The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-31
THEY KNOW M'GRAW.
More Old Citizens Tell of His
Manly Character.
HIS KINDNESS TO PRISONERS.
o. L. Crawford's RecolIections-Henry
Van Asse1t on His Brave Conduct
IT the LynchinE.


eanusl /. Crawford, of the we'll known real
estate firrn of Crawford a Conover, writes the
following Is what he knows OF Mr.. NcGEaw:
On june Is, 1875, I came 70 Seattle 20 make
this city my permanent home, and took up my
abode at ,he Occidental hotel. was stu
when gonn H. Me6raw arrived in sest.ie. and
met him the first day that he entered the en-
ploy OF Virgins & Fox. clerk of the occiden-
tai He At ones impressed me As young man
81 kindly ana generous impulses, and decided
TO besome better acquainted with him. M Me-
Graw left the Occidental hotel 20 take charge OF
the American house. on Yeelers wharf, a hall
interest IN which he had secured By the assist
aace OF a friend Of his from Maine.
was employed az that time on the Daily In
te1igacer, where l worked continuously Tor
thirteen years in the various capacities of press
man, cofnpositor. reporter and proprietor L
frequently vfsited the American house, and was
rs familiar with what took place In that house
as was with what happened AT the occiGenta.,
which was shortly arter conducted ~ Joan Col
Inns, and where continued to bosrd, ana can
state without fear of successful contradiction,
that MeGraw's hotel was Just as respectabie
snd a. far from being gambling den as Collins
house. Both hotels had barroorn' in connec-
ton, and tables where gentlemen could play
friendly game of cards IL they saw it,
About the time the American house was de-
stroyed BY FIRE, Mr. Mc9raw mad saved up
enough money 10 bring his little family, con-
slsting OF a wife and two small children, from
Maine 10 Seattle. He rented cottage near the
corner OF Third and Pike streets and set up
housekeeping in TIE most unprcsentious man
Her. The burning OF MS hotel had thrown MIN
ont OF employment without a dollar in the
world, but he had his family to support and
could nol remain Idle. Through the assistance
ard influence of Hon. Irving Ballard, h.
Ca,iigan, Charles Mcdonald, and other friends
whom he made here. he was appointed 70 a
council, and assigned TO night patrol duty. at
the nagnitcen. salary OF, think, SGD month.
Al this time | was the only reporter on the
Iafeiiigeneer, and in my work OF securing the
city Tor news was constantly thrown in COM
pany OF ofIieer McGraw, and / never have
known a moro humane, fearless and faithful
officer than he showed himself 70 be. L viii
cite an instance 70 illustrate his character as an
officer.
McGraw called at my Office and Invited me 10
make the rounds of the city with him, as was
his custom. As we were walking along Com
mercjai street We heard a man running down
Washington street toward the Sound. In those
days there was set OF stairs across the foot o!
Washington street, running down from the
street to tho water. McGraw gave chase TO the
fleeing man, and followed. When the fellow
reached these stairs he plunged neadlong into
the mud aud siush at the bottom. McGraw
waded out, lifted the man up ana carried him,
dripping with mud and water, to the nearest
street light lie proved to be poor logger who
had como TO town on vacation and had been
drinking heavily, and, while bordering on
desirtum trefnens imagined he was being
chased br some unseen Toe and plunged into
tho water fer relief Instead of throwing this
man into fail In his wet clothes. McGraw took
him to q restaurant, gave him a warm meal and
wniia he was eating rustled mp dry suit for
him and placed him in jail for the night. as the
man had no money with which to pay for bed
Tho next morning the prisoner was released
without having. charges preferred against hin
ana that man today is working in u logging
camp on Puget sound.
Metiraw's work as a common policeman
proved 70 satisfactory TO the people that the
following year he was elected city marshal by q
1ofg INA nrffg fhaf n hair al ffaf lima
ex ofiieio chief of police The man whom he
defeated for that Office was L. A. Thorndyke,
who still lives In this clty, and who from that
day 10 this has fesorsei TO every resource within
his power 10 injure Mr.. MeGraw. sDd il lie from
this man that all the rot about American house
being gambling den emanatcd.
30 ably, eonscientiously and fearlessly did
Dir. Aciraw discharge his every duty city
marshal and chief OF police that, when the
lEmentef Nyekof died, the independent voters
Of King county elected him sheriff over two
kuen splendid men Gardner Kellogg and the
iats john L. Jordan. Mr.. McGraw held that
high Office until called to take the presidency of
the First National bank, which under his able
management has become OF the strongest
and best financial establishments in the state of
Washington. Mr.. Metiraw - record sheriff it
too we'll known 20 require any elaboration from
me- lie wAs fearless in the discharge OF his
duties: he hriped hundreds of poor men 10 meet
their taxes when they were short of money. and
he was model sheriff Ii Is no di-paragement
Ia the lamenfed Wyckoff. nor the present worthy
Sheriff Noolerv, 10 cay that Mctsrsw WAS not
but the best sheriff that any county IN the terri;
tory of Was b nyton ever had, and l call upon
ex-chsef Justice Orange Jacobs. ex- Chief Justice
J. X. Lewis ami ex-chief Justice Roger :. Greene
to bear me out in this assertion
l waut TO here state fact not generally
known, and will agree to substantiate II TO
any responsible committee that will wait upon
me, that at the time the effort being made
to expei the Chinese from Seattle, Sheriff John
il. McGraw put up more money to paw the
Transportation from Seattle of those Cinnamon
" q u l.
zen. saw Mcfsraw nj one time buy and pay
fer, out OF his own pocket, 500 worth OF tickets
from Seattle To San Francisco for Cinnamon
who were willing IN leave this city.
And. fiuaily, after sixteen years intimate ac-
Quaintauee with Mc1raw, both socially and in
business relations. am pleased To state that l
know him To be the soul OF honor, a man whose
word is rs good as any mans bond. and man
whom would trust 10 the utmost should /
ever 10 convinced Of one crooked transaction
on the part OF John Act5faw | SHOULD lose faith
III human nature. ! mean every word of what
j have stated above, and as have many warm
friends throughout the state, both ia the Re-
publican aud Democratic parties, wish TO say
IN them that, II IL is their desire place at the
head OF our state government n tried and true
man. in every Way fitted IN an that exalted POI
sstion, aud man who will reflect honor and
craiit not only upon himself aud hia friends
but urea the state Al large, ! asa them IN the
name 81 the friendship that bear for them. In
work from this hour on for the election of that
noble friend of mankind, the Hon. Joan II. Nc
draw.
Capt w. r. Halisr1, the president oil the Seat
tie Savings hank and QUO of :he best known YES.
scl and property owners in the city, said ysster-
day: al have known John AcGraw ever since
he came here aud have had the best %. chances
for keeping trHce Of him. knowing him as we'll
ns do and Believing in him. il is pleasure to
ne 10 be abe 10 say that ii ny brother.
Irving Ballard. now dead. that secured him ais
piscc on the Seattle police f0rcc after the burn
fug Of Mr. Mc{,rsw's American hotel. Ihcro
must ba segaathlng in u man that Val get ahcas,
In the world as AF. McGraw has lie is, 20 be
sure. a gisn al agreeable and direct manner, snd
this uaGoahtess y scrras To make any Que per.
eeaaliy popular. Bat il does not make him =
hsnk president nor Iusu trusted with the
nonisd Interests % ether people. have per
sonSl spowtsigs OF transactions in which Ne.
Mc6raw's sqnsre dealing has been most psomi-
nontIy exhibited, yer hare The world in general
kuew nothing Of It. and where even the people
who were benefited By il were III Ignorance OF
what they owed him. In ore case
Mr.. Mctiraw - prominent oricisl
Of n company, received a proposition looking 20
She marking M Of the price Of = eertain commo
DIR Ia such way tAaS sac sufferers could oeeg
no resistance "a IL
"'Thts shalt net ee DONE said Mr. Meliraw
"'Weu.' was she reply. they won't b. able 70
object; they msy no, even know II for ;ir,e'
"'ls docs net mattel said NJ. Metlraw
While aus in this rosisiou Il shsn't bs 6ona
Ii IL not riFsst, and that Is all there is 10 IL
''New | acl Glad 60 SEQ man who does some
thiag merely because be thinks il Is right
Thor, Is too iittle Of that in tho world. The
enisoae refer - happened hesora there wa,