The Senator Caught in the Act
A Spokane politician attempts a quiet wedding in Tacoma, only to be ambushed by his colleagues.
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.
Senator Van Houten, of Spokane, met Senator Van De Vanter, of Kent, and Senator Ide, of Spokane, on the street in Tacoma today. As he was accompanied by Mrs. Clara M. Kerr and acted a little embarrassed, they became convinced that their slight inkling that he entertained matrimonial designs was correct. Senator Van Houten tried every polite means possible to get away, but his brother senators clung to him like leeches. Finally, he 'pulled the cat out of the bag' and announced he was en route to the Tacoma Hotel to get married. 'Oh, you are?' exclaimed the trio of senators, with great gusto. 'Well, we will go along.' And they did. In Parlor D at the hotel, Rev. V. B. Thorp tied the knot, and Mrs. Kerr became Mrs. Van Houten.
“Senator Van Houten tried every polite means possible to get away, but his brother senators clung to him like leeches.”
This story offers a glimpse into the informal, tight-knit political culture of the Washington State Legislature in the 1890s, where local figures were often tracked by peers with as much interest in their personal lives as their legislative ones. Tacoma's hotels served as the central stage for this type of public-private drama.
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