The Water Superintendent Who Brought Down a Mayor
After the local option election, Colville's mayor fires the man whose inside knowledge of gambling and cooked books wrecked his administration — and the victors plan a clean sweep in December.
The breaking point between the wets and the drys subsequent to the local option election last Tuesday was reached Friday, says the Colville correspondent to the Chronicle, when Mayor L. B. Harvey issued an order in writing to William Murray, superintendent of the water system, to invoice and turn over all property of the city in his possession to his successor, and appointed John Flickinger to the position. Murray was an appointee of the Harvey regime, but instead of standing behind the city machine he openly charged it with corruption, and by disclosing inside information about gambling and juggling with the credit of the city, brought about the downfall of the Harvey administration.
There will be a mayor, six councilmen, marshal, treasurer, clerk and city attorney to elect, and the victors in the local option fight are planning now to make a clean sweep of the city in December. Murray, it is claimed, was advised by his friends to relinquish his position without controversy, and prepare himself to accept favors from the new administration. —Chewelah Independent.
“He openly charged it with corruption, and by disclosing inside information about gambling and juggling with the credit of the city, brought about the downfall of the Harvey administration.”
A city water superintendent with access to the books turned on the mayor who appointed him, and the local option election finished the job — the same pattern of a whistleblower, an audit trail and an angry electorate that ends municipal careers today. Colville's entire slate, from mayor down to clerk, was suddenly in play, and the winners were already promising a purge. It is a reminder that in small-town Washington the fight over a saloon licence and the fight over who controls city hall were usually the same fight.
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