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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 8 |
| 1889 | 28 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 41 |
| 1893 | 53 |
| 1894 | 57 |
| 1895 | 37 |
231 stories matching commit
- A Final Request for Mercy
A desperate railroad worker took his own life in a Second Street hotel, leaving behind a note confessing he was struggling to suppress a violent urge to kill.
- The Thief Who Stole a Coat Under the Nose of the Law
A bold pickpocket makes the mistake of committing his crime right under the watchful gaze of a city official.
- A Mental Health Crisis on the Waterfront
Judge Humes committed Charles W. Burton to the state insane asylum after he brandished an axe on the waterfront.
- The Vicious Old Man of the Jail
After a history of petty crime and violence, a troubled elderly man is committed to the state asylum due to worsening mental illness caused by years of dissipation.
- The Millionaire in the Asylum: Thomas Keeler's Chinese Indemnity Delusion
A Seattle man convinced the government owed him $1,000,000 was committed to Steilacoom after seeking payment at banks and law offices.
- The City Engineer Who Jumped: Seattle’s Mental Health Crisis in 1889
Ira Lockeard, the man who helped map the post-fire city, was committed to an asylum after leaping into Elliott Bay, revealing the hidden toll of labor and trauma on early civic leaders.
- The Sad Delusions of John Watson
A trainman found living in squalor is committed to Steilacoom Asylum after declaring himself the owner of Victoria’s townsite.
- The Troubled Life of a 17-Year-Old
A Seattle teenager with a history of employment instability and violent outbursts is committed to the Steilacoom asylum.
- A Close Call for a Young Girl
A man is held for trial after attempting to assault a girl at his cabin near the foot of Pike Street.
- The Delusions of Martin Krop
A young laborer's unrequited obsession with a stranger leads to his commitment at the insane asylum.
- A Heated Dispute Over the Treatment of the Mentally Ill
A Superior Court Judge and an asylum superintendent trade sharp insults in the press over the quality of care provided to a committed patient.
- A Lodging House Dispute Turns Criminal
A domestic fallout at a Third Street boarding house leads to accusations of furniture theft and violent harassment.
- A Machinist Committed to the Asylum
A perfectly rational machinist is sent to Steilacoom despite his protests, leaving behind a wife and child.
- The Struggle for Liquor Licensing in the Municipal Court
Mrs. Graham challenges the court's fines, claiming discrimination in the enforcement of liquor laws.
- The Refugee from Sweden
After the Great Seattle Fire, a young woman arrives from Sweden to find her only contact in America—her brother—committed to an asylum.
- The Porch Gold Delusion
A man is committed to an asylum after terrorizing a South Seattle family over a phantom treasure he believed was buried under their porch.
- The Woman Who Sued a Justice for Conspiracy
After being committed to an asylum and accused of chicken theft, Sarah McDonough struck back at the Fremont officials she claimed were plotting to steal her property and liberty.
- Who Killed Zens Mayeda? The Footprints in the Potato Patch
A Japanese man is found murdered in Seattle. A sullen suspect gives little away, and a deputy sheriff finds three sets of hurried footprints — one pair barefoot — leading away from the house.
- A Mother and Baby Slain in South Seattle — and Talk of Lynching
An outraged neighborhood whispers of mob justice for Henry Cramer, but the Post-Intelligencer insists that a circumstantial case must go to an impartial trial.
- The Madman of Pacific Avenue
A mysterious stranger who claimed he could blow up trains with his mind was committed to an asylum after being found pacing outside a Halstead house. Days later, his body washed up in the bay, sparking whispers of foul play.
- The Tragic Delusions of a Seattle Engineer
After his child died, a railroad worker spiraled into a breakdown that ended in a tragic death at the asylum, leaving his family in dire straits.
- The Unlucky Look-Alike
A case of mistaken identity in a Seattle courtroom saw an innocent man nearly extradited for a Pennsylvania forgery because he looked exactly like his cousin.
- A Desperate Note at Meadow Point
A young man, broken by unemployment, leaves a chilling note in a rented boat before vanishing near Ballard.
- A Mother's Struggle
A judge moves to intervene in the life of a 15-year-old youth whose mother can no longer manage him.
- A Father’s Suit for Seduction
A Seattle father seeks $10,000 in damages for the alleged seduction of his teenage daughter.