The 'Three-Dollar' Libel Suit
A Tacoma police captain sues the local newspaper for $10,000, alleging they falsely accused him of gambling, bribery, and corruption.
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.
Captain Thomas W. Kelly, of the Tacoma police force, today instituted a suit in the superior court for $10,000 damages against the Evening News. The complaint charges that the News, on January 8, 1891, published false, defamatory, and libelous words concerning the plaintiff, including the moniker 'Three-Dollar Kelly.' The article accused Kelly of playing 'seven-up' in Opera Alley—a term implying gambling in a house of ill fame—and alleged he had been cheating a man named Willie Pelka with marked cards. The publication further claimed Kelly was an 'ex-prizefighter' and had accepted bribes from Japanese prostitutes. Peculiar significance attaches to the case from the fact that it is said Chief Zwickey and several of his subordinates, who have also been attacked by the defendant, are considering similar suits ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. Pelka, who originally provided the affidavits upon which the story was based, has since claimed he was bribed to make the statement.
“The complaint charges that the News... published false, defamatory, and libelous words concerning the plaintiff, including the moniker 'Three-Dollar Kelly.'”
This story highlights the long history of the 'watchdog' press acting as both an investigative force and a target for litigation in Washington. The battle between police leadership, accusations of corruption, and the local press remains a perennial feature of Seattle and Tacoma civic life.
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