Ballard's Mayor Refused to Pay a Court Judgment. The Judge Wanted Him in Court.
Mayor Matthew Dow declined to issue a warrant for J. F. Thornton's judgment against the city; a superior court ordered him to appear and explain or face punishment.
The judgment of J. F. Thornton against the city of Ballard for $98.30 still remains unsatisfied, Matthew Dow, the mayor, having refused to issue a warrant for the amount. In the superior court yesterday Thornton secured an order that Dow either issue the warrant or appear January 26 and show cause why he should not be punished for his refusal. The case concerns the improvement of one of the highways.
“Dow either issue the warrant or appear January 26 and show cause why he should not be punished for his refusal.”
Ballard was its own city until Seattle annexed it in 1907; then as now, local officials sometimes test the limits of court orders. The dispute is a reminder that municipal brinkmanship can turn on surprisingly small sums.
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