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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 10 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 11 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 8 |
45 stories matching code
- The Loophole Arsonist
A man accused of burning down his own house escapes conviction because the law failed to define arson as a crime when committed against one's own property.
- A Lawyer Outwits the Law
After sitting in jail for sixty days without a trial, an enterprising young attorney secures his own release by quoting the state code.
- The Great Seattle Tent-Roof Controversy
Facing a winter housing shortage, Seattle officials were forced to choose between strict fire safety codes and allowing residents to shelter themselves under makeshift canvas roofs.
- The Corpse in the Chicken Yard
A bungled insurance swindle in 1890s Seattle turns grisly when an amateur conspiracy, a stolen body, and a coded German letter unravel in a courtroom inquest.
- Washington Writes Equal Access to Inns, Barbershops and Streetcars Into Law
In March 1895 the state legislature amended its civil-rights code so that every person in Washington — 'of whatever race, color or nationality' — could claim the full enjoyment of public accommodations, with fines and jail for those who refused.
- The Shanty That Refused to Die
A year after the grand Yeager Building rose on Front Street, a flimsy wooden shack still blocks the sidewalk—proof that Seattle’s building codes are mere suggestions.
- A Grandmother’s Protest Against Modern Medicine
An 88-year-old Seattle resident challenges the medical establishment's use of grease and drugs to treat scarlet fever, advocating for a return to water-based remedies.
- Who Gets to Vote in the Primaries?
Seattle's corporation counsel says registration is not optional—even for party primaries—and that election judges cannot waive it.
- Lawyers Descend on Seattle to Fix a 'Deplorable' Legal Code
The State Bar Association opens its convention at the Seattle National Bank building, with judges and attorneys pushing nonpartisan courts, a permanent code commission, and better pay for judges.
- The Snohomish Moral Crusade
Ministers unite to force the city council to shutter local gambling dens and brothels.
- The Cop and the Stag Saloon
A police officer is suspended for entering a saloon while on duty, triggering a debate about the force's code of conduct and 'trapping crooks.'
- The House-Worker's Manual
As police struggle with a crime wave, residents discover that daylight burglars are using coded notebooks to track their movements.
- The Fire Limit Fiasco: How Seattle’s Elite Dodged Safety Codes
While the city arrested drunks and fined sailors for minor infractions, two prominent developers built a frame house right inside the fire zone—and got away with it.
- The Steam Jet Visionaries
Two inventors believe they have cracked the code to high-speed maritime travel using hydraulic water jets.
- The Notorious Haytian Republic Seized in Seattle
A federal investigation into a sophisticated smuggling ring leads to the sudden impounding of a steamship at the Seattle waterfront.
- The Treasurer’s Empty Coffers
A trial begins in New Whatcom over missing public funds, with the defendant maintaining an air of 'stolid indifference' while his family watches.
- The Circus at Ballard City Hall
A local council meeting descends into a chaotic brawl of accusations, slurs, and political grandstanding.
- The Expensive Cipher Mistake That Rocked Colfax
A bungled telegram message causes a small-town grain buyer to accidentally trigger a massive payout to local farmers.
- The Trial of City Treasurer Adolph Krug
A Seattle judge rejects the defense's motion to dismiss embezzlement charges, invoking the history of the law against modern corporate corruption.
- A Saloon Showdown in Tacoma
A complicated dispute over a local watering hole descends into a flurry of mutual arrests and legal maneuvering.
- The Last-Day Bill Rush—and a Women’s Suffrage Amendment
Washington’s Senate introduced dozens of measures on the final day of bill introduction, from railroad assessments and a company-store ban to a referendum on votes for women.
- Exposing the Opium Dens of Opera Alley
A local expose reveals that teenage messenger boys are being drawn into the city's opium dens and disreputable houses, triggering a promised police crackdown.
- The Exodus Story Retold in Seattle
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Melvin G. Winstock delivers a sermon on Moses and the birth of a nation during Passover services.
- After the Fire, A New Blueprint for Seattle
When the flames destroyed the commercial district, city leaders fought to enforce strict building codes to prevent a repeat of the disaster.
- County Surveyor Pocketed $2 a Day From Subordinates
A Seattle newspaper exposes how the local county surveyor was illegally skimming off the wages of his subordinates for his own personal profit.