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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1884 | 12 |
| 1885 | 23 |
| 1886 | 12 |
| 1887 | 16 |
82 stories matching safe
- The Safe-Crackers of Princeton
After a string of brazen robberies in Princeton and Coulee City, detectives use decoys to bait a trap for the thieves.
- The Great Seattle Theater Con: A Swindler’s Exit
A smooth-talking promoter claiming to represent an opera company flees Seattle under the cover of night, leaving behind a baffled police guard and a nearly empty safe.
- Masked Men Try to Crack an Ellensburg Safe—and Flee at the First Shout
Two armed strangers cornered a clerk in S. Bliesner’s dry goods store, but his cries brought a crowd and the robbers vanished into it.
- The Midnight Thief at the Diamond Safe
When a daring burglar and a treacherous servant targeted the famous Etchin diamonds, a young woman faced a terrifying ordeal to protect the loot.
- The Unbreakable Vaults of 1885 Seattle
A state-of-the-art fortress of steel and brick arrives in Seattle, promising security for the valuables of a booming frontier town.
- The Persistent Jailbreaker of Seattle
Bob Matthews, imprisoned for stealing lard, proves to be a one-man wrecking crew for the local jail’s security.
- The Siege of Seattle: A City Born in Fire
Recalling the 1856 Indian War attack on Seattle, when a handful of settlers held their ground behind a blockhouse against a barrage of fire and shell.
- Blood on the Waterfront: A Bloody July 4th in LaConner
A quiet holiday celebration in the Skagit County mill town turned violent when a local businessman was stabbed in a saloon dispute.
- The Tragedy of August Raymond
A proprietor of the Steamboat Saloon suffers a mental health crisis, ending in his transport to the asylum at Steilacoom.
- Seattle's Chief Woolery Gives the 'Hard Cases' a Meal and a One-Way Boat
Meeting every steamer from up the Sound, the police chief spots known troublemakers, feeds them, and tells them when the next boat leaves—then finds a valise of safecracking tools and giant-powder cartridges.
- The Clerk Who Left Snohomish with the Cash
A local store employee clears out inventory and skips town, leaving his employers with empty shelves and an 'elite' social circle in shock.
- Drunken Longshoreman Saved from Seattle’s Docks
After stumbling off the Main Street wharf, a local laborer’s immense voice narrowly saves him from drowning in the harbor.
- The Bank Exchange Saloon Robbery
Thieves executed a precise break-in at a Seattle saloon, vanishing with $400 in cash and valuables despite the saloon's central location.
- Fire Sale at the Arlington Hotel
Creditors descend on the Arlington as the hotel's furniture and equipment are auctioned off to settle debts.
- The Shame of Seattle's City Jail
A grand jury investigation into Seattle’s penal system reveals a crumbling facility plagued by filth, corruption, and the disappearance of evidence.
- The Art of Raising Houses
Seattle property owners take pride in extreme, gravity-defying architecture as they elevate buildings to create room for new business ventures.
- Runaway Carriage Strikes Pedestrians
A young brother and sister are injured after being struck by a runaway horse and buggy on Columbia Street.
- The Shadowy Business of Proxy Voting
Local political observers call out the 'proxy convention' system for allowing unelected outsiders to hijack political representation.
- The Deadly Slide at Coal Creek
Tragedy strikes a mining camp as a massive snow slide buries cabins and claims lives, leaving families in mourning and survivors in constant fear.
- Justice Returns in Irons
Two thieves, previously operating in Portland, are brought back to Seattle in custody after a stint in Victoria.
- The Human Cargo in the Ash Pan
A steamship captain reveals the desperate lengths to which his crew went to smuggle Chinese laborers past authorities in the Puget Sound.
- Is Puget Sound an Inland Sea?
A landmark federal court ruling determines that Puget Sound is open sea, preventing shipowners from claiming 'inland' liability protections.
- The Changing Face of Front Street
Seattle's wooden buildings are vanishing, replaced by permanent brick structures as the city matures.
- Building a Seawall to Save the Waterfront
A proposal to use excavated earth from new construction to extend the city's harbor, protecting the waterfront while expanding valuable land.
- The Fatal Price of Keeping the Peace
A local man dies a week after being stabbed for attempting to break up a fight in a Seattle saloon, leaving his family destitute as his insurance policy had just lapsed.