The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-28
SKELETON IN COURT.
TACoMAs WATER PLANT SCANDAL
WILL BE GIVEN AN AIRING.
Revival OF RfSney Sufts-How Jim
Turnloose Saith saved the City
From Famfshing-Tacoma's Cham

Special Dispatch 10 the Post-Tntelligencer.
TACOMA Oct 27.-During the next jury
term OF court an cd city case Will De
called up by City Attorney aads0n that
VIII cause considerable interest because o.
the skeleton that viii be rs5uvenated
The case IN question Is the suit hat grew
out OF the sale OF the light and water
plant 20 the city, which reviyes the story
81 the Rlzney suits and the threatened
water famine az that time. Robert Rsgney,
before the transfer % the water plant was
made. filed a suit asking fer an in3unctoh
% prevent tire use Of Clover creek water.
as X was damaging his property a re-
srralaing order vas secured before the
sale and an appeal was taken 70 the SUI
preme court The Tacoma Light and
Water Company as principal and &. =
Wright and w. y. Tyler and wife as
sureties gave a Size co bond 70 protect the
city from damages resulting from an ad-
verse decision Of the supreme court An
equal amount Of bonds had been held and
were released with the giving OF the IN
demnity bond.
The appeal confirmed the decision OF the
lower court. and IL was ordered that an
injunction be issued ninety days after the
decree was signed. The light and water
company applied 20 the city and secured
permission 10 bring condemnation suits In
the clty's name against the Clover creek
and Rigney in his answer set up that ne
was the owner OF other lands which would
be equally damaged and which were not
included IN the petition, consequently ne
asked that the jury IN its deliberations
consider these lands also. This was done.
and the jury brought IN a verdict giving
Rigney $3.50 on the lands mentioned In
the petition and $1,000 on the other prop
erty. The company again appealed. and
again the decision Of the lower court was
affirmed. The company paid the $3.50 YER
dict but refused 70 pay the other, and the
city held of.
Until the full verdict had been satisfied
the city was restrained from using the
water Of Clover creek, which caused Ii TO
turn to Crystal springs, near Lake View,
for its water supply. A temporary pump
ing station was erected and a fire engine
was used for pumping the water into the
city. This was kept up from April to De-
cember. when the water supply gave out.
compelling the city 70 pay R,gney the
1000. During the eight months. however,
the residents OF the city ran very short
OF water. and had IL not been for char
aeter named Jim Smith there would prob
ably have been a famine for a short time.
one night when the reservoir was almost
empty Smith eluded Rigney's guards and
turned the water full bent into the reser-
voir. For this act he WAS nickndmed Jim
Turnloose Smith. This plan of stealing the
water was finally detected by Fremont
Campbell, Rigney's attorney, who took the
matter at once into court and secured an
order notifying the city 70 appear and ex
plain how 1t was getting its water. After
some legal spaTrlng the scheme was finally
shown up. and the city settled with Rig
ney and then had water without limit.
Before the action above referred to was
taken the city brought the suit that Mr..
Judson is now preparing for the next jury
term.
This is a suit to collect s. 600 damages
secured by Rigney and 81 900 more as the
expense incurred in running the Crystal
springs plant. The suit was brought
against the bondsmen and was originally
a damage suit for 100000. Judge Pritchard
sustained a demurrer filed by the com
pany. and City Attorney Judson amended
II TO its present form. II is to settle the
demurrer that Mr.. Judson is expecting TO
get before the next fury term of court.