The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1908-06-29
THE DIVES or KING COUNTY

A
Of low dives licensed AND PROTECTED by the commits
sioners Of King eountv N recent years
Many lives heeu brutaIy saevesd in these places
while stahhiug and wuuuding ntNieaed has been
constant practice As result the taxpayers have been put
great expense paving the costs OF the apprehension and
conviction of those responsible icr the outragSs.
THOSE RESPONSIBLE did say2 II might more
fifty said that those really Responsible the commits
siourrs themselves who authorized and iSeFed these dives
But there Is way under present laws, TO prosecute
the officials brought this OF afia although
they did deliberately.
These numerous licensed oF the purpose
OF adding the Of the county treasury The gad
hand control Of the eounty affairs cared little how
they could get the treasury Their sole aim to
how much they could GET OUT of H.
They gave licenses Tor dives political heeers ard tcughs
didn't matter whether the holders OF these licenses were ~
Jail birds not Some OF them known to be criminals
but they got licenses Just the The only qualification
necessary the control Of lew votes
There WERE of course. decent who secured
licenses but the fact that they decent didn't help them
Could they deliver votes for the reelection OF the glad
hand gang Officer They could Hence they obtained their
licenses.
Nests OF dives were licensed at places North Bend
where railroad construction had headquarters Dance
halls OF the worst description such tolerated only IN
mining camps introduced and received the proee
tion OF the board of county commissioners North Bend of
had II with hardly 200 inhabitants in the place
outside OF the railroads camps
The Of police protection and of prosecuting criminals
which produced exceeded the which the
county obtained from these resorts
The county commissioners these facts better than
anybody else but what cared they long their
putting things into shape for the nominating
vention-
During the year zoos. in saloon operated Ravens
dale by Richard Cornck under license issued Dave
Adams professional gambler fatal ssabbing afray
CURED More than of drunken in the place
when Jack and Sam Fraser began quarreng dog
general melee followed in the Of which both the bar
tender and the proprietor mounted the bar with reviewers and
began shooting the quiet the crowd they after
wards explained One who found lying the floor
carried into back where he a for hours with
out medical attention lie died the next day
Saoonkeepers Raycnsdalc tried block subsequent
investigation into the affair BY the prosecuting attorneys of
flee and the proprietor OF the place where the murder
red Was equally hostile Soon afterwards Deputy Prosecutor
Nandcrvser attempted get Dave Adams license for this dive
revoked but the county commissioners would not act
They going back their friends, dozen
murders committed.
Dave Adams proudly claimed that Dan Abraham his
fr'end-and Dan was county commissioner
Subsequently license to operate saloon issued 10
OF the Frazer boys who had been instrumental in starting
the tight just recorded Later the other brother obtained
license, along the Mlwaukees rghoi-way While he was
still conducting dive under this permit he killed at
his only other person present being drunken county
deputy Still the board Of county commissioners
for revoking the license OF this hell hole II
good place to rob railroad workmen Of their wages.
The notorious Ross double murder committed in a
saloon which issued
absolutely police protection.
All through that particular section OF the county
roads dotted with saloons authorized by the commits
soners. wherever there sawmiIi railroad payroll
be absorbed.
This course was followed despite the protests OF sawm
and railroad who found the
well destructive the morale Of their camp
The Denny Renton Clay company, which operated large
plant Taylor made efforts prevent from
being opened that place. bat without their pro-
test the commissioners issued a license
At Wellington the Western terminal Of the Great Northern
tunnel named Baletts known by the board
operated blind pig for number of years The railroad
authorities claimed that number OF deaths in the could
be directly traced whisky sold intoxicated persons who
got their drinks at BaiIetts' place
The records viii show that occasions Baetts
arrested and prosecuted for selling liquor without
The commissioner will shortly after the
last prosecution they issued him license protest
the railroad authorities
When the Milwaukee road projected down Cedar river
the contractors obtained promises from the commissioners that
saloons would be allowed along the right -of-way
These promises violated when Jack McQuade OBJ
tanned license operate saloon miles outside Of Nor,
peud