The Real Estate Deal That Bought Silence on Vice
A lawsuit to shut down 'vicious dens' on A Street is dropped after a mysterious buyer purchases the property, raising concerns about city-sanctioned corruption.
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.
A real estate transfer recorded at the courthouse shows J.R. Turner and others sold a parcel of land in block 1402 to one 'Emil Magnusson' for a consideration of $18,000. This effectively kills the West Coast Wagon Company's lawsuit to close the dens of vice on A Street between 14th and 15th streets. The purchaser, Magnusson, is suspected to be a frontman for the Sandberg-Blake-Palmer syndicate. Insiders believe the property will be renovated and expanded, with the syndicate using their political influence to consolidate their vice operations. The West Coast Wagon Company representative stated they were forced to sell because their business was being ruined and they could get no redress from city officials.
“We would rather have pressed the suit and shut up these places, but we were practically forced to sell. Our business was being ruined and we could get no redress from the officers.”
This story highlights the historic collusion between land-use development and the municipal tolerance of vice districts. It reflects the ongoing tension in Tacoma where real estate speculation and local political influence often collided, a dynamic that echoes in contemporary debates over how zoning and development impact neighborhood character.
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