Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-02-12
CASE OF CRAWFORD
said To have BEEN CLOSE TO
GOVERNOR mead.
HartwelI Suit Brings up Intere sting
Political Matters. Was Pre- Sumed
to Have the Patronage of South
western Washington. n State
Printing Deal.

The Seattle Times of last thursday has
the following story from Olympia con-
cerning II. ID. Crawford, OF this city:
Some interesting political gossip invol-
wing the tate administration has been
revived here by the filing Of the suit of
G. M. Hartwell. owner OF the Daily Olym-
plan, against II. d. Crawford, former
proprietor OF that paper. Crawford pur.
chased the paper less than two years ago
from S. A. Madge and C'B. Scobey
who have been the recognized republican
basses OF Thurston county politics for ten
years. He purchased the entire plant 70,
5000, and at once announced that The
Olympian would be mad, the official
administration organ for Gov. Mead.
Before coming to Olympia Crawford
had been publishing the Aberdeen Bu!.
letin, and on taking up business here
announced himself as the governors dis
penser OF patronage for Southwestern
Washington. He stills boasts OF having
prevented the appointment OF F. r.
Archer, Of Cheha!is county, as a meE: Der
OF the state tax commission, after Archer
had been pledged the position. Archer
was reelected county assessor at the last
election in his county, and was also
chairman of the republican committee,
but it is said that he was ignored by the
state committee all through the campaign
and that Crawford was in fact recognized
as the head Of the party in Chehalis
county.
Immediately after the adjournme mt Of
the legislature Crawford busted himself
in connection wth the appointm OF
state printer, and claims to have received
promise from Gov. Mead that he would
be taken care of in that office. Craw-
ford gave it out that the office OF public
printer was worth 5000 year and that
he had an understanding with the gov
ernor that he was to be "attached" to
the office at an allowance OF 81 800
year, to be paid by the public printer.
The existence OF any such arrangement
10 SRCSilCuily uCuIcu DN y. w 0OTUdIIl,
state printer, but on the other hand
Crawiords friends say that he will soon
begin suit against Gorham to enforce
contract to this effect, and that although
the contract was verbal its existence can
be proven by witnesses. 1t is also ad.
mitted by friends OF state Printer Cor
ham that the latter Is somewhat con-
cerned over the suit threatened by Craw.
ford, but that he proposes to resist it to
the end.
About the last public appearance made
by Mr.. Crawford in Olympia Was in con-
nection with the attempted sale of the
Port Townsend water bonds to the state.
Gov. Mead took firm stand against the
purchase o. these bonds, amounting to
$780, 900, and Crawford appeared in the
case as taxpayer and enjoined the state
auditor from accepting the bonds.
Soon after this Mr.. Crawford's trou-
bles began, and he no longer claims to
be spokesman for the state administra-
tion He is known to have been form.
er preacher and for some months past
stories OF shady transactions on his part
while 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 lat.
ter's name is not Crawford, but that it is
George Farmer.
II n ri XpAI ,Inytv To 4
out CT " 800 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 expert
ence and that he allowed Crawford to
persuade him to pay the sum of ~ 800
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 not exist.
The friends of Gov. Mead deny in the
most positive language that the governor
ever had any understanding with Mr..
Crawford, or Farmer, beyond that oil
ordinary friendship with newspaper men
in the state capital. They say the gov
ernor is in no way interested or CON
cerned in what Crawford has said or
may say in regard to his connection with
the state administration, and that if he
is making any claims of being dispenser
OF patronage or anything of that sort,
they are entirely without foundation.
To Cure Cold IN One Day.