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127 stories matching bribe
- Tacoma's Bribery Probe Ends With a Censure, Not a Conviction
A Tacoma City Council 'Lexow' committee cleared Councilman Thompson and City Clerk Smyth of bribery, then censured Smyth anyway for boasting he'd paid for a vote.
- A War of Words Between Rival Seattle Newspapers
The Post-Intelligencer hits back at the Seattle Herald, denying accusations of bribery and defending its editorial independence.
- The Street Commissioner's Bribe
A local man faces a libel charge after accusing a city official of soliciting a bribe in exchange for a municipal job.
- The Councilman and the Telephone Promoter
A City Council member swears he was offered a massive bribe, but the accused parties are laughing it off—now the council must decide who is telling the truth.
- High Court Reverses Bribery Ruling in School Board Scandal
The State Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for three men accused of attempting to bribe a school board member with $5,000 to reconsider a textbook vote.
- The Price of Immunity
Three Seattle officers face indictment for allegedly accepting regular bribes from women in the underworld to guarantee protection from arrest.
- Prosecutor Says a $100 Bribe Was Offered to Fix a Bail Bond
In Judge Ronald's Seattle courtroom, Prosecuting Attorney George F. Vanderveer announced that someone offered him cash to set Frank Shapiro's bail at $2,500.
- $10 to Vote: Tacoma's City Hall Bribery Probe
Tacoma's council heard testimony that City Clerk Smyth paid Councilman Thompson $10 for his vote—and that Thompson tried to bribe the city attorney over a gambling house.
- The Bribe, the Clerk, and the Police Chief
A Tacoma councilman and city clerk faced bribery charges as the police chief refused to name the gamblers behind the Haymarket.
- The Councilman Who Turned Down a King's Ransom
A local bribery scandal reveals the absurdity of Tacoma's political culture, where one official boasts of refusing a $132,000 bribe.
- A Bribe Offer on the Witness Stand
A Tacoma gambling inquiry turned stranger when the police chief mentioned an attempted payoff—then declined to name names before Friday.
- The Scandalous Dismissal of the State Bribery Case
After three years of legal maneuvers, a landmark bribery case involving state officials and textbook contracts was unceremoniously dropped, sparking local outrage.
- The Brutal Assault at the Brunswick Hotel
A woman details a violent confrontation after refusing a bribe to perjure herself in a scandal involving a local man.
- The Sting at the State Capital
A political whistleblower braves public scorn to expose the bribery and influence-peddling that turned the Washington State legislature into a 'reeking cesspool.'
- The Price of a Free Pass
In 1885, Seattle’s press took on the corrupting influence of Northern Pacific Railroad’s 'free' travel gifts to legislators, arguing that such favors were nothing less than bribes intended to command political obedience.
- The Sting at the Pier
Two Tacoma residents were ensnared in a federal bribery trap set by immigration inspectors at the docks.
- The Man Who Exposed the Bribe: Metcalfe’s Stand Against Olympia’s ‘Boodle’ Gang
In a rare display of moral courage in Washington's early political history, Representative Metcalfe turned a bribe into evidence, sparking a war with corruptionists that the paper defends as necessary for good government.
- The Corruption of the City Council
Mayor John N. Nickols of Tacoma is arrested and indicted for soliciting a $10,000 bribe to approve ordinances ratifying city contracts.
- The Price of a Vote: Bribery and Betrayal in the Legislature
F.J. Grant defends himself against allegations of attempting to bribe state legislators, accusing political rivals of forgery and perjury.
- The Councilman Who Said No to $132,000
Councilman Conrad rejects a massive bribe offer, triggering a city-wide scandal and the mysterious flight of a corporate agent.
- The Fire Department Pay-to-Play Scandal
Mayor J. T. Ronald suspends a fire commissioner over allegations of accepting bribes from a stoker seeking job security and appointment.
- Tacoma’s Water Works Scandal
A grand jury struggles to uncover the truth behind allegations of bribery and corruption in Tacoma's municipal water system purchase.
- Scandal at the State Capital
A political exposé details how legislators used committee clerkships as patronage bribes to maintain illicit affairs, resulting in a public divorce case.
- Two Council Members Arrested in Sewer Bribe Case
Two councilmen are arrested in Tacoma following a sting operation by a local citizens' group over a sewer contract.
- Bribery Allegations Rock the Fire Commission
A city fire commissioner reveals he was offered a $300 bribe to influence a lucrative hose contract, as rival companies trade accusations of fraud.
Also about this, in other words
- The Bribe, The Bantam, and the Law
A Seattle man stands trial for bribery after a messy encounter with a deputy marshal at the Northern Pacific depot—a case fueled by accusations of corruption and mutual dishonesty.
- A $100 Bribe and a Lifetime Pass: Seattle's Streetcar Scandal Erupts in the Council Chamber
Alderman J. Eugene Jordan accuses Union Trunk Line president K. F. Wittier of trying to buy his silence—then the board turns on itself.
- The Railway Bribe: Why Editors Shouldn't Take Free Rides
An editorial critique on how railroad corporations use free travel passes to compromise the independence of public officials and journalists.
- The Price of Patronage: Political Graft in Washington Territory
A scathing editorial exposes how federal appointments in the Washington Territory were treated as commodities, with government officials accused of padding their estates through systemic corruption.
- When a Railroad Pass Was a Bribe in a Pocket
A Tacoma editor demands Washington's lawmakers enforce the constitutional ban on free train passes, arguing the 'courtesy' bought influence one legislator at a time.
- The Price of a Blind Eye
A Seattle official rejects a monthly bribe from local gamblers, exposing a deep-seated culture of corruption at City Hall.
- The Railway Bribe on the Reservation
A railroad company agent admits to a systematic scheme of paying Puyallup men to secure a right-of-way through their land.
- The Great Railway Bribe Scandal of 1891
When the Northern Pacific Railway sent complimentary transit passes to Washington state legislators to influence a deadlocked U.S. Senate race, the blunder sparked a statewide scandal over corruption and corporate power.