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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 10 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 11 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 6 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 5 |
| 1891 | 19 |
| 1892 | 61 |
| 1893 | 61 |
| 1894 | 66 |
| 1895 | 55 |
| 1897 | 3 |
| 1898 | 9 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 29 |
| 1904 | 23 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1907 | 3 |
| 1908 | 10 |
| 1909 | 39 |
| 1910 | 8 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 7 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1917 | 8 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 4 |
| 1924 | 7 |
| 1925 | 1 |
568 stories matching check
- The Mysterious Woman Passing Forged Checks
A woman allegedly defrauded five Ellensburg businesses using stolen identities before vanishing.
- The Elusive 'Seattle Swindler' Disappears Again
A young attorney leaves a trail of bad checks across the Pacific Coast, sparking confusion in the San Francisco police force.
- The Gray-Haired Con Man Who Left Newport's Saloons Holding Bad Paper
Posing as a copper-company man with money in local banks, William Andrew cashed worthless checks across Newport and Sandpoint—then vanished before anyone could collect.
- The Unraveling of a Grifter
A well-connected drifter faces consequences after passing bad checks in local saloons.
- The Expense Account Scandal
An investigation by the state bureau reveals that the Industrial Insurance Commission chairman was padding his vouchers to cover personal travel and family expenses.
- The 'Line-Man' Forger of 1891
A young con artist dressed as a weary lineman successfully swindled several Seattle clothing stores and a saloon before vanishing into the night.
- The Woman With the Little Girl and the Worthless Checks
A forger calling herself Myra F. Parker worked Ellensburg shopkeepers with small purchases and big checks, then vanished into a Northwest-wide manhunt.
- The Sad Tale of a Funeral Con
A man in mourning clothes successfully swindles a local funeral director out of three dollars under the guise of grieving for his dead wife.
- The Daring Heist at Martin Creek
A storekeeper recounts how three masked men held up his business in a daring robbery that shocked the county.
- John L. Sullivan’s Gift of Gratitude
A famous prize-fighter leaves a $25 gold penknife for the Tacoma theater manager who returned his lost $135 check.
- The Biggest Check Ever Written
A staggering 225,000-bushel wheat sale by George Drumheller sparks a frenzy of trading, turning the city's streets into a bustling theater of politics and grain prices.
- The Mystery of the Missing Check
A deep-seated accounting discrepancy involving former City Treasurer W. L. Ames leads to calls for a formal investigation and legal action.
- The Confidence Man of Colby
An elderly immigrant family arrives in Washington only to be swindled of their life savings at the docks.
- The Case of the Missing Suitcase
A boarder takes his landlords to court after his luggage mysteriously disappears from a local lodging house.
- The Unraveling of J. B. Maling
A prominent local real estate dealer and former mayor finds himself on the run after allegedly bouncing checks and absconding with Fourth of July funds.
- Guilty Conscience Returns Satchel
A thief in Bellingham experiences a change of heart, leaving a stolen satchel full of cash and checks in the victim's yard.
- The Fake Auditor of J. Pierpont Morgan
A Seattle hotel swindler successfully impersonates a corporate auditor to extract cash.
- The Con Artist of Fairhaven
A smooth-talking accountant gambles away his reputation and his wife's dignity with a string of bad checks and a faked suicide attempt.
- The Tacoma Check-Kite Who Vanished Into Thin Air
A mysterious stranger from San Francisco duped local merchants out of hundreds of dollars with worthless drafts before disappearing, leaving a trail of broken trust in the heart of downtown Tacoma.
- The Forger Who Bought His Freedom
A local man faces no legal consequences for check fraud after his wealthy connections settle the debt quietly.
- Jailhouse Quartet Organized by Accused Professor
A former Iowa State College professor, currently held in Yakima on check fraud charges, is finding a new rhythm behind bars.
- A Convict’s Forgery Arrest
H. C. Taylor, a man with a long history of criminal convictions, is back in police custody after attempting to pass a bad check at a local merchant.
- The Tailor Who Vanished: Creditors Left Holding the Bag
H.L. Stanley’s shop has gone dark, leaving behind unpaid bills and bounced checks in a city already wary of financial instability.
- The West Point Forger Who Vanished From Tacoma
A polished stranger with a celebrated military past talked his way into Tacoma's lumber trade—then left a forged check and a trail gone cold.
- A $56 Check Sends a Housekeeper to Prison for Up to 14 Years
Mrs. Maybelle Coitrell, desperate for work, forged a Spokane millionaire's name—and drew a sentence that outweighed the theft many times over.