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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 13 |
| 1876 | 11 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1883 | 9 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 17 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 22 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1892 | 42 |
| 1893 | 57 |
| 1894 | 52 |
| 1895 | 18 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 5 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 16 |
| 1904 | 12 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 15 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1918 | 1 |
22 stories matching corrupt
- The Birth Pangs of Washington’s Constitution
As the territory prepared for statehood in 1889, the local press scrutinized the new constitution, exposing the tension between civic optimism and the looming shadow of corporate greed.
- The Unceremonious Ousting of Chief Mitchell
After weeks of whispers regarding corruption and gambling dens, Seattle’s City Council fires the Police Chief in a move critics call 'hasty' and 'irregular.'
- The Great Seattle Tide-Land Grab
Powerful corporate interests are organizing to seize Seattle’s valuable waterfront, leaving citizens and commerce at the mercy of speculators.
- Ellensburg, Olympia and Yakima Vie for Capital
As Washington prepares for statehood, a vicious battle erupts between Yakima, Ellensburg, and Olympia over which city deserves to be the capital.
- The Argument for a Railroad Commission
Advocating for constitutional oversight of rail monopolies to curb corporate influence in Washington politics.
- The Blueprint for a New State
As Washington prepares to enter the Union, this constitutional supplement lays the foundational laws for labor, courts, and civil rights.
- Washington's 1889 Convention Debates Land Ownership, Bribery
Delegates in Olympia debate alien land rights and anti-bribery measures for the new state charter.
- The City Attorney's 'Wretched' Tenure
Voters of Seattle weigh in on a candidate accused of incompetence, corruption, and botching the city's legal affairs.
- The Tax Reformer of Tacoma
A scathing 1888 editorial argues that tax exemptions for the wealthy create a 'system of injustice' that the state must dismantle for the sake of the common good.
- The Great King County Land Scandal
An anonymous critique exposes rampant corruption and reckless assessment in the early days of King County’s real estate boom.
- The Custom House Scandal: A Betrayed Deposit
A missing payment of gold coin in a shipping manifest sparks a corruption investigation in Port Townsend, shaking public faith in the local customs office.
- The Forgotten Fight for Proportional Representation
In 1891, a Walla Walla thinker proposed a radical 'preferential system' to break the grip of party bosses and end the buying and selling of votes in Washington.
- The Ex-Chief's Last Stand
After his firing, Seattle’s police chief J.C. Mitchell fired back against Mayor Moran and the City Council, exposing a city hall scandal involving alleged gambling kickbacks and corrupt 'star chamber' politics.
- The Great Rain-Soaked Barbecue of 1889
A much-hyped political feast in Seattle ends in a pathetic drizzle, empty plates, and heated accusations of corruption between the Republican and Democratic parties.
- The Unceremonious Ousting of Seattle's Police Chief
After refusing to answer for rampant gambling and open corruption, Chief J.C. Mitchell is fired by the city council as the city pivots toward long-overdue municipal reform.
- The Hidden Killer in Seattle’s Business District
The tragic, preventable death of a young businessman in 1889 exposes the lethal lack of sewage infrastructure in the heart of downtown Seattle.
- Constitutional Convention's Tide Land Committee Draws Lobbyists
As Seattle prepares for the constitutional convention, a fierce political tug-of-war erupts over the control of valuable tide lands.
- The Arsonist Who Burned the Books: A Tacoma Cover-Up?
An attempt to torch the U.S. Custom House in Port Townsend raises eyebrows as officials fear a whistleblower’s evidence of corruption was destroyed.
- The Hidden Alleys of Pacific Street
A look into the segregated and overlooked corners of Seattle's 1889 Chinatown, where children and passersby mingled with the isolated lives of Chinese women.
- The Price of a 'Boom'
In 1889, the Post-Intelligencer rebuked city leaders for prioritizing the 'boom' over public sanitation, warning that a failure to build a proper sewer system would inevitably bring pestilence to a rapidly growing Seattle.
- The New Guard: King County Elects a 'Clean Sweep' of Officials to Replace Corrupt Incumbents
As the new Republican administration takes power in Washington, local voters in King County have ousted a slate of officials they deemed unfit, installing a 'splendid set' of men pledged to honesty and efficiency amid rapid growth.
- The Trial of Judge Wickersham: A Tacoma Scandal Over Land, Lies, and 'Delirium'
In February 1889, the trial of a powerful federal judge in Tacoma exposed a web of political corruption, land fraud, and sexual scandal involving a young woman named Sadie Brantner.