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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 4 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 12 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 18 |
| 1892 | 34 |
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| 1915 | 2 |
164 stories matching murphi
- A Candlelit Verdict in the Murphy Homicide Trial
Electric lights failed in the King County courthouse during instructions, casting a long shadow over the trial of James Murphy.
- The Price of a 'Bad Man's' Temper
A Seattle newspaper editorial rails against a lenient verdict for a saloon regular who murdered a bartender over a perceived slight.
- 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.
- A Desperate Act at the St. Elmo
A Seattle electrician is hospitalized in Vancouver after a suicide attempt follows significant gambling losses.
- The Murphy Temperance Movement Sweeps Aberdeen
Thomas E. Murphy leads a massive revival at the opera house, securing 700 pledges for the temperance cause.
- Three North Seattle Highwaymen Convicted in a Week
John and Martin Murphy and Tom Davis were found guilty of robbing John Smith near the Seattle waterfront. Their alibi witness, a man known as “Cutthroat” O’Brien, did not save them.
- A Killer, a Gold-Brick Swindler, and a Widow's Missing Coat
James Murphy waits to learn whether he'll be shipped to Walla Walla for killing Phil Doe in the Copper Chief saloon — while a con man's loyal wife scours Front Street for the coat a dead man wore.
- Fire Scare at South Eighth and Dearborn
A fire in a small stand caused a panic among nearby residents, who mistook a white man’s warning for a police raid.
- The Temperance Revival Sweeps Olympia
Francis Murphy, the famed temperance orator, packs the Methodist Church as residents line up to sign the pledge.
- The Troubles of Mike Murphy
A wealthy Tacoma businessman faces legal scrutiny for his personal habits as police weigh the cost of sobriety.
- A Murderer’s Risky Gamble for Freedom
After being convicted of a brutal killing, a man wins a new trial, only to face the possibility of a harsher sentence.
- The Murphy Temperance Crusade
Evangelist Francis Murphy visits North Yakima, leading hundreds to sign the pledge as the city contemplates a permanent temperance society.
- The Struggle to Organize Women in Labor
President Joseph L. Murphy receives a commission from Samuel Gompers to establish a Workingwomen's Union in Seattle.
- The Mayor's Chair Is No Bed of Roses
Olympia's old city officers resign to clear a ballot-printing challenge, the new mayor takes the oath—and both incoming and outgoing officials warn that public service brings more abuse than thanks.
- 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.
- A Convicted Killer Gets a Second Trial on a Legal Technicality
James Murphy, convicted of shooting Philip Dawe across the counter of a Seattle saloon, won a new trial and was being brought back to face the charge again.
- The Murphy Murder Trial Heads to the Jury
A week of testimony in the Lake Washington shooting case concludes, with the jury visiting the saloon crime scene.
- Tragedy in the Ashford Coal Mine
A foreman dies in a heroic but doomed effort to rescue his colleagues trapped by an explosion of fire damp deep beneath the earth.
- The 'Strong-Arm' Sentencing of Patrick J. Murphy
A Seattle judge delivers a 15-year sentence for a robbery, signaling a crackdown on street violence and the dangers of the 'strong-arm' hold-up.
- Fatal Brawl at Wenatchee Wine House
A local rancher is killed after a confrontation at a commercial establishment leads to a tragic fall.
- The Marriage Defense
A lawyer attempts to delay a murder trial by arguing that the defendant is still legally married to the state's star witness.
- Labor Leader Absconds with Relief Funds
The president of the Western Central Labor Union has vanished, leaving local workers to grapple with the betrayal of their relief and holiday coffers.
- A City on the Brink: Olympia’s 1891 Debt Crisis and the Fight Over Jobs
Facing a constitutional debt limit, Olympia’s city council considers firing the deputy clerk, assistant city attorney, and city engineer—while a motion to revoke the street railway franchise fails by a tie.
- A Near-Fatal Industrial Error at the Mill
A dangerous malfunction at a Seattle sawmill nearly crushes a worker, serving as a reminder of the perils of unregulated labor in the territory.
- The Drunkard’s Fortune: Tacoma Bank Takes Over $1,100 from an Inebriate
In a stark display of 19th-century temperance law, Officer Frank Cavanagh has declared wealthy Tacoma man Michael Murphy legally incompetent due to alcoholism, depositing his cash into the bank for 'safekeeping.'