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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1899 | 65 |
65 stories matching held
- The Nightmare Murder: Tacoma Wife Killed by Husband in Sleep
An inquest reveals that Charles Corey strangled his wife while suffering from a nightmare, sparking debate over whether he was guilty of murder or merely a victim of his own subconscious.
- The Convention City: Seattle Hosts Five Major Organizations in One Week
From the Women's Club Federation to the Sons of Veterans, the capital of Washington Territory is buzzing with civic energy as delegates flood downtown hotels and halls.
- The Night They Were Left in the Brush: A Highway Robbery on Third Avenue
Two desperate men held up three victims at gunpoint near the Union Trunk Hotel, binding them in the cold wet brush while a fourth escaped. One victim’s wife walked within twenty feet of the scene, unaware her husband was lying bound nearby.
- The Iron Fist of Labor: Seattle’s Unions Unite to Control the City
A comprehensive look at the Western Central Labor Union and its affiliated trades—bricklayers, carpenters, and iron workers—who have effectively monopolized construction in Seattle.
- The Great Alaska Rate War: Seattle’s Shipping Barons Draw the Line
Local steamship companies unite to defy British Columbia carriers, threatening a destructive fare war from Seattle to the Klondike goldfields.
- The Maniac of Huntsdale: Constable Harrow’s Fatal Standoff
A local constable shoots and kills a man described as 'crazy' in the woods near Georgetown, sparking questions about mental health custody and frontier justice.
- The Last Laugh of Charles Nordstrom
As the Seattle Star reports on May 15, 1899, condemned murderer Charles Nordstrom sits in his cell, seemingly indifferent to the death warrant signed that morning. While the legal machinery grinds toward his execution for the murder of a police officer, one man’s sarcastic smile and contemptuous silence speak louder than any final prayer.
- The Sudden End of a Seattle Lawman
Bolton Rogers, a former police chief who rose from a hack-driver to the top of the department, has died following a struggle with brain fever.
- A Midnight Mystery at the Tacoma Opera House
A man is discovered near death with a broken neck in front of the theater, leaving police with nothing but a frantic, garbled message.
- The End of the Chain Gang in Seattle
City officials move to retire the practice of using prisoners for manual street labor, shifting to rock-breaking in a bid to deter professional tramps.
- The Woman Who Swore on Dynamite: A Spokane Courtroom Shock
In a rare moment of courtroom gravity, a female defendant in Spokane was asked to place her hand on dynamite instead of the Bible for her oath—leaving the room in profound silence.
- The Pickpocket of South Third Avenue
A notorious local grifter lands back in jail after a dance invitation turns into an attempted robbery in a downtown Seattle saloon.
- The Great Dockside Stampede
A pair of range steers escaped their handlers at a Seattle wharf, terrorizing workers and prompting a desperate, armed chase through the northern city streets.
- The Burglar Who Hid Evidence in His Shoes
Detectives tracking a prolific Seattle house-breaker finally cornered him in a Second Avenue drug store, discovering a curious stash of keys hidden in his footwear.
- The Klondike Gold Rush Rumor That Sent Seattle Into a Frenzy
A false tip regarding a 'treasure boat' arriving from the Yukon triggered a frantic, early-morning scramble among the Seattle Press Club—all for a story that never arrived.
- The Bullet That Missed: A Masked Highwayman’s Attempt on a Seattle Merchant
C.H. Helling of 112 Seventh Avenue was left with a burned face and a shredded lapel after a masked robber opened fire on him while walking with his companion near Pike Street.
- The Judge and the Colony: A Disputed Gift of Land
When a federal judge handed over corporate land to a group of thrifty farmers in the Yakima Valley, he set a precedent for civic cooperation.
- The Sunnyside Canal Water Dispute
Farmers from the Dunkard colony in North Yakima square off against the government, demanding a fix for their water rights after a season of devastating crop failure.
- The Fight for a Living Wage on Seattle's Streetcars
Facing a massive consolidation of rail companies, Seattle transit workers organize to demand a guaranteed minimum wage.
- The City That Breathed Soot: Seattle’s First War on Air Pollution
In 1898, the Board of Health declared a 'war upon smoke' to save the city from choking on its own industrial exhaust. It was one of the earliest municipal attempts to regulate air quality in America.
- The Vaudeville Star and the Seattle Showdown
After her husband allegedly cheated her out of her share of a touring variety show, Blanche Norris took the business to court in Seattle—and won a $4,450 payout.
- The Justice vs. The Saloons
When the County Prosecutor refused to enforce Sunday closing laws, a Seattle Justice of the Peace stepped in to seize the gavel and threaten mass arrests.
- The Man Who Found Gold on the McMillan
C.P. Osborne returns from the Yukon with tales of rich placer deposits and starving travelers, predicting a new gold rush rivaling Klondike.
- The Queen Anne Streetcar Expansion
A new proposal for an electric street railway promises to connect Queen Anne Hill to the army post and Woodland Park, fueling local transit ambitions.
- The Eight-Hour Work Day Comes to Seattle Municipal Contracts
In June 1899, the Seattle City Council passed a resolution mandating that all municipal contractors must limit their employees to an eight-hour work day.