The Fireman Who Accused His Commissioner—Then Sued the City
Oswald R. Vitzthum says Seattle owes him years of pay and that he was never legally discharged after accusing a former fire commissioner of taking money for jobs.
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.
Oswald R. Vitzthum yesterday commenced an action in the superior court against the city to recover unpaid wages for services as a fireman from June 23, 1892, to the present. Vitzthum says he has been continuously in the employ of the department since 1892 at $75 a month, and that the sum is now unpaid. He is the fireman who accused James Foster, the former fire commissioner, of extorting money to secure him a position on the fire department, and claims that he was never legally discharged. He continued to report for duty for some time afterwards.
“He is the fireman who accused James Foster, the former fire commissioner, of extorting money to secure him a position on the fire department, and claims that he was never legally discharged.”
Public employees who allege retaliation after reporting corruption still make headlines in Seattle; this case is an early example of a worker arguing that a city cannot simply treat him as fired without due process. The extortion allegation against a fire commissioner also echoes modern debates over patronage and public trust.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.