The Chief of Police, The Saloon, and The Impeachment
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council moved to impeach Chief of Police James H. Woolery for allegedly turning a blind eye to unlicensed saloons and failing to enforce the law.
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.
In the city of Seattle, on the 10th day of April, 1885, James H. Woolery, Chief of Police, was accused of grave offenses and misconduct. Woolery was accused of failing to act against William Meyers and E.J. Powers, proprietors of the Monarch Saloon, who had been operating without a license. Despite clear commands from Mayor John Leary and City Attorney G.D. Hanford to make a sworn complaint against the saloon owners, Woolery willfully refused to perform his duty. Further charges alleged that Woolery failed to keep necessary arrest records, allowed stray dogs to run wild, neglected to clear filthy alleys, and absenting himself from the city without permission. During the council hearing, Mayor Leary asked the Chief for his plea. Woolery responded, 'Your Honor, I plead not guilty, but having no counsel present, I ask that motion on the articles be postponed long enough to give me time in which to meet the charges.' The Council agreed to begin the trial on Wednesday.
“The Chief is entitled to a copy of the charges, and a reasonable time in which to prepare to answer them. The charges must be sustained by sworn testimony.”
The tension between civic leadership and police accountability has been a recurring theme in Seattle for over a century. The 1885 impeachment hearing over 'neglect of duty' mirrors modern debates regarding police reform, municipal oversight, and the enforcement of city ordinances, suggesting that the struggle to hold public servants accountable is a long-standing feature of Seattle's political landscape.
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