The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-06
How the Worthless Water Plant
Was Foisted Upon Tacoma.
VOTES BOUGHT AT ELECTION
The City Uses Plain Language in
Speaking of the Swindle.
Soehomish Celebrating Decision
Which May Retain "a Her the County
sest-Return. From the Municipal
Elections show Popalist Rewerse..

TACOMA. Dec. 6-fSpecisl lin q sup
Elemental complaint filed today in suit
TO recover 100000 from the Tacoma
Light and Water Company, the city al
leges that Isaac W. Anderson, a stock
holder in the company. Theodore Hosmer,
its president. and Harris A. Coreli, who
was president of the city council at the
time of the sale, conspired. through
bribery and fraud and AT an expense of
about $4,000 TO unload the water
plant upon the city for 81. 7I0 90. when in
fact the property WAS not worth over S15o,-
eco Ex-City Treasurer George w. Boggs.
n. Gibbons. understood TO mean Miles W
Gibbons, Richard Lee Head, who goes
down in the complaint. II is understood,
as plain Dick Head, and many well-known
heelers, including several bartenders and
saloon men. are cited among the brihers
and consprators. The names as cited are:
Isaac w. Anderson. Dethief C. Hanson,
Theodore Hosmer Dennis DIVER. Mike
O'Brien, Jack Marshall, Tom Davis.
Murphy, {. Jobs. -- Smith. ". +. CLARK,
A. /. Peck. Il. Kieine, \. G. Hanson, p.
Dahl, - Johnson. L. Dick, :. r. Alien,
George w. Boggs, Jack Cunningham, --
Eleholtz. John Smith. Rode Halverson. K.
Morrissey. -- Olson, William Anderson,
NJ. Gibbons. c. Price. ]. McAulley. Will
lam Johnson, }. oslund. - Sullivan, 5.
Christianson. ). Simon, - Hamilton,
Charles Isham, - O Brien. j. MeMur-
ply, - Hanson. ". S. Snyder. Dick
Head, and 500 persons. being electors
whose names are unknown TO plaintiff.
Here is the concluding paragraph of the
amended complaint:
THAT the said Tacoma Light and Water
Company was at ali times. by and through
It's said agents, servants and special brio-
ers, engaged in preventing the agents and
servants of this plaintiff from making an
inspection and examination and from ac-
quiring that degree of knowledge of the
character and value of the said property
which would have enabled this plaintiff TO
have known that the said property was of
the value OF $4,000. and no more. all of
which was then unknown to this plaintiff.
City Attorney WIckersham, with Mayor
Orr's backbone, together with the special
city council committee of lawyers, A. K.
Titlow, Jack Shackleford and J. X. White
house are proving q sort Of Lexow COM
mittee in their manner of pushing the
water deal case. Among the ordinations
in the amended complaint are bribery
and fraud, T" formed a conspiracy, ''in
collusion with the Light and Water Com
pany," that various things were done
''faIsely. frauduIently and with an intent
to deceive" Harris A. Corell is cited as
the manipulation of the city council. form
ing a conspiracy TO prevent the people
from knowing just what the wafer plant
property was worth.
In the light of these later developments,
it is not likely that the people of Tacoma
will ever again take stock in the advice
of its local press, when il stated. to offset
the statements Of the Posr-INTEILIGENcER
at the time that the sale OF the water plant
at the price named. viz. 81. 80, 900, was
over twice the actual worth of the prop
erty. that it was pretty good proposition
Tor Tacomans to favor anything that the
Purgatorial Imp (Posr ISrELLIeENcER)
dsfayored.
The city's amended complaint shows
that the water deal went through by only
seventy-fve votes above a three-ffths
vote, and that there were over 500 voters
bribed to vote for the purchase of the prop
erty. A stack OF affidavits two feet thick
has been secured to substantials what the
city now alleges.
The case IN which the water company is
suing ex. Mayor Husou and the board Of
public works for $30.O0o damages for
stealing water pine which the city
claimed as part Of the purchase, will go 10
the Jury tomorrow.