An 'Arrest' and a Banquet
A surprise 'arrest' of Captain Ingraham by his own soldiers turns into a elaborate testimonial dinner at the armory.
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.
On Monday evening the room of Company E, at the armory, was the scene of a merry party, the occasion being a banquet given by the members of the company to their captain, K. S. Ingraham, in honor of his recent election to the position of major of the First regiment. The captain, who resides at Second street, had just returned home from Pullman, where he had been for the past ten days attending a meeting of the board of regents of the state agricultural college. He was thoroughly fatigued, and it was with manifest chagrin that he answered a summons at the door bell, when to his surprise he beheld a company of armed soldiers drawn up in front of his house. His lieutenants informed him that he might consider himself under arrest. He calmly submitted and went peacefully out with the officers to the soldiers, who received him with three hearty cheers. They then escorted him to their company room at the Armory, which was dazzling with splendor, decorated with flags, bunting, and colored incandescent lights. A delightful spread was prepared by the Arlington hotel.
“His first and second lieutenants informed him that he might consider himself under arrest. He calmly submitted.”
This elaborate civic performance shows the intense social capital held by the local militia in 1890s Seattle. Today, the role of the armory has shifted from a site of social celebration to public history, but the tradition of civic leaders being 'rosted' or surprised remains a staple of local culture.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.