Scandalous Politician Drowns in Anacortes
A prominent Seattle Republican dies while boarding a steamer, leaving behind a legacy of real estate speculation and a massive public deficit investigation.
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.
Captain George D. Hill of Seattle was drowned at Anacortes on December 4th after falling from a gangplank while attempting to board the steamer Eastern Oregon. Captain Hill had served as treasurer of King County from 1874 to 1887, during which time an investigation into his books uncovered a deficit of $61,000. Hill denied the defalcation, and civil suits were in progress to recover the funds at the time of his death. Though his later career in Anacortes real estate was successful, he remained under indictment. He was a veteran with a military record of which he was proud, symbolized by an empty coat sleeve.
“Captain Hill denied the defalcation and suits were in progress looking to the recovery of the money at the time of his death.”
This account blends the tragedy of an accidental death with the lingering civic scandal of a public official accused of embezzling funds. It serves as a stark reminder of the long-standing tension between frontier-era 'success' and public accountability in local Washington politics.
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