parties crowding the streets and bands clashing, Chief Rogers maintained that the police force would remain neutral, declaring, 'I shall belong to no party, but do my duty as the chief of police.' Mayor Hall eventually agreed to oversee the process, though the city remained deeply divided by charges of corruption and the looming threat of organized political violence.
“I wear no man's collar, and I am not under the control of any clique or ring.”
This 1892 spectacle of 'hired thugs,' secret telegrams, and accusations of election-rigging mirrors modern anxieties about external influence in municipal elections. Much like today, Seattle's rapid growth at the turn of the century turned local mayoral races into high-stakes battles over the city's identity and fiscal management.
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