The Timber Land Swindlers of Seattle
A new arrival in Seattle narrowly escapes a sophisticated land scam operating out of the Seattle National Bank building.
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.
Timber land swindlers are once more plying their vocation in this city. Their latest victim is G. W. Shafer, a new arrival, who addressed a letter to Mayor Ronald detailing his experience. Shafer arrived in Seattle from Denver and was approached by a man claiming to represent the Maine Lumber Company of Olympia. The man took him to an office in the Seattle National Bank building, marked 'James Morrison, Attorney at Law.' There, the swindlers, identifying themselves as B. J. Ireland and C. C. Sarris, promised Shafer timber land for $125 in advance. After paying, Shafer realized he had been conned. Detective Cave confirmed that these men are part of the 'Charlie Reed gang'—also known as 'Sheep Shanks'—who have been operating out of room 321 of the Seattle National Bank building and have already claimed a score of victims.
“I came to Seattle from Denver a short time ago and while walking along the street one day I was approached by a man who said he was in search of men to locate on timber land.”
The 'land shark' swindles of the 1890s highlight a recurring theme in Seattle’s history: the exploitation of newcomers by predatory schemes disguised as legitimate business. Today’s housing crisis, characterized by sophisticated rental scams and predatory real estate tactics, reflects that same tension between the city's growth and the vulnerability of those arriving to build a new life.
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