The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-28
A PLOT THAT FAILED.
The Attempt to Confine Pioneer
De Shaw as a Lunafic.
He MAS WITNESS OF a WILL.
His Testimony VIII Dust Wrongful
Claimants Of Valuable Land
At Moodyvil1e, b. C.

Several days ago the PosT-fxTELLIsEScEE
published an account OF an attempt made 70
have william De shaw, pioneer Of Seattle, de-
eIaYed insane. Il transpfred in court that De
ehaw, In 1875, witnessed tie execution OF viii
dispoxing Of q tract Of land on Bnrrards inlet,
h G., now Of enormous value, and that the
effort 10 place him In an asylum was instigaSed
By the claimant to this land, whose title the
viii destroyed. The posT-ISrEE1IeEEcEE has
received the following letter from Mr.. De shaw;
PoET MADISON, Jan. 25, 1891.
TO TIE EDITOR; In yorr issue OF the z4tn you
refer TO the attempt OF my enemies 20 place me
ID an insane asylum. i feel that some explang-
most heIlish plot 10 rob an American citizen OF
bis freedom, the facts being known only BY my
self and enemies. And here allow a
e. srs ar man baee e I a. ths 70, Year issi
was known as the partner OF Charles Plummer.
Our place Of business was the corner Of CONNER
ciaI and Jackson streets, Seattle. In the winter
81 1851 commenced 70 build my present place
Of business at Port Madison. have from that
time until the present conducted my lginess
- general merchant ct this place,
and no man dared to call me insane.
Il was in the year Is76, II my mind serves me,
when /, ia company with several friends, visited
Burrard Inlet, B. G., leaving my business In
charge OF Jaraes Browne, Of Port Madison. /
stopped at the house of William Bridge at
place called Moodyyille, and while there | dld
In my humble way assist In debating, also wit
Messing the execution of his last viii, and
subsequently ! became the keeper OF said
win, il being In my safe for long
time, until the year $780, when sold my safe to
echwabocher Bros, OF Seattle. Then the viii,
~ wei as many other papers. was subject TO de-
ftYuefion by fire, and about that time gave IL 10
tfs original keeper, George Egan, and advised
him 10 deposit Il with Mrs. Margaret Hammond
for safe-keeping, and subsequent events show
that he did as directed. From this time
until August. 1880, do not remember bothering
myself about the win or my old friend Bridge,
who made t. But about the I'd Of August met
for the FIRST time in nay life Mr.. 7. y. Spring, OF
Vancouver, ID. G., who came to nay store and
3skcd me II I had ever seen that paper before, ut
the same time showing me the viii referred 20
above. told him all knew about il and finally
made affidavit of all knew concerning IL, in
fhe presence Of SIR. r. b. Spring, ST G. Ham
uaereley. esq. of Vancouver. u. C.. and J. y.
Alexander, british vicc.eonsui at Port Town
end, and at this interview learned for the first
dine that all the parties 10 the viii were long
since dead; also that the property named in the
win was OF almost unknown value.
II II generally believed am the only living
witness to the shove facts. In the meantime, as
I am informed, the property named In the win
was purchased by Captain Powers, of Moody
vile, but the finding OF the viii by Mr.. T. b.
Spring put another aspect on the whole affair,
and has brought the whole subject before the
supreme court Of British Columbia, where the
case IL now pending. Mr. T. b. Spring has
worked faithfully ON the case since August
LAST nntil the present time, ,,I iaet wei
Bnt since December q, when Powers arrived by
special charter OF the steamer Hornet, have
been much annoyed by parties who profess TO
represent Powers interest, and who were desir-
Gus OF bribing me TO 60 back ON what had
already sworn to in the case. also know that
for some time have been surrounded by secret
enernics who. falling In the above attempts. en-
deaGosed to fncarcerate me in al insane asylum
Tor the purpose OF putting me ont OF the way.
How well they succeeded You have shown in
your issue OF the I'D
Z No language can fully express my gratitude to
Judge Lichtenberg, Captain John Farnham and
oxsChief Wo0lery for their honorable views of
the case aud kindnesses extended to me while I
was prisoner. Ny earnest desire Is that they
maysnever feel the humiliation / suffered on
mat occasion, but as shall shortly go to British
Columbia to give evidence In the case, you viii
no doubt watch the issue with interest By
publishing the above, you viii confer great
favor ON WILLIAM DE SHAW,
The Alleged Mailman.