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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 3 |
| 1865 | 3 |
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 33 |
| 1877 | 31 |
| 1878 | 16 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1883 | 38 |
| 1884 | 16 |
| 1885 | 37 |
| 1886 | 27 |
| 1887 | 39 |
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 65 |
| 1890 | 6 |
| 1891 | 63 |
| 1892 | 125 |
| 1893 | 131 |
| 1894 | 105 |
| 1895 | 130 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1899 | 17 |
| 1900 | 10 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 86 |
| 1904 | 60 |
| 1905 | 6 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 14 |
| 1909 | 96 |
| 1910 | 15 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 8 |
| 1915 | 6 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 7 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 7 |
| 1924 | 4 |
1,267 stories matching jail
- The Jailhouse Recognition: A Killer Unmasked in Seattle
While awaiting his own release, a prisoner in the Seattle city jail spots a familiar face in the next cell and realizes he is sharing space with a notorious fugitive wanted for murder.
- Two Boxers Escape County Jail With False Keys
Two incarcerated pugilists manage a clean getaway from the county jail after an apparent inside job with smuggled keys.
- Vagrant Jailed in South Tacoma
A man found loitering in a private room is sentenced to 25 days by Judge Griffin.
- The Jailbreak at the Center of Town
After four prisoners escaped the local lockup, the Sheriff sounds the alarm on the failing state of the city's crumbling jail.
- An Inside Job at the County Jail
Two prisoners, a clerk accused of theft and an embezzling stevedore, escaped the King County jail by cutting their way out with tools smuggled from the outside.
- Duo Escapes Ellensburg Jail
Two men, one accused of murder and another of a stabbing, broke out of the local jail, triggering a $200 reward for their capture.
- Farmer’s Descent Ends in City Jail
After years of heavy drinking, a once-prosperous Walla Walla farmer takes his own life while held in city custody.
- The Great Jailbreak Attempt of 1888
A desperate group of prisoners, including a local forger and a pair of Vancouver burglars, came within thirty minutes of freedom before being thwarted by a vigilant guard.
- South Tacoma Man Confined to Jail
After months of family-led care, H. A. McKenney has been moved to the county jail due to worsening mental health.
- Four Prisoners Escape City Jail Through Brick Wall
Four prisoners vanish from the city jail after a creative structural modification to the facility's masonry.
- Ten Inmates Crawl Through City Jail Roof
A dozen prisoners rip the roof off the city jail, leading to a night of escapes, returns for more whiskey, and public mockery of the facility.
- The Jailbreak of 'Philadelphia Kid'
A daring prisoner slips through a forgotten gate, sparking a city-wide manhunt across Seattle's central district.
- A Shaky Old Affair
A grand jury inspection of the Yakima county jail and courthouse leads to a scathing critique of the current facilities and a call for a new building.
- Walla Walla's Grand Jury Slams Local Jail Conditions
1864 grand jurors call the county jail 'bad' and 'insecure,' demanding iron cells and high walls to keep prisoners from escaping.
- A Daring Jailbreak in Prosser
A robbery suspect awaiting trial in Kennewick makes a brazen roof-top escape from the Prosser jail while ostensibly doing his laundry.
- The Desperate Choice of John Thomas
A hungry and freezing man purposefully steals trousers in broad daylight, hoping for an arrest and a winter meal in the county jail.
- A Shift in How Seattle Punished Public Intoxication
A new administrative system for municipal court fines turned a $1 penalty into a three-day jail sentence.
- The Jail That Wasn't: A Tour of Port Madison’s Fortress
While Seattle’s own jails were often little more than wooden rooms with locks, the new facility on Port Madison was built like a fortress—iron spikes, windlass doors, and a view of the sound. But its warden faces a grim reality: no work for his prisoners.
- A Daring Jailbreak in Kittitas County
An Indian prisoner and a grand larceny suspect escaped through a sawed window, while a murder suspect was left behind.
- A Pioneer's Desperate Claim to the Harbor
An elderly man was jailed for insanity after insisting he owned the entirety of Seattle's tide lands.
- Anatomy of a Jailbreak
Sheriff Woolery foils a plot to escape the King County jail, uncovering acid and a sharpened knife.
- The Boys in the County Jail
A look inside the cell of four Seattle youths arrested for petty theft, and the cycle of crime they are already trapped in.
- The Transformation of Jim
After serving time in jail, a local man known as Jim commits to learning English and adopting American customs.
- The Jail-Breaking Drunkard of 1877
A rowdy arrest in Seattle leads to a display of destruction inside the city lockup.
- Bankrupt Merchants Jailed for Contempt
Judge Hanford jailed Seattle clothier Samuel Njac and Alexander Isaacs for contempt over $15,000 owed creditors.