The Disappearing Witness in the Senatorial Bribery Scandal
As the state legislature remains deadlocked in a bribery probe, a mysterious figure named Atwood vanishes after allegedly attempting to buy votes.
The story, cleaned up
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It begins to look as if the rival bribery investigation, meant to counteract the Metcalfe investigation, will suffer from a deficiency of evidence. During the week, a systematic attempt has been made to work up contention among Republicans. One member avers he was offered $3,000 by the mysterious Atwood—whom nobody knows and few remember—if he would vote for Squire. The earth apparently has opened and swallowed up Atwood; he can be found nowhere, though diligent search has been made by Sergeant-at-arms Lesh. Atwood is a man of about 28, tall, dark, and well-dressed. He was introduced as a young man of means from Seattle with a taste for politics. When Chairman Kennedy learned that Atwood claimed to have information of value, his name was added to the list of witnesses, and he vanished forthwith. The committee hopes to find him if only to satisfy public curiosity.
“The earth apparently has opened and swallowed up Atwood. He can be found nowhere.”
This 1891 scandal highlights the raw, transactional nature of early Washington state politics, where senate seats were effectively for sale. The 'Atwood' incident mirrors modern concerns about dark money and anonymous influence in state government, even if the methods have shifted from gold coins to PACs.
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