100 years ago in Spokane: City Hall cashier sued over missing money

From our archives, 100 years ago

H.F. Tabb, a cashier for the city, was being sued by the city for over $3,232 missing from the city’s accounts.

Tabb’s attorney told the court that Tabb had accounted for all of the money that came into his hands, and the city should look elsewhere for the culprit. His attorney moved for dismissal, but the judge said the trial should proceed because Tabb was ultimately responsible for keeping track of the city’s funds.

“Warm exchanges” passed between the city attorney and Tabb, said the paper. Tabb told the city attorney that “if the same effort had been made to apprehend the real culprit” as had been made in bringing him to court, “the truth might have come out.”

Tabb also said that in his three years as cashier, there were some days when the cash account was long, and some days when it was short. When it was short he made up the difference out of his own pocket. In the long run, he was out $300 or $400.

The city did not claim that Tabb committed fraud, but that he was legally liable for any discrepancies. The trial was continuing.

From the police beat: About 70 percent of Spokane’s police officers signed a petition asking for a new uniform color scheme: olive drab instead of the traditional blue.

They said it would be cheaper and “would not show dust.”