A Burlesque of Justice in Skokomish
A murder suspect is released on questionable security, drawing outrage from local officials and the community.
The Indian, Ned Waterman, charged with the first-degree murder of the Syrian peddler Nadir, is now out on bail. The justice accepted a $1,000 bond signed by other tribal members, despite warnings from Assessor Dow and Rev. Myron Eells that there is not $1,000 of personal property on the reservation to back it. The prosecutor argued that this release is a 'burlesque of justice,' fearing that witnesses will be coerced or silenced now that the accused is free. The local public is in an uproar, and state officials are expected to intervene as the Turkish consul has also taken an interest in the case.
“The prosecuting attorney strenuously opposed bail in any amount, and protested against the burlesque of justice and public safety.”
This report captures the era's pervasive racial biases, specifically the casual labeling of tribal assets as insufficient for bail. It highlights the intersection of local judicial corruption, ethnic prejudice, and the struggle for due process in the late 19th-century Washington Territory.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.