City Council Chaos Over Marshal’s Failure to Enforce Gambling Laws
A heated dispute breaks out in North Yakima's city government over allegations of corruption and a marshal who refuses to enforce ordinances against gambling.
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 city council met Monday evening in adjourned session. Mayor Weed was in the chair, and Councilmen Chapman, Cox, Needham and Vaughn responded to the roll call. The minority portion of the committee on police reported that the duties of the office of city marshal were not being carried out according to instructions, recommending the office be declared vacant. Attorney Boyle added that he had instructed the marshal to distrain property for delinquent taxes, but the marshal refused, having sought outside counsel from the delinquent party. Boyle further noted that gambling was rife and so bold that operators were registering their occupation as 'gambling' at the clerk's office. Councilman Cox moved to declare the office vacant, but Mayor Weed insisted on a committee investigation. When a subsequent meeting was called for Wednesday evening to address the issue, the Mayor and several councilmen failed to appear, leaving the business stalled.
“Gambling was again rife, and so open and bold that notwithstanding the stringent ordinance those who carried on the games had come before the clerk and registered their occupation as that of gambling.”
Local governance battles over police reform and the enforcement of ordinances are as relevant in modern Yakima as they were in 1892. This account highlights the persistent tension between civic oversight, law enforcement independence, and the public's demand for accountability.
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