The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-08-12
SAYS HAMILTON
ORDERED JAUM
Statement Made to Prosecutor
Hamilton Directed County
Cars on Private Trip
DID NOT ORDER FEES

Every public officer who
shall employ or uae
any person, money or property
under his official control for
his private benefit or gain o.
himself or another. shall be
guilty o. eross nnlsosmesnor
Sec. 1884 y. g. o.
Code, Laws of 1909, o. 90.
THE words officer and pub
Tic officer shall include all az
sistsnts, deputies, clerks -
employees Of any public off,
and all persons exercising
assuming 20 exercise any on
the powers or functions Of
public offleer."-sec. 1903 y. &
o. Code, Laws Of 1909, .. "a.
Lafc Hamilton. according 10 bis
own admissions. directed the use
~ county automobiles In his Dolit.
lcal excursion 20 Enumclaw last
Saturday.
This was the statement OF Mrs.
vida Hamilton OF Vsshon island.
who was one OF the passengers In
a county machine on that occasion,
made Friday afternoon.
II followed a demand for prosecu.
ton OF those 10 blame by the
South District league
Mrs Hamilton said she could
produce at least some o. the women
20 whom Hamilton was directing
L. A. ha rg1 do.
the alleged admission
Ordered Out Cars
HE was seated at a table al the
Enumclaw farmers picnic talking
TO abou, 30 women" said Mrs. Ham
ilton. "One OF the women told me-
Of Il afterward. asked her ~
or three times TO repeat the ss.s11
ment she said he made.
she told me that Hamilton said
he wished TO make II plain that the
collection Of 800 per passenger
that was taken from people who
rode IN the cars was taken up With
out his knowledge.
IAN Hamilton admitted that he
had 20 do with the excursion. she
told me he said. was that he had
ordered out the cars
10 Lundin Afraid?
| Charges were made IN several
quarters Saturday that Prosecutor
Lundins office is trying TO shirk
the prosecution OF those who had a
hand In Communicating the county
automobiles for use in the Lafe
Hamilton excursion.
Several persons called on Dep
putty Prosecutor Helsell Friday az.
ternoon and demanded that an
honest effort be made TO appre-
bend the guilty parties.
lie is said TO have asked the CON-
miitee TO produce the witnesses.
which they al once prepared 10 do,
Saturday they are said to ~
( witnesses TO prove that Lafe
ilton ordered the cars out.
Clubs Demands Prosecutor
The following communicable
was rendered the prosecutor:
Whereas. county automobiles
have recently been used illegally by
/ County Commissioner Hamilton and
other county officers. including W.
A. Carrie. for their personal and
private purposes and profit-a re.
cent violation OF the law being the
use OF five county automobiles.
with an appropriate number OF
chauffeurs. in carrying passengers
for hire. 81 per head. from George
town to a picnic at Enumclsw:
be Il
Resolved That the action of the
sai1 NJ l. Hamilton and said other
county officers be condemned by
this club. and that the secretary
forward a copy OF this resolution
TO the prosecuting attorney and re
ques, him TO take appropriate Grim
inal action to punish the guilty par
ties"
The communication was from ths
South District league. and was
adopted at its meeting Wednesday
evening last.
Can't Get Evidence
After examining several chs
feurs. who admitted having driy,
cars owned by the county TO the
picnic. Helsell declared he had
been unable to get any evidence as
to who superintended the affair.
There was nothing TO indicate
that any public officer had hand
in II. Helsell said
A committee OF indignant taxpay-
ers then pointed out TO him the
section OF the law which defines
public officer" as including all
persons in the employ OF a public
officer. so-called
Threaten With Ballots
They assured him IL was clearly
the duty OF the prosecutors office
TO see that the chauffeurs them.
selves, " they took out the cars on
their own initiative for such a pur.
pose. be dealt with according TO
law.
In case the prosecutor had not
taken some steps directly toward
bringing the guilty persons for
ward. the committee declared they
would file a candidate for prescott.
ing attorney TO succeed Prosecutor
I.undin.