The Mayor's Fists in Whatcom
A City Council meeting spirals into chaos as the mayor orders the violent ejection of a dissenting councilman.
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.
At a recent Whatcom City Council meeting, Councilman Nicklin challenged the legality of the sewer proceedings, refusing to approve bills without proper certification. When Mayor Litta attempted to silence him, claiming his remarks were false and disruptive, Nicklin stood his ground. The argument escalated until the Mayor ordered the city marshal to remove Nicklin. A physical struggle ensued: Nicklin seized an ink bottle in defense, was pulled from his seat by the marshal, and was eventually carried out of the room by multiple officers, including Officer Durgan. During the scuffle, Councilman Blomquist attempted to intervene, declaring the mayor out of order, only to be threatened with his own ejection. The city attorney later affirmed the mayor’s right to maintain order through physical force.
“The mayor then called on the marshal to put him out, and Nicklin seized an ink bottle.”
Public meeting conduct remains a flashpoint in local politics, though today's city council scuffles rarely involve ink-bottle throwing or the physical removal of members by the marshal. This incident reflects a volatile era of local governance where power was often exercised through sheer physical dominance rather than parliamentary procedure.
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