Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine
Show the numbers
| 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 'Chicken Oath' in Municipal Court
To ensure truthful testimony, a Seattle courtroom turns to a traditional Chinese oath involving the decapitation of a rooster.
- Grand Jury Digs Into the Restricted District
A secret investigation into local vice and government corruption begins, with former inhabitants of Tacoma's restricted district called to testify.
- The Anatomy of a Murder (Misunderstood)
A courtroom blunder in 1876 highlights how a simple misunderstanding can derail the pursuit of justice.
- The Ballot Box Was Too Full in Franklin
Populists brought witnesses to court to show that votes in Franklin precinct were pushed, shaken and crammed into an overflowing box—irregularity, they argued, even if not outright fraud.
- The Unsolved Boyd Murder and the Disappearing Witnesses
A woman accused of murdering Henderson Boyd remains free as the prosecution’s case crumbles due to missing witnesses.
- The Secret Underground Boxing Ring
A reporter hides in an attic to witness a clandestine sparring match while the city maintains a facade of propriety.
- A $10 Bill, a Loaded Dice Game, and a Fatal Shot at the Hotel Northern
Paul K. Page's preliminary hearing lays out how a friendly dice game in a Seattle saloon turned deadly when a disputed ten-dollar bill ended in murder — and how the state's star witness had secrets of his own.
- Violence Erupts at the Whatcom Express
A newspaper editor finds himself in a street brawl after reporting on a local motorneer's alleged misconduct.
- The Mystery of the Gilman Shooting
A murder trial in superior court struggles to identify the gunman who killed Nicholas Straussner during a drunken brawl.
- The Gallows at Colfax
A thousand spectators crowded the streets and hillsides to witness the final penalty for a murder in Whitman County.
- The Judge Who Was Only 'Sober as a Judge'
A legendary anecdote from the Seattle police court where a witness’s inadvertent insult revealed the bench's own notorious reputation for intoxication.
- The Policeman Who Voted Twice
A school board election scandal in Seattle leads to a courtroom showdown, a surprise witness, and the abrupt firing of a patrolman.
- The Mallet in the Marriage: A King County Divorce
William Conway calls his absent wife a good woman, but a witness recalls an uncontrollable temper—and a mallet—as Judge Osborn grants the divorce.
- Squak Valley Trial: Chinese Hop-Pickers Killed in 1885 Raid
A brutal night of terror in the hop fields as an armed mob targets immigrant laborers.
- The Captain's Last Step on a Dark Anacortes Wharf
A wrongful-death suit against the Oregon Improvement Company turns on an unlit slip, a fatal fall, and whether the wharf was dangerously built.
- The Lawyer Who Shaved His Beard for a Thief
In a dramatic courtroom gamble, a defense attorney shaved his own beard to demonstrate how easily witnesses might be mistaken in identifying an accused horse thief.
- The Horseshoe Saloon Robbery
A young ranch hand’s night out ends in a courtroom drama after his money and watch vanish in the back of a saloon.
- Phil Dawe's Killing at Copper Chief Goes to Trial
A witness takes the stand to describe the fatal shooting of Phil Dawe on Washington Street.
- The Trial of Ursula Juanita Unfug
A sensational murder trial in Seattle has become a lightning rod for social scandal, with rumors of political corruption and witness tampering swirling around the case.
- The Reverend’s Estate: A Seattle Administrator Accused of Paying Himself First
Rev. L. Parker wants the court to approve his accounts, but a special administrator says he spent estate money without permission, inflated legal fees, and sent a mortgage to his brother in Canada.
- The Shadow on Lake Washington
A grizzly discovery on Mercer Island leads to a frantic, suspicion-filled murder investigation in 1886 Seattle.
- The Tragedy of the Chico Gulch
A minor dispute over a killed pet dog escalates into a brutal, fatal shooting in the quiet community of Chico, revealing the violent tensions lurking behind rural neighborly relations.
- Police Court Conviction of Maggie Middaugh and Marshall Robinson
A white woman and a Black man were brought before a Tacoma judge on statutory charges, with the woman's young child serving as the primary witness.
- The Justice Who Made the Complainant Pay
When a man filed an assault charge in the local courts, a sharp-witted justice turned the tables on him—and sent him to the county boarding house.
- The Jailbreak at the County Courthouse
A prisoner awaiting trial vanishes from the Pierce County jail while under the watch of guards, witnessed by curious onlookers from the courthouse windows.