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1. The First Convict of the Gambling Law

   A Spokane saloon operator becomes the first casualty of Washington's strict new anti-gambling statute, landing a one-year sentence at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla.

   Jun 17, 1903The Evening StatesmanSpokane, Spokane CountyNightlife

2. City Council Approves Controversial 'Shields Park' Theater

   Despite neighborhood opposition, Walla Walla officials greenlight a new outdoor theater, sparking a debate over the quality and morality of local entertainment.

   Jun 17, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

3. Walla Walla Rallies for Heppner Flood Relief

   Following the devastating flood in Heppner, Oregon, local baseball teams and the Fort Walla Walla cavalry band are organizing benefit games to provide financial relief to the survivors.

   Jun 18, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla County

4. The Great Seattle Slot Machine Crackdown

   Prohibition of gaming devices leads to a high-stakes test case in the Seattle courts.

   Jun 19, 1903The Evening Statesman111 Yesler Way, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

5. The Desert Land Rush of 1903

   Speculators and settlers stake claims in the arid sagebrush near Pasco, betting that irrigation will transform the wasteland into a garden.

   Jun 20, 1903The Evening StatesmanPasco, Franklin CountyBoom & Bust

6. The Power of the 'Union Store' Card

   Walla Walla labor leaders move to bring women into the fold, turning the tide for local retail staff.

   Jun 20, 1903The Evening StatesmanMain Street, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyWork & Pay

7. The Rush to the Ballot Box

   Thirteen Russian immigrants naturalized in a single evening to meet the city registration deadline, allegedly bankrolled by a local political machine.

   Jun 22, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Scandal

8. The Midnight Escape from the Smallpox Ward

   A star baseball player stages a daring rescue of his wife from a quarantine hospital to catch a train for a new job.

   Jun 24, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

9. The Shadow Over City Hall

   A local voter demands the Statesman offer Mayor Hunt space to refute corruption allegations involving public contracts and water rights.

   Jun 24, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

10. Walla Walla Schools Face a Debt Crisis

    Voters go to the polls to decide on a massive bond measure to cover outstanding district warrants.

    Jun 25, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

11. The Governor’s War on the Railroad Lobby

    Governor Henry McBride calls out corporate influence in the Washington state legislature during a fiery speech to Whitman County farmers.

    Jun 26, 1903The Evening StatesmanElberton, Whitman CountyFollow the Money

12. The Mayor's Foundry and the School Board Scandal

    Mayor Gilbert Hunt attempts to clear his name as the local paper doubles down on allegations of municipal graft.

    Jun 27, 1903The Evening StatesmanEast Alder Street, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Scandal

13. The Portrait Swindle

    A crafty con artist used a local shop's reputation to fleece dozens of Seattle residents with a fake photo-enlargement scheme.

    Jun 27, 1903The Evening Statesman2021 Second Avenue, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

14. Prison Population Explodes

    Walla Walla's state penitentiary faces record overcrowding as prisoner count surges to 673.

    Jun 29, 1903The Evening StatesmanWashington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

15. A Sunday Sermon Against Walla Walla's Saloons

    Reverend Holman B. Turner calls out the city's unchecked vice, demanding law enforcement on the north side of Main Street.

    Jun 30, 1903The Evening StatesmanMain Street, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

16. A Tragic End for a Prosperous Rancher

    A wealthy farmer near Wilbur, recently come into an inheritance, takes his own life following erratic behavior.

    Jul 2, 1903The Evening StatesmanWilbur, Lincoln County

17. 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.

    Jul 2, 1903The Evening StatesmanOlympia, Thurston CountyTrue Crime

18. A Peculiar Railroad Wreck Near Wallula

    A freight car piled high with lumber capsized on a sharp curve, leaving a local blacksmith seriously injured.

    Jul 3, 1903The Evening StatesmanWallula, Walla Walla CountyDisasters

19. Released Prisoner Arrested at the Gates

    Richard Perkison walked out of the penitentiary a free man only to be immediately detained by an officer from Nebraska.

    Jul 6, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyTrue Crime

20. An Honor Vindicated in Spokane

    After being falsely accused of a highway robbery, a Walla Walla man clears his name by hiring his own investigator to prove a perfect alibi.

    Jul 9, 1903The Evening StatesmanSpokane, Spokane County

21. The Widow and the Will of Paul Drasdo

    A Seattle restaurant owner dies leaving behind a contested estate, a cafe on Second Avenue, and a will that offers his potential widow exactly one dollar.

    Jul 11, 1903The Evening StatesmanSecond Avenue, Seattle, King CountyScandal

22. The Scandal at the Soldiers' Home

    A hospital doctor abruptly resigns his post and vanishes with the teenage daughter of a veteran, leaving behind incriminating letters and a local firestorm of gossip.

    Jul 13, 1903The Evening StatesmanSoldiers' Home, Orting, Pierce CountyScandal

23. The Shadow in the Long Grass

    A community in Tacoma is on edge after the discovery of a makeshift bed in a meadow leads residents to believe a fugitive murderer is living among them.

    Jul 18, 1903The Evening StatesmanTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

24. City Council Faces Tensions Over Prostitution and Budgets

    In their final session of the term, Walla Walla councilmen navigate budget disputes and the first-ever petition to remove bawdy houses as public nuisances.

    Jul 22, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

25. A Nighttime Intimidation at Dreamland Park

    The proprietor's wife turns the tables on two would-be robbers, prompting a new era of vigilance at the local attraction.

    Jul 23, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyTrue Crime

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