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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 6 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 9 |
| 1876 | 47 |
| 1877 | 40 |
| 1878 | 28 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 9 |
| 1883 | 38 |
| 1884 | 20 |
| 1885 | 48 |
| 1886 | 22 |
| 1887 | 26 |
| 1888 | 31 |
| 1889 | 65 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 66 |
| 1892 | 149 |
| 1893 | 157 |
| 1894 | 172 |
| 1895 | 162 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 24 |
| 1900 | 8 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 74 |
| 1904 | 53 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 44 |
| 1910 | 11 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 10 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
1,391 stories matching wit
- The Hypnotist in the Witness Box
A courtroom drama unfolds in Tacoma as a litigant is accused of using mesmerism to cloud the memory of an opposing witness.
- A Steamboat Inspector on Trial, and the Men Who Kicked
A Seattle courtroom hears masters and pilots defend Capt. Bryant against charges of favoritism—and admit that the men who complain are often the incompetent ones.
- The Opium-Hand Coaching Scheme
A theatrical agent was arrested after authorities discovered a systemic scheme to coach Chinese witnesses in court through signals and physical props.
- The Absinthe Defense: How a 'Swissess' and a Headache Saved a Murderer's Life
In the high-profile Spencer trial in Spokane, witnesses testified that Edward Spencer drank absinthe to sober up before killing Ella Mundt. The court heard he was 'jolly' until the end.
- The Disappearing Witness in the Minkler Murder Trial
The Lewis County Sheriff orders the release of a key witness against Dr. Minkler, raising local alarms about justice.
- “You Are the Man That Done It All”: A Murder Trial Witness Loses His Temper
The Hayward murder trial turned electric when a stubborn witness faced the accused across the courtroom—and the defense could not shake him.
- A Nighttime Stabbing in Downtown Seattle
A witness reports a violent, unexplained knife attack at a downtown intersection, yet the victim vanished before help could arrive.
- The $5,000 Price of Freedom: Tacoma's Wilcox Trial and the Taxpayers' Burden
A detailed accounting of the Wilcox murder trial reveals the staggering cost of criminal prosecutions in 1899, from $137 for a witness from Los Angeles to the fees for 76 witnesses and a jury.
- The Gas Tester and the Widow: A Franklin Mine Death Goes to Trial
Elizabeth Pugh sued the Oregon Improvement Company for damages after her husband died in the Franklin mine. The defense spent a full day examining witnesses, including the mine's gas tester and a district inspector.
- The Price of a Franchise: Seattle's Streetcar Bribery Scandal
A witness testifies that $2,000 was offered to 'stand in' with the company, exposing the grimy underside of Seattle's early transportation expansion.
- The Murder Witness Who Spent 241 Days in Jail
George Gordon’s testimony helped convict Murphy of second-degree murder—but keeping the state’s only eyewitness safe cost King County $733, and the defense said he tried to sell his silence.
- The Self-Defense Trial of James Murphy
A Seattle murder trial hinges on claims of a 'dangerous man,' witness bribery, and a life-or-death confrontation in a saloon.
- The Roslyn Bank Heist Goes to Trial
Trial enters third day for two men accused in the Roslyn bank robbery, with witness IDs contested.
- The Banker Who Let His Subordinates Do the Stealing—and Bet the Jury Wouldn't Believe the Witnesses
At North Yakima, Banker Edmiston is mounting no defense of his own, betting instead that the prosecution's witnesses—including a bootblack who once fired five shots at him—will be discredited.
- The Victim Behind Bars
An assaulted woman, held as a state witness against her abusers, suffers in the city police station.
- The Copper Chief Saloon Killing Goes to the Jury
After days of testimony, a Seattle jury weighed James Murphy’s fate as an eleventh-hour bootblack witness contradicted the state’s star in the 1894 saloon shooting of Phil J. Dawes.
- The Wright Trial Turns on a Fall in the Night
A brother's testimony and a missing state witness unsettle a Seattle assault-and-robbery case as the jury nears a verdict.
- A Tacoma Murder Case Opens Again—With a Fight Over the Prosecutor’s Opening
W. T. Taylor stands accused of killing E. R. Capron on Christmas Eve. As the second hearing begins, lawyers clash over how much of the state’s story the jury should hear before any witness takes the stand.
- The Wickersham Scandal: A Judge’s Honor on Trial
In a Tacoma courtroom that captivated the Pacific Northwest, Miss Brantner takes the stand for days, detailing alleged improprieties with Probate Judge Wickersham. The trial exposes a web of land fraud, cocaine use, and social climbing, culminating in a judge’s furious rebuke of a laughing crowd.
- The Trial of the Mysterious Spiritual Adviser
A defendant accused of attempted murder is charged by prosecutors with using hypnotic powers to influence court witnesses.
- The Kidnaping of Sam
A witness speaks out against the detention and deportation of a Chinese laborer by a local official.
- The Day Justice Went Mad: A Proprietor’s Threat and a Drunkard’s Triumph
In a Tacoma courtroom in January 1890, the owner of the Lomar House threatened to kill a man accused of drunkenness. The court watched, entertained, and ultimately acquitted the accused after witnesses proved he was sober.
- A Fist Shaken in Open Court
A reputation suit turns personal when a witness calls the defense attorney a liar — then threatens him on his way off the stand.
- Acquitted: A High-Stakes Business Feud at the Occidental Hotel
A local partnership dispute ends in court, leaving the complaining witness to foot the bill for legal costs.
- Testimony Unfolds in Local Murder Trial
A witness claims the defendant expressed intent to kill over a financial dispute in the Northern Pacific freight yards.