Spokane Relief Funds Vanish
A local official jumps bail after being accused of stealing supplies meant for the relief of those in need.
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.
Robert Inglis, charged with stealing relief supplies while in the employ of the relief committee at Spokane Falls, jumped his bail early this week and is not to be found. It was asserted that he was assisted to skip by prominent parties who feared exposure, and strength was given to this by the arrest Monday night of Councilman Sydney D. Waters, Peter Dueber, and Policeman Wm. Gillespie. A citizens committee has been organized to prosecute the guilty parties and strong council has been employed to assist the district attorney.
“It was asserted that he was assisted to skip by prominent parties who feared exposure.”
Corruption involving public relief funds and the subsequent cover-up by city officials highlights the early volatility of municipal government in the frontier era, mirroring modern anxieties about civic graft and accountability.
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