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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 10 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1878 | 6 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 6 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 19 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 10 |
| 1893 | 18 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 13 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 6 |
| 1909 | 3 |
129 stories matching probat
- The 1863 Legislative Session Wraps Up
A look back at the territorial assembly's busy session, featuring a major overhaul of the legal code, debates over the Idaho statehood movement, and the struggles of members waiting on federal pay.
- The $3 Million Renton Estate Battle
Two heirs to a shipping magnate's fortune are fighting to overturn a probate settlement, claiming they were swindled out of their inheritance.
- The Street Preacher's Final Sermon
A 'monomaniac' street preacher who habitually harassed passersby is apprehended by police and committed to the territorial asylum.
- The Man Who Owned the Earth
A laborer from Redmond is committed to an asylum after a mental break convinces him he holds the deed to the entire planet.
- The Widow’s Hard Struggle in Probate Court
A woman’s claim to her deceased husband's estate sparks a contentious legal battle after he died by suicide in Portland.
- The Real Estate Frenzy of 1889
A local columnist offers a wry, cynical peek at the movers, shakers, and hustlers reshaping the streetscape of Seattle during the great land boom.
- The Strange Journey of a Dismissal Letter
A delayed letter of dismissal, postmarked weeks after it was written, adds a layer of intrigue to the high-stakes probate battle surrounding the Yesler estate.
- The Madman of Pacific Avenue
A mysterious stranger who claimed he could blow up trains with his mind was committed to an asylum after being found pacing outside a Halstead house. Days later, his body washed up in the bay, sparking whispers of foul play.
- The Persistent Challenge to King County’s Treasurer
After multiple successful re-elections, Captain George D. Hill faced a legal challenge from an opponent who argued his military commission made him ineligible for the office.
- A Desperate Appeal for a Consumptive Carpenter
A former public official from Minnesota recounts his fall into poverty and illness in Seattle.
- A Family Feud Turned Public Spectacle
A woman’s obsessive search for her daughter in Seattle leads to a public assault on her own son and a charge of insanity.
- The Tragedy of William Owens
A vulnerable man’s lonely trek to Seattle ends not in hope, but in the county jail and the looming shadow of the state asylum.
- A Scandal of Probate: Administrator Stripped of Authority Over Baglien Estate
A court-appointed referee uncovers a pattern of fraudulent claims and unauthorized spending in the estate of a man who died in a house fire.
- The Jailhouse Performance of an Insanity Faker
A man accused of horse theft attempts a desperate, bumbling ruse to avoid trial by feigning madness, only to be caught plotting his escape with stolen keys.
- The Last Stand of the Payallup Valley
As Seattle’s building boom explodes and land prices skyrocket, a quiet corner of King County faces its own real estate frenzy—where lots vanish before deeds are even signed.
- The Strange Odyssey of the Boy and the Stolen Buggy
When a 17-year-old was caught stealing a horse and buggy, his strange behavior revealed not a criminal mind, but a tragic descent into mental illness.
- The Mystery of the Murdered Man's Two Wives
A shocking revelation in the case of C. C. Grant suggests the victim may have been a bigamist, or perhaps the victim of a clever fraud.
- The Trial That Shook Tacoma: The Scandal of Sadie Brantner and Judge Wickersham
A dramatic courtroom battle in the late 1880s reveals a web of sexual politics, professional ethics, and character assassination involving a prominent probate judge and a young woman accused of immorality.
- The Custody Battle Over Miss Lynch
A bitter divorce case that led to a shooting and an abduction now sees a young girl caught in a tug-of-war between her estranged parents.
- The Croquet Courtship Scandal
A young suitor and his sweetheart face off against a disapproving father in an all-woman jury trial.
- A Disappearance on the Railroad Front
A successful contractor vanishes in Seattle, leaving behind a trail of suspicion and a family waiting in Wisconsin.
- The Mother Who Disinherited Her Sons Based on Financial Competence
A Seattle widow pens a remarkably candid will, detailing exactly why she believes her sons are incapable of managing her estate while praising her daughter's business acumen.
- The Heiress, the Invalid, and the Absent Executor
A nineteen-year-old Snoqualmie woman fights a legal battle against a powerful executor who left her destitute and in debt despite a $100,000 family estate.
- The Agitator in Fetters
A prominent Seattle suffragist and labor activist is declared incapacitated by her family, sparking a debate on her past political defiance and current state of mind.
- Two Young Waifs and a Plea for Reform
A concerned citizen recounts the success of a Maryland reform school as a potential model for Seattle's juvenile justice system.