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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 15 |
| 1892 | 12 |
| 1893 | 21 |
| 1894 | 12 |
| 1895 | 16 |
79 stories matching bribe
- Tacoma's Bribery Probe Ends With a Censure, Not a Conviction
A Tacoma City Council 'Lexow' committee cleared Councilman Thompson and City Clerk Smyth of bribery, then censured Smyth anyway for boasting he'd paid for a vote.
- $10 to Vote: Tacoma's City Hall Bribery Probe
Tacoma's council heard testimony that City Clerk Smyth paid Councilman Thompson $10 for his vote—and that Thompson tried to bribe the city attorney over a gambling house.
- The Bribe, the Clerk, and the Police Chief
A Tacoma councilman and city clerk faced bribery charges as the police chief refused to name the gamblers behind the Haymarket.
- A Bribe Offer on the Witness Stand
A Tacoma gambling inquiry turned stranger when the police chief mentioned an attempted payoff—then declined to name names before Friday.
- The Sting at the State Capital
A political whistleblower braves public scorn to expose the bribery and influence-peddling that turned the Washington State legislature into a 'reeking cesspool.'
- The Man Who Exposed the Bribe: Metcalfe’s Stand Against Olympia’s ‘Boodle’ Gang
In a rare display of moral courage in Washington's early political history, Representative Metcalfe turned a bribe into evidence, sparking a war with corruptionists that the paper defends as necessary for good government.
- The Price of a Vote: Bribery and Betrayal in the Legislature
F.J. Grant defends himself against allegations of attempting to bribe state legislators, accusing political rivals of forgery and perjury.
- The Fire Department Pay-to-Play Scandal
Mayor J. T. Ronald suspends a fire commissioner over allegations of accepting bribes from a stoker seeking job security and appointment.
- Tacoma’s Water Works Scandal
A grand jury struggles to uncover the truth behind allegations of bribery and corruption in Tacoma's municipal water system purchase.
- Scandal at the State Capital
A political exposé details how legislators used committee clerkships as patronage bribes to maintain illicit affairs, resulting in a public divorce case.
- Two Council Members Arrested in Sewer Bribe Case
Two councilmen are arrested in Tacoma following a sting operation by a local citizens' group over a sewer contract.
- Bribery Allegations Rock the Fire Commission
A city fire commissioner reveals he was offered a $300 bribe to influence a lucrative hose contract, as rival companies trade accusations of fraud.
- The Juror Bribery Scandal
A courtroom drama unfolds as attempts to bribe jurors in a Great Northern condemnation case land the perpetrators in legal limbo.
- The Wells-Fargo Frame-Up
A detective agency is caught attempting to bribe a driver to falsely implicate two men in a $2,000 express heist.
- The Opium Smuggler of the City of Kingston
A baggage master is caught red-handed smuggling forty-five pounds of opium, but the customs inspector he tried to bribe was playing a double game.
- The Great Northern Bribery Scandal Ends in Acquittal
After a day-long investigation into allegations of juror tampering in a major condemnation case, Judge Osborn dismisses the charges due to lack of evidence.
- The Whistleblower Who Risked It All on the House Floor
When Washington legislator Metcalfe turned in a bribe, his colleagues turned on him. In a dramatic trial for expulsion, he dared to tell them their political machine was 'as corrupt as hell.'
- The Sting That Toppled a Representative
When Washington state lawmaker John L. Metcalfe accepted a bribe to expose corruption, the legislature responded by trying to expel him instead of the briber.
- The 'Three-Dollar' Libel Suit
A Tacoma police captain sues the local newspaper for $10,000, alleging they falsely accused him of gambling, bribery, and corruption.
- The Price of a Blind Eye
A Seattle official rejects a monthly bribe from local gamblers, exposing a deep-seated culture of corruption at City Hall.
- The Railway Bribe on the Reservation
A railroad company agent admits to a systematic scheme of paying Puyallup men to secure a right-of-way through their land.
- Six Men, Forged Papers, and the Next Steamer Out
Federal officers in 1895 Seattle ordered six Chinese immigrants deported; four were jailed after entering on bogus certificates, and one tried to bribe a deputy rather than wait for the ship.
- The Bribe, The Bantam, and the Law
A Seattle man stands trial for bribery after a messy encounter with a deputy marshal at the Northern Pacific depot—a case fueled by accusations of corruption and mutual dishonesty.
- Seattle's City Hall Goes Dark After a Bribery Letter Leaks
After a letter denying a bribe to an alderman reached the press, the board ordered the city clerk to lock official documents away until meetings.
- An Election Challenge in the 39th District
A candidate launches a formal contest against Representative-elect Will R. White, alleging bribery and illegal voting in King County.
Also about this, in other words
- A $100 Bribe and a Lifetime Pass: Seattle's Streetcar Scandal Erupts in the Council Chamber
Alderman J. Eugene Jordan accuses Union Trunk Line president K. F. Wittier of trying to buy his silence—then the board turns on itself.
- When a Railroad Pass Was a Bribe in a Pocket
A Tacoma editor demands Washington's lawmakers enforce the constitutional ban on free train passes, arguing the 'courtesy' bought influence one legislator at a time.
- The Great Railway Bribe Scandal of 1891
When the Northern Pacific Railway sent complimentary transit passes to Washington state legislators to influence a deadlocked U.S. Senate race, the blunder sparked a statewide scandal over corruption and corporate power.