A Conspiracy to Secure Land for Nothing
A widower sues his business partners for $5,000, claiming a fraudulent land deal left them owning his property for free.
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.
Edward Kennah, a widower, commenced suit in the superior court yesterday against R. J. Houston and Charles Kakeldy to recover $5,000. Kennah alleges he was defrauded in a 1890 transaction for a forty-acre tract at Juanita. Houston convinced Kennah to enter a partnership for the land, falsely inflating its value. Kennah paid $1,000 in cash and signed notes for the remainder, while Houston contributed nothing. Kennah claims the defendants conspired to trick him, allowing Houston to secure a one-third interest in the land without paying a cent. Kennah is seeking the return of his cash, his notes, and additional damages.
“Houston representing that he would go into partnership with Kennah in the purchase of this land... whereas in fact he had conspired to defraud the plaintiff.”
Land speculation and real estate 'partnerships' gone wrong are a foundational element of Seattle's development history. This story mirrors the modern concerns of vulnerable buyers navigating complex, bad-faith investment schemes in a booming market.
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