The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-22

ACCUSING CONSCIENCE MAKES HIM
REFUND THE MONEY.
Strange Flight OF Fairhavcn's For
mer Tax Collcctor-A Fortune
Gained i'm Argentina After Severe
sickness Defalcatioa Wiped out.

Special Dispatch TO the Post-Intelligencer.
FAIRHANEN Feb. 2l-As recently an
nounced in the Post-Inte.Agcncer Mayor
Clark has received "a letter from Assist
ant Secretary Of State Day, announcing i
settlement OF the Parker delaIcation.
Behind this simple statement lies a story
Of boom days on Puget sound. az gross
breach OF public trust. q flight OF thou
sands OF miles-far beyond the ken OF
sharp-tyed GeteC5iVes-away beyond the
reach OF eNtradlt!on treaties. OF poverty.
afflUence Tor time. % futile efforts 10
trace the fugitive. and finally the twinging
OF conscience 10 an extent that has brought
about the restitution OF the stolen money.
SIX years ago fsirhayen Vas one OF the
new towns on Puget sound. Factories.
mills, a fine new hotel and the bu1id-
ing thither Of the Grea; Northern railway
brought together 4 population Of 5000 PEG
PIE, who expected that In i've years more
their city would be A metropolis. In that
year Wlnneld Sect Parker was elected
city msrshal Of Fairn1ven. He was also
the tax collector. made SO by the idiosyn-
cratic statutes OF those days relating 10
cities Of the class OF Fairhavep. Parker
VAS congcnial ard popular. lie was sew
eEal inches over six feet in aeight. Of ro-
bust frame and jovlal dispoSl ZION. His
liberality In spending money and his ca
pacity fer the absorption Of good whisky.
as \. ell as smoking 10 The pclnt OF lnvet-
eracy, added 10 his popularity among the
crowd OF Cahfornians and E8sttIn people
who we're letting their money 80 with
open hands. Parker drew good salary
bur II was said that his salary formed the
smaller part Of his stipend. as sometimes
E~a1enct With police officers In boom
towns.
A. tax collector. Parker handled i'm
mense sums Of money. Those were days
when taxes IN large and generous amounts
wee rGid by property owners, In cact
they could not pay than fast enough As
the day approached when taxes became
delinquent c~)wts thTCuRed the small Of
flee devoted 10 Parker's use few would
be admitted and the door locked After
receipts were given the happy possessors
would walk out. giving place 10 another
crowd OF eager taxpayers Eut some
times Parker wOuid make cut a receipt an!
fail 20 MI out the stcb' Many times his
was repeated. and today it Is beyond the
knowledge ~ the best experts how many
dollars went the way Of his pocket r.
stead OF the city Golfers. The amount Is
known TO have been At least Sl5 aHo nd
- paced hy some rs hlgh as 81 pel
About Thanksgiving time. 1891. Parker
asked leave Of the city council 20 absent
himself for a week or so II vas granted
ard Parker went. He never returned.
Suspicious were awakened and an invesf'-
fsication 81 about So 0oo and suit for that
amount was brought against The bonds
rnent. The bond proved defective. and n.
city gained nothing. As the years have
rolled by one entry after another has been
made on The treasurer books where sup
posedly delinquent taxpayers have pro-
duced Parker's receipt. Had this process.
gone on during any other period than ono
- extreme depression. when many failed
20 pay taxes az all. 3, "a more than prob
able THAT the city would have an inteIll-
CERT idea u the amount Il bad lost Many
o. these receipts have not turned up until
during the last year.
But Parker. whore vas he ON leaving
Fairaaven Parker started through Canada
for Halifax where he iuteutiet sling for
the Argentine republic. He became very
s.ck on the train and was taken 20 a hos
Iftal al WINGS where SIX We ks % ILL.,
nssss hroggh. repentance When he left
me hospital be purchased ticket FOR
Vancouver intending - retsrn ~ Fair
aaven ard answer for his misieeds Tne
though. % "a penFeutlarv term unuerEed
nluA I3e s~o.d ihe ticket ard continued 20
Halifax. leaving az ouce fer Buen0s
AyFes IL arrived @.l1 80 81 his pocket.
TaOuE1 poverty vas his i3t fgr a time ~
son s~Ean - prosper VIVA others he pi.r-
chased group Of gold claims and sold
tacm 10 "a syndicate for S35@", casn and
over ua5f tn@ stock. I1ese claims }av hack
.n the snOseia4 Csrd.iieTas 30 miles
from bgenoS Ay~es They werr Developed
a. an expense % 81 so stamp mills being
ses- forward by rail- aE1 thence carried
~ mixes % the mines on tse backs q
guics. Ills sss7Dcsates iH Eais enterprise
were some u tie 1sost prominent uast-
n IS ,nea IN BG-ngs Ayrsa Parker also Sc
cured an interest IN Otaer Claims. iD walcn
=. Isoazs capitalists were Interested. and
lesan 20 grow IN weas--.. and sTluerce lila
success made 3lm enemies Tire fact that
he was fgg.tsve from justice leaked o2t
ard be~a ne known ia y. IeosIaS Directed
frorr there careful inquiries @ere made al
FalrnSveu agt ta slcn = way that IL son
o@cA-T1e patent fA&: Parker was being
made - OBJECT % 5laekmaA
In Inls manner the city officials of Fair
Ezyua ses.sTsed Of a.s whereabouts, though