The Whatcom City Hall Embezzlement Scandal
A local clerk faces eighteen criminal charges after a trail of forged warrants and treasury theft is unearthed in Whatcom.
The grand jury today reported eighteen indictments against Deputy City Clerk E. V. Grassett. Eight are for forging endorsements on the backs of as many separate warrants for amounts ranging from $33 to $85; one for uttering and publishing as true a counterfeit endorsement made out to C. Levis; one for embezzlement; and the others for obtaining money under false pretenses. City officials and ex-officials were witnesses in each case. Conviction is considered certain.
“Eight are for forging endorsements on the backs of as many separate warrants... conviction is considered certain.”
Corruption in city administrative offices—specifically involving the handling of public warrants and funds—was a recurring issue as Washington's young cities grew rapidly. This case highlights the precarious nature of public trust in the era before modern electronic auditing.
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