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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 23 |
| 1877 | 24 |
| 1878 | 10 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 7 |
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1883 | 28 |
| 1884 | 25 |
| 1885 | 62 |
| 1886 | 32 |
| 1887 | 28 |
| 1888 | 24 |
| 1889 | 74 |
| 1890 | 7 |
| 1891 | 72 |
| 1892 | 246 |
| 1893 | 268 |
| 1894 | 211 |
| 1895 | 145 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 66 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1902 | 4 |
| 1903 | 108 |
| 1904 | 154 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1907 | 6 |
| 1908 | 11 |
| 1909 | 161 |
| 1910 | 23 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 18 |
| 1915 | 10 |
| 1916 | 17 |
| 1917 | 13 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1925 | 2 |
28 stories matching polic
- The Unseen Crime Wave in Early Seattle
A local report exposes how the Seattle police force in the late 1880s suppressed news of burglaries to keep them out of the papers, hoping to solve the crimes quietly—with disastrous, ineffective results.
- The City with Two Police Chiefs
While a legal battle over the city charter rages in court, Seattle finds itself in the absurd position of having two men claiming to lead the police force at once.
- The Unlucky Mr. Joffrey and the Ten Dollar Holiday Gift
A Seattle resident’s New Year’s generosity backfires when a 'drunken' battery-powered motor leads to a night in police court.
- The Anarchist’s Pamphleteer
While the nation held its breath over the Haymarket executions in Chicago, a woman faced down Seattle police to distribute radical literature on Government Square.
- Seattle's Corrupt Policing: The Fee System of 1887
How Seattle’s police force was incentivized to hunt for arrests and padding their own pockets through court fees, sparking a local civic scandal.
- The Thief Who Tried to Sell Stolen Goods Back to the Chief
A brazen Tacoma burglar was caught red-handed when he attempted to sell his illicit haul directly to the city’s Chief of Police.
- The Deadly Trifle: A Pharmacy Scandal in 1887 Seattle
A high-stakes criminal investigation unfolds after a mysterious book agent is implicated in the poisoning death of Richard Lyons.
- The Wild West Street Brawl Between Two Police Chiefs
A power struggle in Tacoma turned into a street-side standoff, forcing residents to choose sides as two men claimed the title of Chief of Police.
- The Unlucky Three: A Case of Professional Laziness
Three men in Seattle face a week of hard labor after a judge determines they are unwilling to work for a living.
- The Strange Disappearance of Ollie Young’s Reputation
A man from the Puyallup Valley confronts the Chief of Police to clear a young woman's name after scandal-filled letters appear in a Tacoma newspaper.
- The Shadowy Land Claim at Quilayute
A local teacher exposes a fraudulent land grab scheme involving the intimidation of Indigenous residents and forged petitions to the Land Office.
- The Lobby Shootout: A Political Brawl in Tacoma
When an ex-mayor and a police chief faced off in a hotel lobby, tensions over local politics and public reputation turned into a chaotic, pistol-waving standoff.
- The Perilous Trip of the Rowboat Runaways
Two young women, undeterred by the dark waters of Tacoma's bay, defied the night to row across the sound, sparking a local search and a breathless newspaper account.
- A Dagger on the Ocean Dock
A man brandishing a knife confronts a sea captain on the Seattle waterfront over an unpaid wage dispute, prompting a dramatic intervention by the Chief of Police.
- The Midnight Disappearance of 'Madame' R
After pleading guilty to operating a house of ill-fame, a notorious Seattle figure known as 'Madame' R vanished from the city, leaving behind only the wrinkled traces of her former life.
- The Switchback Brawl
A violent confrontation breaks out between railroad workers and locals over a disputed switchback rail line.
- The Unruly Guest at Harry Thompson's
A violent tavern dispute in 1887 Seattle turns into a police matter when the assailant returns to town, knife in hand.
- The Unprecedented Heatwave of 1887
As temperatures soared to over 100 degrees, Seattle grappled with a record-breaking heat spell that left dozens dead and the city in a state of exhaustion.
- The Trial of Prince the Dog
A Seattle jailhouse standoff erupts when two men both claim ownership of a local canine, forcing a judge to decide who the dog really belongs to.
- The Tragedy of the Hebrew Dramatic Club
A panicked crush at a local performance in Seattle leaves tragedy in its wake as crowds misinterpret an alarm.
- The Dangerous Whiskey of Washington Street
A domestic dispute turns criminal in 1887 Seattle, as a man is accused of spiking his partner’s drink with a lethal dose of sulphate.
- A Deadly Toast in the Waterfront District
A young woman is found poisoned in a Seattle lodging house after a violent argument with a suitor over her refusal to live with him.
- The Great Baptist Church Lockout
When an internal church feud in 1887 led to gas being turned off, keys being withheld, and a locksmith called to secure the pulpit against the congregation's dissenters.
- The Saloon Vote and the Clean-Up of 1887
A wave of reform hits Seattle’s city government as voters turn out the old guard, citing the corrupting influence of the 'saloon element' in local politics.
- The Mysterious Collapse of a Port Townsend Official
A former Customs official, clutching a frantic stack of papers detailing a feud with his superior, is found delirious and dying in a Chicago train station.