Dr. Van Buren Arrested After Night at the Theater
A doctor entangled in the notorious 'Yesler case' finds himself back in custody after being surrendered by his bondsman.
Dr. H. Martin Van Buren, whose connection with the famous Yesler will case is familiar to all, slept last night in a cell of the county jail, one of his bondsmen, H. Hershberg, having surrendered him to the authorities. Shortly after 10 o'clock, police were on the watch for the doctor at the Seattle Theater. When it became clear he had not come out with the crowd, officers tracked him to his room at the Russell house. He was arrested by Police Officer Sam Corbett just as he was about to enter the house, having returned from an evening party. Van Buren was taken to the jail, where he was searched, though he was allowed to keep a pocketful of cigars. He appeared in good spirits, laughing and joking with reporters, and stated he was eager for a trial rather than relying on technicalities. Attorney L.E. Thompson, a friend of the doctor, expressed confusion over the sudden surrender, noting that the doctor had been out in public freely. Mr. Hershberg could not be located, but it is understood he surrendered his bond as he was arranging to leave the city.
“Why, I could have gotten new bondsmen in no time if I had had notice.”
The 'Yesler Will case' was a marathon legal battle over the massive estate of Henry Yesler, one of Seattle's founders. Like many high-stakes probate disputes in Seattle history, it drew in layers of society, from socialites to the police, mirroring today's occasional obsession with the legal entanglements of the local elite.
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