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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 | 20 |
| 1892 | 36 |
| 1893 | 15 |
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| 1904 | 4 |
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| 1908 | 1 |
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| 1915 | 2 |
172 stories matching murphi
- The Politics of Exclusion: A Night at the Bijou
In 1886, a raucous meeting at Seattle’s Bijou theater formalized the 'Committee of Fifteen,' marking a volatile era of organized expulsion and nativist labor politics.
- A Near-Fatal Industrial Accident Near Everett
A laborer survives after being crushed by railroad cars during a logging operation.
- Detective's Divorce Case Reveals Scandalous Secrets
A former Spokane police detective is caught in a bitter divorce suit after a suspicious photograph is discovered in his watch.
- The Fair Band Walked Out When the Pay Didn't Come
Fifteen Tacoma musicians said they quit the Interstate Fair band after management failed to arrange their wages — and they had brought players from Portland and Seattle at their own expense.
- The Con Man and the Tacoma Jail
After swindling banks for a half-million dollars, a notorious criminal is captured in Tacoma and offers an interview from behind bars.
- The Struggle to Pipe Water into Early Seattle
A City Council report from 1876 reveals the frantic, early negotiations to secure a reliable, private water supply for the burgeoning frontier town.
- The Unruly Guest at Harry Thompson's
A violent tavern dispute in 1887 Seattle turns into a police matter when the assailant returns to town, knife in hand.
- Salmon War on the Waterfront
Seattle fishermen organize a new union to challenge cannery owners over falling fish prices.
- Judge Bell’s Hard Line on City Crime
A Seattle judge hands down stiff prison sentences for robbery to deter the criminal element in the city.
- A Stovepipe and a Divorce
A domestic dispute involving a violent husband and a faulty stovepipe leads to a divorce decree in Judge Langley's court.
- Vigilante Sentiment Grows After Sunday Violence
A wave of fights and assaults by 'tramps and toughs' on Harris Street leaves the town calling for better policing.
- Dying on the Doorstep of 'Reform'
A laborer assaulted with a coupling-pin is left bleeding in the street after city officials and the health officer refuse to admit him to the hospital, citing new bureaucratic squabbles.
- Seattle’s Volunteer Firefighters Organize for Protection
Citizens and council members gather to establish the first official fire company for a growing city.
- The Gloves Came Off in Aberdeen
When two men fought for the Chehalis County boxing championship, a packed house watched through the windows of the Coonskin Athletic Club.
- The Deadly Cost of the 'Gun Habit'
A local editor reflects on the tragic death of Philip Dawe and argues that easy access to concealed weapons is fueling a wave of unnecessary homicides in America.
- The House That Blocked the Train
A standoff between a homeowner moving a house and the Everett street railway leads to suspended service and a tense municipal conflict.
- The Horse Tamer Who Captivated Seattle
Professor O. R. Gleason's horse-taming exhibition at the Armory becomes a city-wide sensation, drawing crowds and high-stakes wagers.
- Salmon Cannery Standoff in Seattle
Striking fishermen clash with cannery owner George T. Myers over pay rates and the threat of low-wage labor replacement.
- The Deadly Cost of a Black Diamond Burglary
A thwarted nighttime break-in at a mining camp saloon ends in a fatal shooting, prompting a coroner's verdict of justifiable homicide.
- The Battle for Seattle's Soul
On the eve of a contentious city election in 1886, two rival political factions clashed at the Opera House, setting the stage for a fight over the future of labor, law, and the anti-Chinese riots.
- 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.
- After the Fire, Seattle Rebuilds Its Burnt District
In the weeks following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city scrambled to clear debris and restore order, as business owners set up temporary shops in tents and city officials struggled to enforce new sanitation rules in the 'burnt district.'
- A Child’s Christmas Gift in Renton
A 12-year-old girl organizes a Sunday school holiday celebration for 30 children, securing gifts and a venue in the mining town.
- The Queen Anne Scandal: A Tramp’s Slander and the ‘Black Paws’ of Seattle
When a wandering journalist accused a local girl of plunging her cat into flour dough, it sparked a chaotic street confrontation on Queen Anne Hill that revealed the raw tensions of early 20th-century Seattle.
- City Council Members Dodge Responsibility on James Street
While private citizens were forced to fulfill their contracts, two city council members allegedly abandoned their own street improvement project without penalty.