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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 314 |
| 1889 | 785 |
| 1891 | 328 |
| 1892 | 1,308 |
| 1893 | 1,604 |
| 1894 | 1,246 |
| 1895 | 1,087 |
6,672 stories
- The Bricklayer’s Scaffold Fall
A workplace injury suit highlights the dangerous construction conditions in early Seattle as a laborer fights the estate of a deceased developer.
- The Ghost City of Stanley
Investors realize the 'City of Stanley' they bought into is a total fabrication, leading to a massive lawsuit against land speculators.
- A Child’s Testimony Ends a Rape Case
A young boy accused of an assault near Lake Union is exonerated after the judge personally interviews the girl involved.
- The Registration Catch-22
New legislation forces naturalized citizens to produce hard-to-find documentation, effectively disenfranchising long-term residents and property owners.
- The Sewer Scandal: Seattle Engineer Fired for Refusing Corrupt Bricks
A political machine ousts City Engineer R.H. Thomson to bypass safety standards, sparking fears of city infrastructure collapse.
- Longshoremen and Strike-Breakers Clash on the Docks
Tensions boil over as union members and non-union laborers brawl at the Ocean Dock in Seattle.
- The Bloody Battle of Washington Street
A federal opium sting operation devolved into a chaotic, axe-wielding melee in a dark room in Pioneer Square.
- The Nighttime Predators of North Seattle
A string of alarming street assaults in the North end has women running for their lives, while local police claim to be in the dark.
- The 'Bloody First' Ward Primary Fraud
A rowdy Seattle Democratic primary descends into chaos, ballot-stuffing, and mob rule as the John Collins-Considine faction fights to maintain control.
- Seattle’s 'Industrial Army' Mobilizes for the Capital
Unemployed men organize into companies, drill in the streets, and plan a march to Washington, D.C., to protest economic conditions.
- The Tragic Death of a Great Northern Laborer
A railroad worker dies following a brutal brawl at a Third Street saloon, leading to the arrest of a local proprietor.
- The Commonweal Army Prepares to March on Washington
As thousands of unemployed men mobilize across the country to march on the nation's capital, Seattle's local contingent balances internal discipline, fundraising, and a pledge of solidarity with striking railway workers.
- The Brutal Legacy of Seattle's Vigilante Justice
A citizen letter from 1894 reflects on the city's dark history of mob violence and the perceived failure of the legal system to address crime.
- The Industrial Army Marches on Washington
Seattle’s unemployed men organize a parade and embark on a cross-country trek to demand relief, setting off local tensions and federal concerns.
- The Industrial Army Marches Out of Seattle
Six hundred unemployed men, led by Commander Shephard, march through Seattle to join the regional Industrial Army, facing threats of federal intervention if they dare to seize a train.
- The Padlocking of Whitechapel
Chief of Police Rogers orders the eviction of forty-five women living in Seattle's historic red-light district.
- Ballard’s Water Main Failures Lead to Block-Wide Inferno
A fire in an avenue saloon rapidly spiraled out of control when the local water system failed to provide enough pressure to fight the flames.
- A Revolver at Her Ear: Mary Steel's Third Fight for a Divorce
Mary Steel's third divorce suit against David H. Steel laid bare a bitter fight over $49,000 in Seattle and Montana property—and allegations of violence, control and intimidation.
- The Accused Killer Who Wrote to Seattle Police
Oluf Ellingson was found on the Lake Washington shore with his throat cut and a razor in his hand. Four years later, suspect Tony Miller’s letter still insisted he was coming back to clear his name.
- A Judge Called Unpaid Hotel Work 'Mild Larceny'—and Freed the Bellboy Who Stole $1.15
Nathan Sanguinetti, a West Indian bellboy at Seattle's Rainier Hotel, was convicted of stealing a planted purse. When Judge Humes learned the hotel had made him work 18 months without pay, he called that the real crime—and a pardon followed.
- A Six-Dollar Rent Debt and a Diamond Ring Nearly Drowned Her in Lake Washington
Ethel Perkins, a lodger at a Third-and-Union boarding house, tried to end her life when her rent fell behind and a barber demanded his ring back. A stranger on the Madison street car caught her at the wharf's edge.
- The Convicted Murderer’s German Fortune and the Lawyer’s $5,000 Notes
Henry Craemer, jailed for killing a mother and child, says a rumored inheritance turned his appeal into a fight over legal fees and control of his case.
- The Ballard Suitor’s Violent Ultimatum
A young man from Dakota terrorized a Ballard family with a revolver and a bizarre demand for marriage, only to return later with a guitar and a hired musician.
- Seattle’s Unemployed Planned to Get Arrested Rather Than Go Hungry
In 1895, a new Workhouse Club proposed a march on City Hall to demand work—and a mass arrest as the backup plan.
- The Outlaw Who Begged His Mother Never to Know
Thomas Planck confessed to five murders, broke jail and was shot after a last meal at a Kent farm. Then thousands of Seattleites filed past his body.