The Yesler Forgery Scandal
The legal drama surrounding Mrs. Yesler, a member of one of Seattle's most prominent founding families, continues to divide the courtroom.
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.
Mrs. Minnie Yesler was yesterday bound over for trial in the superior court on the charge of conspiracy, Justice Humphrey overruling the motion for a dismissal made by her counsel, W. H. White. In the afternoon the charge of forgery was taken up. The defendant's attorney argued that the court had no jurisdiction to inquire into the matter again, claiming it was double jeopardy and that his client was too ill to appear. The judge overruled the motion, setting the forgery hearing for Monday morning. The prosecution is expected to make a much stronger case against Mrs. Yesler at her trial in the superior court, as it is understood to have only produced enough evidence at the preliminary hearing to make a case of probable cause and is holding much stronger evidence in reserve.
“It is impossible for my client to be here at 2 o'clock, but I will be here and will make a motion for a change of venue.”
The Yesler name is synonymous with the founding of Seattle, but this case highlights how even the most prominent 'first families' were subject to the messy, public legal scandals of the era. The intense media scrutiny and procedural gamesmanship mirror the way modern high-profile criminal cases play out in the court of public opinion.
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