William Radloff
Named in 8 stories. Back to all names
- Apr 17, 1892The Rancher and the Charred RemainsWhen a successful Seattle chicken rancher is found burned to death in his home, a local detective follows a trail of missing money, mining stocks, and a suspicious 'friend' to uncover a grim murder mystery.Richmond Beach Road, Seattle, WA
- Apr 18, 1892The Mystery of the $55,000 FireAfter a man burns to death in his home, a new life insurance policy and a disgruntled lodger fuel suspicions of a deadly financial scheme in early Seattle.Fremont, Seattle, WA
- Apr 19, 1892The Seattle Murder Mystery That Haunted the Front PagesA desperate man in police custody, a high-stakes life insurance investigation, and a widow caught in the web of suspicion during a sensational 1892 homicide case.Seattle, WA
- Apr 20, 1892The Ghost of William RadloffA Seattle poultry farmer appears to have staged his own death in a house fire to claim a $55,000 insurance payout, leaving investigators to wonder if the charred remains in the ruins were those of a stolen corpse.Woodland Park, Seattle, WA
- Apr 23, 1892The Corpse in the Chicken YardA bungled insurance swindle in 1890s Seattle turns grisly when an amateur conspiracy, a stolen body, and a coded German letter unravel in a courtroom inquest.Third Street, Seattle, WA
- Apr 28, 1892The Grave Robbery Insurance ScamA Seattle man faked his own death using a stolen corpse to collect a massive insurance payout, but a lover's confession blew the lid off the plot.Seattle, WA
- May 11, 1892The Insurance Fugitive's Last LaughAfter orchestrating a bizarre life insurance fraud involving a fake cremation, William Radloff writes a rambling, taunting letter to the Seattle police from his secret hiding place.Seattle, WA
- Jul 20, 1892The Corpse, the Fire, and the Vanishing PolicyWilliam Radloff disappeared after putting a corpse in his house and torching the structure. With his life-insurance policy now lapsed, his wife has filed no claim—leaving Seattle to wonder what really happened.Seattle, WA