The Midnight Coup at City Hall
A bloodless revolution unfolds as the board of aldermen attempts to oust Acting Mayor Sweeney over a dispute regarding legalized gambling.
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.
While the board of aldermen was in session last night in apparent serenity, there was a bloodless revolution nearing its consummation. Soon after 11 o'clock, Alderman H. C. Ingram asked the consent of the house to offer a resolution to declare the office of president of the board of aldermen vacant. The motion passed 7 to 1, and the board moved to elect Leander Miller as president, which would effectively replace Acting Mayor J. P. Sweeney. Sweeney, who had been present, sat quietly until the chair called a recess to debate the legality of the move. During the resulting confusion, Sweeney announced he would continue to act as mayor until removed by the courts. Later, he stated he would resign entirely, declaring, 'I do not wish to be identified with the interests of gamblers or the sellers of franchises.'
“I do not wish to be identified with the interests of gamblers or the sellers of franchises.”
The 1893 struggle over 'boodle' politics and the corrupting influence of gambling rings reflects the persistent tension between Seattle's booster-led economic growth and its attempts at municipal reform, a theme that echoes in contemporary debates over city governance and special interest influence.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.