The Unvarnished Record of John H. McGraw
As Seattle prepares for the gubernatorial election, a chorus of old-time citizens defends the character of former Sheriff John H. McGraw against charges of corruption.
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.
S. L. Crawford recalls McGraw arriving in Seattle to work as a clerk at the Occidental Hotel. After his American House hotel burned down, McGraw was appointed to the police force. Crawford provides a vivid anecdote from a winter night on Commercial Street where McGraw, rather than arresting an intoxicated, delirious logger who had wandered into the water, instead bought him a meal and dry clothes. Later, McGraw was elected city marshal and then sheriff. Supporters highlight his role in the 1885-86 anti-Chinese riots, noting he personally paid for tickets to help Chinese residents who wished to flee the city. Despite political attacks from rival E. A. Thorndyke, who labeled him a gambler, McGraw's peers maintain he was a man of honor and a 'tried and true' candidate for governor.
“If ever I was in danger and wanted my life protected, John McGraw would be the man I would ask for.”
The rhetoric surrounding John H. McGraw—balancing his role in the brutal anti-Chinese expulsion of 1885 with his reputation for 'square dealing'—mirrors Seattle's enduring struggle to reconcile its progressive aspirations with its exclusionary and violent origins. Political attacks and 'campaign lies' remain a staple of local civic life, just as they were when McGraw ran for governor in 1891.
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