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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 11 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 14 |
| 1886 | 12 |
| 1887 | 12 |
52 stories matching testifi
- Lobbyist Admits to Bribing Lawmakers
A longtime lobbyist testifies that he received thousands of dollars from the Northern Pacific Railway to kill legislation in the Washington Territorial House.
- The Shadow of the Noose: The Murder Trial of O.B. Miller
A gripping courtroom drama unfolds in Seattle as O.B. Miller faces his third trial for the 1887 murder of two men on Lake Washington.
- The Mob That Tore Through Chinatown
Testimony from an acting police chief details the systematic expulsion of Chinese residents from Seattle during the violent anti-Chinese riots of February 1886.
- The Unflinching Defense of Mrs. Dudley
Facing a court in a high-stakes trial, a woman demands the right to testify in her own defense, challenging the gendered biases of her era.
- The Price of a Franchise: Seattle's Streetcar Bribery Scandal
A witness testifies that $2,000 was offered to 'stand in' with the company, exposing the grimy underside of Seattle's early transportation expansion.
- The Day Seattle Turned Against its Neighbors
A look inside the 1886 trial records as civic leaders and residents testified about the forced expulsion of Seattle's Chinese community.
- The Captain's Peculiar Cargo
A maritime dispute reveals a ship captain’s bizarre refusal to transport freight after discovering a hidden shipment of 'stolen' or suspicious barrels.
- The Shadowy Arrival at Port Townsend
Federal authorities intercept two young Chinese men smuggled into Washington Territory as 'contraband,' exposing the illicit human trafficking trade operating under the noses of border officials.
- The Rowboat on the Lake: A Mercer Island Escape Plot
Court testimony reveals a clandestine boat trip, a hidden trail through the brush, and a suspicious midnight departure that set local residents whispering of a daring jailbreak.
- The Shadow Over Lake Washington
As the controversial Miller murder trial neared its conclusion in 1887, witnesses scrambled to untangle a web of shifting alibis, mysterious lake boatings, and a missing Winchester rifle.
- The Tragic End of a Nurseryman
After struggling with delirium tremens, a once-respected Tacoma horticulturalist takes his own life while under the care of the county sheriff.
- The Squak Valley Massacre Trial
A courtroom drama unfolds as witnesses testify regarding the violent night in 1885 when white men raided a Chinese hop-picking camp.
- The Trial of 'Mickey' McGrekan: A Window into Frontier Domestic Violence
A young woman’s struggle for survival and a legal showdown in 1887 Port Townsend reveal the brutal realities hidden behind the closed doors of boarding houses.
- Squak Valley Trial: Chinese Hop-Pickers Killed in 1885 Raid
A brutal night of terror in the hop fields as an armed mob targets immigrant laborers.
- The Missing Certificates of Port Townsend
A federal judge probes a mysterious 1,000-certificate shortfall that allowed Chinese immigrants to bypass strict exclusionary laws.
- 1885 Trial Examines Killings of Three Chinese Men in Squak Valley
A trial in Seattle reveals the cold-blooded coordination behind the 1885 anti-Chinese expulsions in Squak Valley, where white laborers and land owners conspired to drive out local workers with gunfire.
- The Lonely Traveler’s Fear of the 'Conspiracy'
A Welsh immigrant's cross-state journey ends in the Seattle jail, fueled by his desperate pleas for protection from imagined pursuers.
- The Resistance of Ah Sin
A Chinese man accused of illegal entry avoids deportation after his community rallies to testify on his behalf in Seattle court.
- The Brutal Assault at the Brunswick Hotel
A woman details a violent confrontation after refusing a bribe to perjure herself in a scandal involving a local man.
- The Fight to Fund the Territorial University
Legislators debate the future of education in Olympia, questioning the status of the University's land title and its academic standards.
- Extradition Granted for 'Lone-haired' Harris Murder Case
A brutal killing in Blaine leads to a cross-border legal battle as the accused is committed to custody in Victoria.
- The Great Tacoma Chicken Heist
A witness in the theft trial of a local gang describes how hundreds of chickens were lured and captured under the cover of darkness.
- The Shadow Over the Maxwell Trial
A grizzly discovery in a Seattle warehouse forces a local businessman to defend himself against a charge of murder.
- The Saloon Fight That Ended With a Knife and a $2,000 Bail
John Nolan said he cut Frank Hardy to keep from being beaten to death. A Seattle judge wasn't convinced.
- The Underground Path to Puget Sound
A look at the porous maritime border between Victoria and Washington Territory, where the business of smuggling Chinese laborers flourished despite federal exclusion laws.