The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-16
TACOMA's COUNCIL. SCANDAL.
me MAYOR said to Have Accused Two
Officials Of Taking Rrihes.

Ihe Mayor Said 10 Have Accused Two
onicials of Taking Bribes.
Tacoma, June l5.-SpeciaI-A scandal
taat mas oeen brewing IN municipal affairs
tof some time past came 10 a head today
IN tne city council session. Toward the
end Of the meeting Bulger. a Popullst
councilman from the Fifth ward arose in
. ms place and read a resolution in which
II was stated that the mayor and city az
tofney had repeatedly charged Council
man Thompson. OF the Third ward. and
City Clerk :. J. Smythe with bribery and
corruption The resolution IN full follows.
whereas, II has been reported, charged
and repeated by the mayor of this city to
VII, Mayor = $ Orr. and hy the city at
torney, TO wit. James Wickersham. and
by numerous and divers other citizens
and officers OF this city. that j. B. Thomp-
son. member OF this council from the
Third ward OF this. the city of Tacoma.
and that s. J. Smythe. city clerk of said
city have each OF them been guilty of
wicked. corrupt and unlawful practices
connected with their said public offices;
and
Whereas. Said reports and charges are
IN substance as follows, TO Wit:
''First-That said Thompson. while an
ofhcer and councilman OF said city. dis
honestly and corruptly and with he pur-
pose and intent Of corrupting the city
officers and city government Of said city.
and for the purpose of causing and in
duclns said officers 10 willfully and un-
lawfully neglect their official duties and
violate the law OF said city OF Tacoma and
state OF Washington. did unlswfully and
corruptly, on or about the 23d day OF Sep
tember 1894. undertake and attempt 10
bride the said city attorney, James Wick
ersham, TO ILLEGALLY and unlawfully allow
gambling 20 exist and 70 be carried on
within TIE limits Of said city. to wit. a
~ Irs..
theater, on Pacific avenue. and did offer
to give said Wickersham the sum of $50
provided said Wickersham would refrain
from prosecuting the parties carrying on
and conducting said gambling.
''Second-That the said $ ] Smythe
while clerk of said city and while seeking
and desiring a re-election to said office
by the votes Of the said city council OF
said city Of Tacoma. and while said J. r.
Thompson was a member OF said city
council and entitled 70 a vote herein, Of
fered 20 hrlb2 and aid with money brlbe
said Thompson TO vote for him. said
Smythe. as and Tor clerk Of said city.
and that the said Smythe did give 20 said
Thompson Sl2S and that Ia consideration
thereof said Thompson dld vote for said
Smythe: and
Whereas. Said reports and charges are
calculated 70 90 great damage and cast
disgrace upon our City and the city gov
ernment OF said city; and
Whereas, sad reports and charges are
of such 4 serious nature that they I'm
peratively demand a speedy. thorough
and impartial investiga ton: now, there
fore. be 1t
Resolved That II is the sense OF this
council that the president ought and Is
hereby instructed 20 appoint a committee
or FIVE members OF this council % speed
ily thoroughly. fairly and impartially in
vestisate said reports and charges and re-
port 10 this council the facts iu relation
thereto and connected herewith. and also
10 report 70 this council their reconmen-
dations as 10 what, II anything ought 10
be done in the premises. and he it
further
Resolved That each OF the three great
political parties ought to be represented
on said committee"
President Harris appointed as the com
mittea Norton. Rep; Hartman. Pop;
Parker. Ind. Dem. Lister. Pop. and
Kleeb%Rvp.
While the resolution was being read
both Thompson and Smythe we're much
agitated Smythe smiled weakly and said
during the discussion: "He didn't ge; the
money from ne"
Thompson arose and began - address
the chair whom CITY Attorney Wicker
sham. who had been standing in the antA
room burst iuto the chamber IN some ex-
crerent ana said.
NY name has oean mentioned in this
matter ard protest against Nj Tho0,r-
son or any one making any explanation
urtn the committee meets ari we all
have chance - make explanations"
Thompson was ruled out - order Rul-
ser ma fe the statement in the discussion
that tho mayor hsa repeatedly stated
these charges = him personally.
Aftar the meeting - a PoSt-I-teilsE
Ger correspondent. Clerk Smythe ma 10
an absolute ana general denial OF the
charges said ne.
~ have yokea somewhat abou. paving
money % Eet my position, but Z never
uaif q cent for 't. People have asked ire
vha. r. cost and 7 have replied. ooh. 7
vat my money where Il would So tnc
most good hut IN reality never h-gaad
or attempted - h-ihe any one. never
heard % these charges before"
CITY Attorney Wt~kerSh8u7. when asked
-ars- ling the matter refused - make --t-
ste+a-,erf u~.ii she Investigation ss he-f
7-ro-r,osan said. The CHARGES are ah-
solutelv and uTcu8Nfetjv false So fa- as
-hav concern me- ard 7 believe -Nev are
50 Tar as thcv concern Smv'ho also T~a-e
IS nothing fn -hen ana rot one t.an IN
chem can be proven 20 b. frae on the ln-
Vestieation-'
z. Is well kaov.n -ha: Tsomrs,7 sr7
" .lyerSha-r have been AZ outs f0~ sa-r.
-l~,s. Thompson. who - R P0pul's- stands
T., the way 81 Wirka-s-a11's co~1--ra. a..c-
81 the council.
RulEe~. who presented toe rasris,lous
declared r-7phAt5>a}Ix -h7t ~ IS ~s -ss~--,
- -se charges. hut r<7at thev has t.o.
made and it was the d1ty - che council
70 Investigate them.
THE .uvestiga ing committee VIII meet
a. -, Tuesday. !rues'ia- sly following
a suecial meeting On Pa-io- avenue nav
ing