The Shadowy Deal for the Yesler Will
Seattle city officials testify under oath about secret negotiations to recover the lost will of Henry Yesler through a high-stakes contingent fee.
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.
Another racy chapter in the history of the Yesler will was carried out at the hearing of Mrs. Yesler in Humphrey's court yesterday. The story concerns negotiations between Junius Rochester and the city for the discovery of the will on payment of a big contingent fee to Mr. Rochester, out of which he was to remunerate his informants for giving their testimony. Mayor Ronald, testifying about a secret council meeting, revealed how Rochester approached the city with a plan to find the will if the city would pay him a percentage. The mayor admitted that he and members of the council had sought to keep the meeting secret, fearing that the newspapers would get on the scent. Rochester had claimed he could procure the will through informants, but refused to disclose their names, leading to suspicions that the city was being drawn into an illegal arrangement. Ultimately, Corporation Counsel Donworth blocked the plan, arguing it was illegal to pay for the production of evidence in such a manner. The hearing continues as the city attempts to untangle whether a real will exists or if it is being swindled.
“I suggested a 10 per cent fee, which he would not take. He said that he would have to pay for the information of these parties.”
This 1891 scandal reveals how early Seattle civic governance was often conducted in back-room deals over the massive estate of Henry Yesler, one of the city's founders. The anxiety over transparency in local government and the influence of 'fixers' and private interests on public policy remains a persistent thread in Seattle's political narrative today.
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