Fire Chief Hunt Faces Citizenship Probe
Seattle's Fire Chief is accused of fraudulent naturalization, triggering a tense standoff within the Board of Fire Commissioners.
Formal charges were preferred against A. B. Hunt, chief of the fire department, at a board meeting by Commissioner John L. Kahaley. The charges allege that Hunt fraudulently obtained a naturalization certificate in Tacoma, falsified his nativity, and improperly left the city without permission. Commissioner Kahaley argued that Hunt's citizenship was a deception and crime, requesting his suspension. Mayor Ronald, however, defended Hunt, noting that the Chief was doing his job well and suggesting that the board lacked the authority to denaturalize a citizen, effectively delaying the investigation for months.
“If he were chief, I should want them investigated.”
This battle over the Fire Chief's credentials reflects the intense, high-stakes partisan politics of 1890s Seattle government. It highlights how citizenship status and 'fraud' were used as political weapons in municipal appointments, a theme that resonates through generations of civic debates over who is 'allowed' to hold power.
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