Suspended Fireman Demands His Job Back
A local firefighter, fired for allegedly bribing a commissioner to secure his position, shows up to work daily to prove his employment status.
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.
O. Vitzthum, the stoker of engine No. 4, who was suspended from the fire department June 23, 1892, after having signed an affidavit to the effect that he gave Commissioner James Foster $1 for his position, quietly walked up to Chief Hunt on the street yesterday afternoon and said that he was ready to go to work. The chief looked at him in amazement for a moment, and then replied: 'I have not got any place for you.' 'I am still a member of the department,' replied Vitzthum, 'and when you want me, let me know. In future I shall report for duty every day.' Vitzthum told the chief that since his suspension he had reported at different times to Capt. Allen, of hose No. 4, and at headquarters. The city charter requires that, in order to remove a man from the department, charges shall be filed against him within thirty days of his suspension. The records do not show that this was done and that is one reason that Vitzthum claims to be a member of the fire department.
“I am still a member of the department, and when you want me, let me know. In future I shall report for duty every day.”
Public sector employment and the bureaucracy of firing/hiring remain central to Seattle civic life. Vitzthum's insistence on his legal status despite a scandal mirrors modern disputes where employees leverage administrative technicalities against institutional efforts to clear house.
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