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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 421 |
| 1889 | 1,084 |
| 1891 | 492 |
| 1892 | 2,259 |
| 1893 | 2,699 |
| 1894 | 2,015 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
10,800 stories
- Harbor Line Commission Lapses After Heated House Debate
Legislative gridlock leaves Washington's tide lands in a state of administrative limbo.
- The Militia vs. The Populists
A political firestorm erupts in the state capital after the local People's Party claims Seattle's guardsmen acted like drunken hooligans.
- An Indigenous Man Challenges a Broken Contract
A legal dispute over a fishing net reveals the tension between Indigenous property rights and the courts.
- A Deadlock at the Capitol
As Washington's state legislature struggles to elect a U.S. Senator, tales of bribery and party pressure dominate the halls in Olympia.
- The Trial of Hilda Rundberg
A young Swedish immigrant stands accused of poisoning her employer’s infant, but her testimony paints a portrait of a confusing household.
- Acquitted in Five Minutes: The Girl Accused of Poisoning a Child
A packed Seattle courtroom erupts when Hildegard Rundberg is cleared of murdering little Richard Parker with 'Death to Rats' rat poison — the jury needing barely five minutes to set her free.
- The Tangled Web of the Yesler Estate
A legal battle over the fortune of Henry L. Yesler spirals into a web of missing deeds, conspiracy charges, and high-stakes courtroom drama.
- The Fight Over the Hawaiian Islands
As Washington politicians and chambers of commerce clamor for annexation, locals weigh in on the imperial ambitions of the United States.
- The Shadowy Deal for the Yesler Will
Seattle city officials testify under oath about secret negotiations to recover the lost will of Henry Yesler through a high-stakes contingent fee.
- 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 Looming Water Crisis
A 1893 report warns that Seattle's pumping system is failing and proposes the Cedar River gravity system as the only way to meet the city's future needs.
- The Insanity Defense in the Lavan Case
A reader challenges the P-I’s skepticism regarding a jury's decision to acquit Patrick Lavan on grounds of insanity.
- Fatal Hole in the Floor
A wrongful death suit against the Front Street Cable Railway Company uncovers a fatal industrial hazard left uncovered by management.
- The Shadowy War for the Yesler Fortune
Attorneys, doctors, and secret witnesses clash in court over the lost will of a Seattle pioneer, exposing a trail of bribery and paranoia.
- Labor Congress Confronts the Legislature
A delegation of workers brings a broad platform of demands to the state house, sparking a heated debate over the treatment of labor and the dignity of the legislature.
- 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.
- Anti-Allen Dark Horse Scheme Fails in Olympia
While anti-Allen forces scramble for a candidate, the state legislature remains paralyzed by 'dark horse' rumors and fabricated desertions.
- Washington's House Votes to Ban Cigarettes — and the Tobacco Trust Moves In
In 1893 the state House passed a prohibition on cigarette sales after a debate that mixed moral reform, monopoly fears and anti-Chinese prejudice. Lobbyists were already working the Senate.
- Political Rebellion in the State Legislature
Senator Hutchinson breaks with the Democratic caucus in Olympia to challenge railroad-backed influence in Washington politics.
- The Tragedy of a Miner’s Search for Work
A desperate father leaves his Seattle family to seek mining work, only to be found dead under a trestle.
- The Trial of Ursula Unfug
The woman accused of murdering Olympia editor Thomas Henderson Boyd is bound over for trial in a scene of somber gravity.
- The Governor’s Executive Fiat
After the state legislature deadlocked and failed to elect a U.S. Senator, Governor McGraw unilaterally appointed John B. Allen to fill the seat.
- Denied Shelter at the Hospital, A Woman Gives Birth in a Police Station
A tragic case of medical red tape and bureaucratic cruelty exposes the lack of a social safety net in 1893 Seattle.
- Puyallup Elders Defy the Wilson Bill
Indigenous leaders on the Puyallup reservation gather to protest government efforts to force the sale of their tribal lands.
- The Traveling Quack and the Stolen Girl
A traveling doctor accused of abducting a 12-year-old girl is arrested in Tacoma after a trail leading from California to the Puget Sound.