1893 Fire Chief Arrested in Citizenship Fraud Case
Seattle's fire chief faces a federal charge of naturalization fraud, allegedly lying about his residency to secure his position.
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 fight against A. B. Hunt, chief of the fire department, reached its climax yesterday in his arrest on the charge of using a fraudulently obtained certificate of naturalization. Fire Commissioner John L. Kahaley appeared as the prosecuting witness. The complaint alleges that Hunt unlawfully used a certificate claiming he had been naturalized in Pierce County, while in truth he was born in Canada and did not arrive in the U.S. until April 1889—making him ineligible for a position that required citizenship. Hunt, when confronted, remained defiant, telling a reporter he would let the court speak for him. The case is set for a hearing next Monday, with local interest running high enough that Commissioner Emery predicted the room would be packed with firemen.
“The commissioner then, without speaking to anyone directly, remarked: 'I suppose these rooms will not be large enough, there will be so many firemen present.' Chief Hunt thought the remark was directed to him, and turning, said: 'You mean ex-firemen.'”
Residency and citizenship requirements for municipal jobs remain a flashpoint in civic politics, though today the debate often centers on public sector diversity and union power rather than the legitimacy of naturalization papers. Hunt’s dismissive attitude toward the 'ex-firemen' likely to attend his trial highlights the intense factionalism that defined Seattle’s early municipal governance.
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