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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 21 |
| 1904 | 1 |
22 stories
- Washington Court Rules Fathers Have No Legal Duty to Support Illegitimate Children
A landmark decision from the state supreme court highlights a massive legal loophole regarding parental responsibility.
- Supreme Court Rules on Tideland Ownership
A landmark decision confirms that Indigenous nations hold title to tidelands within reservation boundaries.
- University Regents Sue State Over Missing Endowment
A legal fight breaks out over 200,000 acres intended to fund the University of Washington's future.
- The Administrator, the Heir, and the Living Dead Man
General R. G. O'Brien faces a court showdown after a legal battle over an inheritance that traveled all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Tacoma Manager William Roberts Drowns in Rowboat Capsizing
A husband and father drowns in sight of his family after a small boat capsizes off New Amsterdam.
- Death Sentence for Charles Clarke
A judge in Olympia denies a new trial for a man convicted of murdering a 'sporting woman,' setting the date for his execution.
- A Mother's Fight for Her Son
While recovering from surgery in Spokane, a mother discovers her son has been kidnapped; she eventually tracks him down in Olympia.
- The Case of the Resurrected Steer
A cattle theft trial in Olympia falls apart after the alleged victim's 'slaughtered' cow walks home.
- The Railroad Lobby's Quiet Plan to Buy a Governor and Kill the Commission
A Walla Walla editor warns that railroad interests will avoid an open fight over regulation by nominating a friendly, colorless candidate—then using him to veto the commission bill.
- School Directors Barred from Self-Dealing
The Supreme Court rules that school directors cannot bypass competitive contracts by doing the work themselves and billing the district.
- Classroom Discipline or Cruelty?
A principal faces an ethics investigation after parents allege he whipped a 12-year-old student until he was bruised.
- The High-Stakes Gamble to Legalize Gambling
A legislative challenge in Olympia tests a state ban on gambling, backed by a shadowy, well-funded coalition of operators.
- A Call to Oust the 'Corporate Oligarchy' at Olympia
A scathing editorial from the Yakima Democrat accuses the Republican-led legislature of selling out to railroad lobbyists, demanding a political 'deluge' to cleanse the state house.
- A Missing Word Nearly Derailed Bellingham's First City Election
Washington's Supreme Court ruled that Whatcom and Fairhaven could hold a combined city election in December 1903, reading past a clerk's drafting error to honor the legislature's intent.
- The Struggle Over Minor Heir Property Rights
A state attorney general's ruling clarifies the limits of county power when minors attempt to redeem land lost to tax sales.
- The Serial Husband of Thurston County
A young farmer faces divorce after a string of marriages to elderly widows, claiming he simply cannot resist their proposals.
- The Great Olympia Slot Machine Sting
Gamblers tried to stage a test case to strike down anti-gambling laws, but were outmaneuvered by the prosecuting attorney.
- The State's War on 'Doped' Food
Washington's food commissioner launches an aggressive campaign against the use of poisonous preservatives in local meat, fish, and oyster supplies.
- The Baker Who Walked Up Fourth Street and Vanished
Herman Schwarzbach, proprietor of Olympia's city bakery, left work one Thursday afternoon and was never seen again — leaving a small debt, a failed property sale, and friends who feared foul play.
- Washington Burned the Nursery Trees—Then Came the Lawsuit
The state horticulture commissioner destroyed infected shipments from eastern nurseries. Now the nurserymen say he broke interstate commerce law.
- Washington's Boom Was So Furious It Predicted a Million People by 1910
A 1903 state report counted 241,584 new residents in three years, put Everett's growth at 144 percent, and projected a population of 1,347,067 within seven years.
- Plumbing Failure Floods State Capitol
A clogged flush tank at the Olympia capitol caused hundreds of dollars in damage to government records.