The Tacoma News Taken by Sheriff
A newspaper's own creditors seize the presses as bankruptcy fears trigger a legal showdown in Pierce County.
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.
The Tacoma News is in the hands of the sheriff. Foreman William McIntyre and S. E. Moses brought suits today for approximately $16,000 on notes. The News Company confessed judgment and the sheriff took possession on an execution. It is generally understood that this move was taken to protect inside creditors against the suit recently brought by the Postal Telegraph Company for several thousand dollars for afternoon United Press service. McIntyre, however, says he acted to protect himself. The note on which he sued was for $10,000. It is said the paper will change hands.
“The News Company confessed judgment and the sheriff took possession on an execution.”
Newspaper closures are a modern crisis, but in the 1890s, they were often brutal financial brawls. This seizure mirrors the precarious nature of local journalism, where debt-ridden legacy papers are often cannibalized by creditors.
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