Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 12 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 8 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 6 |
40 stories matching rob
- Brutal Assault in Wa Chong's Building
A man preparing for sleep is robbed and slashed in a violent late-night attack.
- The Roadmaster's Gold Watch and the Mail Robber Who Came Back for More
Samuel Henry of the N.P.R.R. woke to find his watch gone and assumed it was a joke. A Tacoma marshal followed a hunch to a young man fresh out of the penitentiary — who confessed, sold the watch on Pacific Avenue, and then disappeared.
- The Strange Robbery on Coppin’s Hill
A local saloon owner claims he was robbed by footpads, but his suspicious story leads police to consider a city-wide crackdown on transients.
- A Case of Mistaken Identity or Cold-Blooded Theft?
A Chinese merchant is jailed after being accused of robbing a countryman, but claims he is the victim of a vindictive setup.
- Midnight Hijack on the Coal Wharf
A steamship steward is drugged and robbed in the dark, highlighting the dangers lurking on the Seattle waterfront.
- Gambling Debt and Ceiling Signals
A high-stakes poker cheat gets caught when his victim shoots through the floor.
- The Unlikely Redemption of a Prison Inmate
After eighteen months of hard labor, a Seattle convict wins his freedom through an overwhelming petition of support from his community and even the victims he robbed.
- Street Robbery Near Hanson’s Mill
A man walking home alone at night is ambushed by a gang on the beach road.
- Vigilante Raids Target Chinese Vegetable Gardens
Armed men terrorize Chinese laborers in outskirts of Seattle, burning property and driving families from their homes.
- Cabin Raided by Boat Thieves in Kitsap County
A local veteran returns from his mail run to find his winter supplies, clothing, and bedding stolen, sparking a search for the thieves.
- The Great Seattle Clothesline Robbery
A local druggist rallies the neighborhood after a daring nighttime heist of freshly washed laundry.
- The Stranger and the Starving Boy
A hungry child caught stealing a loaf of bread on a steamer finds an unexpected defender in a kind-hearted passenger.
- The Great Horse Heist of South Tacoma
A doctor's horse is snatched from a storefront and recovered miles away in the timber.
- The Unsolved Mystery of the East Side Wharf
A man’s hat and belongings found near the O.&C. railroad tracks spark rumors of a brutal murder in early Seattle.
- Seattle Fires Back at 'Rough Town' Slander After a Sandbag Robbery
A Vancouver paper reported a traveler was sandbagged in Seattle and sneered at the city's vigilance committee. Seattle's editor says the whole thing is false.
- The Desperate 'Stake' of a Fugitive
After shooting an employer in Seattle, a wounded man is discovered in a cabin near a brickyard, revealing a tale of poverty, gambling, and a botched robbery.
- The Tragedy at the Cabin
A pioneer settler is found dead in his home after a brutal struggle, sparking a local manhunt near Colfax.
- The Schoolteacher's Gamble
A young rural teacher outwits a robber who targets her on the road home.
- Racist Exclusion and the Main Street Real Estate Panic
Local property owners react with outrage as landlords lease buildings to Chinese residents, illustrating the exclusionary climate of 1880s Seattle.
- The Hop Bonanza in the Puyallup Valley
An account of the massive agricultural boom in the Puyallup Valley, highlighting the success of local hop farmers and the looming shadow of the volcano.
- A Near-Fatal Robbery Attempt in Tacoma
Dr. F. C. Miller narrowly escapes a highwayman's bullet while riding near the slaughterhouse.
- The Struggle for Chief Moses' Reservation
A detailed federal report traces the long-standing tensions between settlers and the Columbia Band over land rights in Northeastern Washington.
- Vigilante Justice on the Northern Pacific Frontier
As railroad construction pushed through the Northwest, local 'Safety Committees' took the law into their own hands to purge work camps of 'hard characters.'
- The Street-Level Economy of 'Rolling' Drunks in 1887 Seattle
A courtroom testimony offers a rare, unflinching look at the predatory 'rolling' culture haunting the Pioneer Square waterfront during the city's early development.
- The Shadowed Life of a Russian Emigré
A man pursued from London to New York and Denver finds himself under arrest for arson in Seattle, caught in the web of international extradition.