Boodle and Bust in Whatcom
An embattled treasurer and a jailed clerk highlight a city spiraling into scandal as citizens call for a grand jury.
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.
Ex-Treasurer Iansse had a preliminary hearing today on a charge of misdemeanor in willfully refusing to pay a warrant in favor of the mayor for payment of interest on city bonds while there was or should have been money in the treasury. He was held for trial in the superior court and bond was fixed at $5,000, which he has not yet secured but probably will. Ex-Deputy Clerk Grassett has been unable to secure bond of $500 and is in jail. Judge Winn of the superior court states that in response to the request of the Board of Trade and citizens in mass meeting assembled, he will call the grand jury to meet about ten days before convening court October 9th, by which time it is expected the citizens' committees will have information sufficient and of such a nature as to warrant indictments against several ex-officials.
“Ex-Deputy Clerk Grassett has been unable to secure bonds of $500 and is in jail.”
Public corruption in Washington often centered on the control of city coffers during the volatile 1890s. The 'boodler' archetype remains a fixture in regional politics, reflecting a persistent struggle to keep local government funds in the public trust.
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