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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1899 | 45 |
45 stories matching john
- The Last Gathering of Seattle’s Founders
Amos Brown, a pioneer who helped shape the city's early identity, is laid to rest in a ceremony attended by nearly every surviving member of Seattle's first generation.
- The Corruption of the City Council
Mayor John N. Nickols of Tacoma is arrested and indicted for soliciting a $10,000 bribe to approve ordinances ratifying city contracts.
- 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 Chemist Who Couldn't Name the Killer's Weapon
In a Seattle courtroom drama, defense attorney John Y. Torum argues that the poison used in a murder was too obscure for any professional chemist to have selected—unless the killer had access to something far more common.
- The Klondike Gold Rush Riches Arrive in Seattle
As the ship Humboldt docks, a massive influx of gold and weary prospectors pours into the city, fueling local speculation and excitement.
- The Naked Man of Pike Street
A teamster is arrested for habitual public nudity, sparking neighborly outrage and a demand for municipal court action in the heart of Seattle.
- The 'Top and Bottom' Sting
A traveler is swindled out of his savings by a gang of con artists on a Seattle sidewalk, sparking a city-wide police sweep.
- The Treasurer Who Vanished: A Seattle Fraud Case
John Dougherty, treasurer of the Pacific Coast Steamers' Association, was arrested in San Francisco after a four-day flight from Seattle. The case highlights early 20th-century corporate accountability and the reach of cross-border law enforcement.
- The Judge and the Tenderloin: A Seattle Courtroom Showdown
A Seattle judge loses his temper and issues contempt orders against local law enforcement and the prosecution during a chaotic hearing involving a robbery in the city’s notorious Tenderloin district.
- The Industrial Grasp on Public Space
A Seattle business owner petitions to close a city block to make room for his growing lumber factory, sparking a debate on private gain versus public infrastructure.
- Brutal Midday Assault on Tacoma Streets
A man is kicked to death in broad daylight by a mob on a city street, leaving authorities with only one suspect in custody.
- The Open Secret: Seattle's Booming Gambling District
While city authorities collected monthly fines, three major gambling houses operated in plain sight on the Seattle waterfront, catering to thousands of working men and sailors.
- The Great Seattle Hoax: How a 'Captain' Fooled the Press with a Phantom Ship
A con artist named Captain John Brown sold a wild tale of a treasure-laden voyage to a local newspaper for $10, only for customs officers to discover the vessel didn't exist.
- Seattle Citizens Plot to Block Monopoly: Injunction Threatened Over 40-Year Streetcar Franchise
A coalition of concerned citizens is mobilizing against the city council's potential grant of a forty-year monopoly to the Seattle Railway Company, warning that legal action will follow if the charter is violated.
- Seattle’s Legal Housekeeping: The City Council Decides to Clean Up Its Own Act
In 1899, Seattle’s leaders admitted their laws were a mess and hired two experts to fix it—proving that bureaucratic confusion is an old problem.
- The Janitor Who Was a Cop: How One Man’s Brutal Discipline Was Legalized by Law
In a landmark ruling for school safety and corporal punishment, a Seattle janitor is acquitted of child abuse charges after proving he was sworn in as a special police officer.
- The Day Seattle Died (And Didn’t): A Telegraphic Blunder
A faulty cable connection and a panicked operator convinced the world that local industrialist John Sherman had passed away. The resulting obituary was so lavish it nearly became his own biography.
- The Copper Bubble of 1899
A classic 'get rich quick' advertisement disguised as financial journalism, peddling stock in a speculative Seattle mining company.
- A Precarious Bicycle Ride Ends in Tragedy for a Tacoma Musician
A member of the Tacoma military band is recovering from a gunshot wound after a tumble from his bicycle caused his concealed revolver to discharge.
- 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 Forgotten Addicts of Seattle's Skid Road
A railroad man's harrowing story of dependency reveals the hidden suffering behind the headlines in the turn-of-the-century city.
- 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.
- The Arlon Society's Grand Seattle Welcome
A band-led arrival and lakeshore luncheon mark the visit of the New York-based German society as they transit through the city toward California.
- The Ice That Crushed a Man: A Frightful Death on White Pass
Louis Wrick was clearing ice near the summit of the White Pass when a massive block gave way, pinning him beneath tons of frozen weight. Another worker survived; Wrick did not.
- The Ghost Ship of Schwabacher Dock
A schooner that spent months idling in Seattle’s waterfront suddenly departed on a mysterious voyage, leaving local shipping men baffled and its owner tight-lipped about its destination.