1878 Snohomish Court Summons Names Murley and Rullan
A legal summons reveals the steep cost of debt in 1878 Snohomish, where a defaulted promissory note leads to a District Court reckoning.
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.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. JOHN L. MURLEY AND JAMES RULLAN. You are hereby required to appear in an action brought against you by the above-named plaintiffs, in the District Court of Snohomish County, holding terms at Snohomish City, in and for said County of Snohomish, Washington Territory, and to answer the complaint filed therein, within twenty days (exclusive of the days of service), after the service of this summons, if served within said County of Snohomish, or if served out of that County but in this District, within thirty days, otherwise within sixty days, or judgement by default will be taken against you, according to the prayer of the complaint. The said action is brought to recover judgement against you, the said defendants, for the sum of Two Hundred and Forty-two 55-100 dollars, Gold Coin, on a certain promissory note signed by you and delivered to the said plaintiffs, and for interest on said sum from November 12th, 1877, until paid, at the rate of ten per cent per month in like gold coin, and for costs of suit. Witness the Hon. J.R. Lewis, Judge of said Court, and the seal thereof this 23rd day of July A.D. 1878. H.A. Ganoe, Clerk.
“The said action is brought to recover judgement against you... for the sum of Two Hundred and Forty-two 55-100 dollars, Gold Coin, on a certain promissory note... at the rate of ten per cent per month.”
This 1878 notice reflects the unforgiving nature of credit in the frontier era, where a debt of $242 could rapidly balloon through a 10% monthly interest rate. Today, while consumer protection laws have evolved, the anxiety surrounding mounting debt and the threat of court-ordered collection remains a persistent, modern stressor for residents of Snohomish County.
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