City Hall Bribery Scandal
A fire commissioner is accused of selling positions, sparking a heated political inquiry.
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.
Mayor Ronald left the city last night for New York and President Sweeney accordingly became acting mayor. This threw upon Dr. J. S. Kloeber, the duty of presiding over the joint session of the council convened to inquire into the charges against James Foster, one of the fire commissioners. City Clerk Stoneman read the mayor's notice and the charge that Foster had received $150 from Oswald Vitzthum for obtaining a position for him as stoker in the fire department, and borrowed a further $100 from him with the understanding that Foster's influence was to be used in Vitzthum's favor. Attorney W. H. White, appearing for Foster, asked for more time to prepare a defense, noting that the charges were serious and the public would expect a fair investigation. The council agreed to set the hearing for Thursday night.
“Foster had received $150 from Oswald Vitzthum for obtaining a position for him as stoker in the fire department.”
The tradition of 'pay-to-play' politics and influence peddling at City Hall has deep roots in Seattle's governance history, echoing the recurring tension between public trust and municipal corruption.
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