County Corruption Scandal
Auditors find discrepancies in the accounts of King County officials, sparking fears of thousands of dollars in losses.
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.
Great anxiety prevails in this city tonight on account of the disclosure of some loose management in certain departments of the county. The County Commissioners of King and Clark have been in continuous session for two weeks, engaged principally in examining the accounts of W.H. Roberts, County Treasurer; Elias R. Valin, Clerk of the District Court; and Probate Judge F.P. Soper. There has been a report for several days that the books of Mr. Roberts show a deficit of some magnitude. On March 15th, the Board of Commissioners issued an order: 'Ordered that W.H. Roberts of this county, having failed to bring his accounts to the commissioners for settlement, and appearing by said statement that a balance is due... that the clerk be directed to record the same on the minutes and that he forthwith notify and demand his bondsmen to pay the above sum.' It was a surprise to all, as no man stood higher in the estimation of the people than the accused officers.
“It was a surprise to all, as no man stood higher in the estimation of the people than the accused officers.”
Government transparency and the auditing of public funds are recurring civic themes in Seattle. This 1885 scandal mirrors the periodic oversight battles that define modern King County governance, where public trust and fiscal responsibility remain central to the political discourse.
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