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Old newspapers, pinned to the places they wrote about — the streets you can still walk today.
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After the mutilated body of George Richards washed ashore, a confession from an accomplice revealed a desperate struggle and a grisly disposal in Lake Washington.
“The condition of the cabin showed what a struggle had preceded the murder. The scanty furniture was knocked over, crockery, cooking utensils and clothes were scattered around, all was confusion.”
Testimony from an inquest into the suspicious deaths of Patten and Colman near the shores of Lake Washington.
“The boat laid on its side, surrounded by logs and debris. The boat was a skiff, fourteen feet long, with a flat bottom.”
A brutal murder on the shores of Lake Washington leaves a community shaken, as the legal defense mounts a case against circumstantial evidence.
“The law requires the court to find first, has a crime been committed; and second, is it possible to charge the person accused with having committed the offense.”
A jury concludes two men were murdered near the south end of Lake Washington, though no culprit is named.
“It is easy to see in their minds the belief that a party of two or more persons is the guilty party.”
A secret society lodge mourns the loss of a prominent member killed in an ambush on the shores of Lake Washington.
“We owe it to ourselves... to spare no effort or expense in bringing to justice the perpetrators of this horrible crime.”
A double murder near Mercer Island, a suspect tried four times and never convicted, and a daughter's suicide—the lake tragedy that haunted the Colman-Patten case for years.
“"The strangest part of the affair, however, came to light when it was known that the discovery was made by following the dictates of a dream."”
A man is on trial for the murder of his cabin-mate, claiming self-defense after a violent confrontation over driftwood collection.
“Leoni, in fear for his life, managed to get hold of a knife that lay on the floor and stabbed Richards several times.”
A logger missing for a month is found dead in Lake Washington, revealing a brutal struggle and a connection to a local counterfeiting ring.
“The body, well advanced in decay, was found floating among some logs near the shore.”
A young sawyer survives a brutal woods accident, only to face a three-hour journey across Lake Washington in search of medical care.
“The efforts of the men about the camp to revive him were unsuccessful for three hours, and during that time on several occasions he was thought to be dying.”
Court testimony reveals a clandestine boat trip, a hidden trail through the brush, and a suspicious midnight departure that set local residents whispering of a daring jailbreak.
“It looked like a lady; she had a cloak on her shoulders. I watched her until it got by our place.”
After a body is recovered from the lake, investigators suspect two Italian laborers in the brutal murder of a lumberman.
“The boys had a dog which was running along the shore and sniffing about in a strange manner. This was evidently observed by the inmate of the house.”
A school election dispute turns into a physical altercation, highlighting the intensity of local politics.
“Mrs. Rogers grabbed the umbrella and brought it down with a resounding whack on Mr. Calkins' head.”
A late 1880s real estate pitch aimed to transform Mercer Island into a glittering, elite playground for Seattle's elite, promising a future rivaling New York's greatest amusement parks.
“It will be the home of the elite and the day pleasure resort of the entire Sound.”
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