The 'Orting Bank Thief' Libel Case
A political war of words between Populists and the establishment leads to a dramatic arrest for criminal libel in Tacoma.
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.
P. B. Egbert, a Populist member of the legislature, and L. E. Bader, editor of the 'Sum' newspaper, were arrested today on charges of criminal libel. The charges were preferred by Thomas D. Yarrington, ex-cashier of the suspended Orting State Bank, after the 'Sum' printed his name in a list of deputy marshals who protected Northern Pacific railroad property, labeling him an 'Orting bank thief.' The newspaper also referred to the marshals as 'Hanford’s thugs' in reference to Judge Hanford. Egbert remains defiant, claiming he can prove the allegations and intends to expose the corruption behind the bank’s failure.
“These people must be remembered by us all, just for sweet future's sake.”
This dispute illustrates the intense political polarization of the 1890s, where local newspapers served as weaponized platforms for civic crusades. The use of 'criminal libel' against political opponents highlights how the judiciary was once used as a direct tool to silence populist dissent.
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