The Assistant City Clerk's Gambling Debt
Tacoma’s Assistant City Clerk F.D. McCain has fled after allegedly forging thousands in city warrants to pay off gambling debts.
Assistant City Clerk F.D. McCain has joined the hoodlers. He is wanted for issuing between $1,000 and $2,000 of forged city warrants. It is understood that he has been gambling. He resigned a couple of days ago, stating that he was going into the lumber business. Later he said he could not go into the lumber business because his wife’s health demanded that she should go to Oregon. It is supposed that McCain forged the names of Mayor Huson, President Lee of the city council, and Comptroller Slaughter. He secured one forged warrant, and has two checks for small amounts, drawn by H.R. Hedrick on the German-American bank, which it is believed he will try to sell or cash. It is thought he has gone to British Columbia. The banks have been warned to refuse to cash the checks.
“McCain has joined the hoodlers. He is wanted for issuing between $1,000 and $2,000 of forged city warrants.”
Public corruption and municipal graft were common themes in 1890s Washington, with 'boodlers' frequently raiding city coffers. The story echoes modern concerns regarding the misuse of public funds and the intersection of vice—like gambling—with public office.
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