The Scandal of Surveyor General Henry
Dr. Anson G. Henry fights back against accusations of swindling the government and bribery in a blistering public defense.
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.
Dr. Anson G. Henry, the Surveyor General of Washington Territory, has published a lengthy defense against allegations of financial dishonesty, bribery, and the mishandling of government contracts. Writing in response to a two-column editorial in the Puget Sound Herald, Henry categorizes the charges as 'malicious slander' and 'corrupt libels.' He specifically denies claims that he swindled $730 while acting as an Indian Agent, asserts that his surveying work at Gray's Harbor was performed correctly and verified by examiner Matt. O.C. Murphy, and provides correspondence attempting to clear his name regarding the misdirection of government drafts to his creditors. Henry challenges his political detractors to provide any evidence of wrongdoing, claiming the attacks are part of a targeted campaign to ruin him.
“I have proven to the satisfaction of all unprejudiced minds, that every charge preferred, affecting my moral character, are base, malicious slanders, and their authors, wicked and corrupt libellers.”
This vitriolic public squabble between federal officials in Olympia shows that the 'politics of personal destruction' were as prevalent in the 1860s as they are today. The reliance on public newspaper 'letters' to settle scores and prove innocence mirrors the modern trend of using social media or press releases to shape narrative before official investigations conclude.
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