The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-02-10
Crawford Suit at Olympia Develops
Interesting Story.
GOVERNOR MEAD IS INVOLVED TOO
Executives Friends, However, Deny A.
legged Connection With Former
Newspaper Man.

Some interesting political gossip in
volving the state administration has
been revived at Olympia by the filing
of the suit of C. M. Hartwell, owner
of the Daily Olympian, against H. D.
Crawford. former proprietor of that
paper. Crawford purchased the paper
less than two years ago from S. A.
Madge and J. OBJ. Scobey, who have
been the recognized republican bosses
of Thurston county politics for ten
years. He purchased the entire plant
for $4,000, and at once announced that
The Olympian would be made the Off
cial administration organ for Governor
Mead.
Before going to Olympia Crawford
had been publishing The Aberdeen
Bulletin, and On taking up business At
the state capital announced himself
age for Southwestern Washington. He
still boasts of having prevented the
appointment of A H. Archer, of Che
halls county, as a member of the state
tax commission, after Archer had been
pledged the position. Archer was re-
elected county assessor at the last
election in his county, and was also
chairman of the republican county
committee, but it is said he was ig
nored by the state committee all
through the campaign and that Craw-
ford was in fact recognized as the
head of the party in Chehalis county.
Had an Understanding.
Immediately after the adjournment
of the legislature Crawford busted him
self in connection with the appoint
ment of state printer, and claims to
have received a promise from Gov.
eMad that he would be taken care of"
in that office Crawford gave it out
that the office of public printer was
worth $4,000 year and that he had an
understanding with the governor that
he was to be attached to the office
at an allowance of $500 a year, to be
paid by the public printer.
The existence of any sucn arrange
ment is specifically denied by C. w.
oil
hand Crawfords friends say that ne
will soon begin suit against Gorham
to enforce contract to this effect, and
that although the contract was verbal
it's existence can be proven by wit
nesses It is also admitted by friends
of State Printer Gorham that the suit
is threatened by Crawford, but that he
proposes to resist it to the end.
About the last public appearance
made by Mr.. Crawford in Olympia was
in connection with the attempted sale
of the Port Townsend water bonds to
the state. Gov Mead took firm
stand against the purchase of these
| bonds, amounting to $250,O00 and
Crawford appeared in the case as a
taxpayer and enjoined the state audi
| tor from accepting the bonds.
His Troubles Begin.
Soon after this Mr.. Crawford's
troubles began, and ne no longer claims
to be spokesman for the state adminis-
tration. He is known to have been :
| former preacher and for some months
past stories of shady transactions on
his part while a resident of an eastern
state have been in circulation. 1t is
now alleged, in the sworn complaint
filed by Charles M. Hartwell against
Crawford, that the latter's name is not
Crawford, but that it is George Far
ner.
Hartwell claims to have been bun
coed out of $500 by Crawford, and Is
suing for the recovery of this amount.
He admits being the possessor of some
money but pleads in his complaint that
he was wholly without business ex-
perience and that he allowed Crawford
to persuade him to pay the sum OF
$500 for a half interest in the Daily
Olympian on the strength Of certain
contracts, including the one with the
state printer, which in fact did moi
exist.
The friends of Gov. Mead deny ir
the most positive language that th'
governor ever had any understanding
with Mr.. Crawford, or Farmer, beyond
that of ordinary friendship with news
! paper men in the state capital The.