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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1876 | 5 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 19 |
| 1892 | 72 |
| 1893 | 94 |
| 1894 | 83 |
| 1895 | 76 |
| 1899 | 21 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 32 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 4 |
| 1909 | 49 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
552 stories matching detect
- The Sad Return of a Known Petty Thief
After seven years away, a notorious local pickpocket drifts back into Seattle only to be arrested for stealing a neighbor’s laundry.
- A Brutal End for a Balky Horse
A North Seattle man kills his horse after it refuses to move, drawing the attention of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
- Two-Year-Old Vanishes in Seattle Kidnapping Mystery
A young child disappeared from a forested area near a popular summer resort, leaving behind a frantic search and local detectives suspecting foul play.
- Midnight Blast at a Chinese Laundry
A loud explosion near South Sixth and Washington Street sends Seattle police on a frantic manhunt for a mysterious bomber.
- The Unintended Eulogy of Harvey Lawson
A former Kennewick man pops up in Seattle to debunk rumors of his death, adding a mysterious twist about private detective work.
- Fugitive Arrested in Tacoma for California Extortion Scheme
A man accused of swindling a California woman under the false promise of marriage is captured by local detectives.
- The Swindler in the Customs House
A former customs official turned smuggling mastermind uses a fake 'special detective' scheme to trick colleagues and line his own pockets with molasses-filled trunks.
- The Unsolved Murder of James A. Frace
A quarrelsome man is found riddled with bullets, leaving behind a confusing trail of clues and a city full of suspects.
- Couple Arrested with Loot from A.B. Gage & Co.
A husband and wife were caught with stolen goods in their hotel room, linked by police to a 'New York' shoplifting ring.
- An unfortunate encounter with a detective
A citizen is fined for confronting an undercover officer after a heated exchange near the circus grounds.
- Booze Still Flowing at the County Seat
Two Marcus men were hauled to Colville for violating local option, one fined $20 — but detectives shadowing Colville saloons couldn't make a single prosecution stick, and liquor was said to be as easy to find as ever.
- The Detective, the Forger, and the Silverton Fiancée
Detective Sam Sumner captures a smooth-talking con man who posed as a Northern Pacific railroad official and nearly married into a Silverton family.
- The Treasurer Who Vanished: A Seattle Fraud Case
John Dougherty, treasurer of the Pacific Coast Steamers' Association, was arrested in San Francisco after a four-day flight from Seattle. The case highlights early 20th-century corporate accountability and the reach of cross-border law enforcement.
- The Ethics of the Sting
A century before modern debates on police entrapment, Washington courts were already grappling with the line between preventing crime and creating it.
- The Narrow Escape of the 'Seattle Belle'
A train robbery plot is thwarted by an observant spotter, saving the railway from a daring heist on the edge of the Washington frontier.
- Police Pawn Shop Registry Catches Thief
An early technological shift in policing—the 'watch-book' system—allows detectives to track down stolen goods in record time.
- Eight Men Arrested in South D Street Gambling Sweep
City detectives targeted a lodging house suspected of hosting illegal card games late Saturday night.
- The Art of the Vanishing Embezzler
A Los Angeles mill employee absconds with funds, hides out in Seattle under an alias, and stays one step ahead of the detectives in a city-wide cat-and-mouse game.
- A Police Raid on the Iroquois Club
Detectives break up a poker game at the Iroquois clubrooms, highlighting ongoing tensions between gambling houses and city law enforcement.
- Suspicion of graft in Tacoma's water plant purchase
Detectives are tailing city council members amid allegations that the municipal purchase of a water and light plant is a massive overpayment benefiting insiders.
- Sunday Poker at the Union Club Draws a Police Raid
Detectives Philbrick and Hart entered the exclusive Union Club on Front Street, found men hiding chips, and carted away two loads of furniture and cards.
- The Unmaking of a Whistleblower
Seattle’s Police Board fires an officer who claimed he was targeted for reporting corruption within the force.
- The Unlucky Fate of a Runaway Teenager
After being detained by detectives, 16-year-old Lillie D. Cline faces institutionalization as local authorities attempt to force her back into a domestic role.
- Police Sweep Targets Opium Dens
A police detective executes a raid on several laundries suspected of being opium dens, seizing pipes and bowls as evidence.
- Tacoma Hires Its First Woman Detective
Helen Beardsley takes the badge to protect vulnerable girls arriving in the city.