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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 13 |
| 1891 | 15 |
| 1892 | 65 |
| 1893 | 93 |
| 1894 | 83 |
| 1895 | 76 |
349 stories matching detect
- The Self-Appointed Officer
A private detective finds himself behind bars after harassing a local merchant.
- The Escape of 'Big Nose Pete'
A notorious Chicago burglar makes a narrow escape from a Seattle detective after an intense foot chase through a downtown saloon.
- The Disappearing Daughters of Tacoma
Local detectives launch a search for two young women who have fled their homes, leaving police tight-lipped about the details.
- The Street Corner Justice
A detective fires into the sidewalk on South Second Street, wounding a fleeing shoplifter.
- The Insurance Scheme of the Mary Parker
A courtroom drama unfolds as a detective’s undercover sting operation faces accusations of coercion and bribery.
- The Piano Tuner and the Three-Week Manhunt
A well-dressed man accused of indecent conduct near Seattle schools is arrested at Front and Battery after a detective finds a telltale satchel.
- Washington State Bans Private Mercenary Guards
New legislation makes it a serious crime for companies to employ private detective agencies like the Pinkertons to suppress strikes or intimidate employees.
- The Saloon Brawl that Landed 'Jumbo' in Jail
A long-standing feud between a local fixture and a detective boils over in the Nevada Saloon.
- Police Raid Faro Game at 'Siorah's Old Home'
Detectives arrest a dealer after breaking up a gambling operation in a Commercial Street saloon.
- The Hotel Room Assault That Sent Seattle Detectives on a Weeklong Manhunt
After Ruby Stanley was found beaten and bloodied at the International Hotel, police hunted John Diegan until a Tuesday-night struggle ended in his arrest.
- Detective Chief Cleared of Corruption Charges
After a contentious police board hearing, the city's detective chief beats accusations of theft and graft, while the board simultaneously disciplines subordinates.
- The Detective’s Final Cough
An encounter between a sheriff and a detective ends in a quiet death, sparking a controversy over heart disease and allegations of abuse.
- 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 Barber Who Ran for Mayor: A Dream of Detective Work
When an unsuccessful mayoral candidate applied for a municipal detective job in 1891, his bizarre, globe-trotting proposal sent the Ballard City Council into fits of laughter.
- The Clerk Who Pocketed the Change
A grocery clerk is caught red-handed by a private detective after being suspected of skimming from the till.
- A Messenger Boy, a Pawned Watch, and Badge No. 21
Detective Philbrick traced a stolen gold watch through Seattle pawnshops to a 17-year-old messenger who confessed to taking it while a woman slept.
- The Detective and the Sheriff
A brutal confrontation in a Tacoma hotel lobby leaves a well-known detective dead from a heart failure.
- Gasoline in the Second-Hand Store
A fire at the Great Western second-hand store on South Third Street was ruled incendiary after two fire chiefs detected gasoline; the stock carried $3,000 in insurance.
- The Copper Wire Bandits
Two ex-linemen were arrested in Tacoma for stealing 5,000 pounds of copper wire from dead poles and selling it.
- The Shack at the Foot of Blanchard
After arresting three burglars, detectives discover a cache of stolen goods in a North Seattle shanty, linking the suspects to a series of housebreaking crimes.
- An Hour From Canada: The Kansas Fugitive Caught in a Bellingham Barber Shop
Frank Greenwood fled Kansas after a seduction charge, hoping to disappear into Washington and then British Columbia. A persistent Kansas detective tracked him to New Whatcom, where he was arrested in his brother’s barber shop—just an hour before he meant to be gone.
- The Con Artist Who Played Barber on Marion Street
A fake detective who swindled his way through Seattle with a short-lived barber shop is now wanted for attempted murder in New York.
- A Brutal End for a Balky Horse
A North Seattle man kills his horse after it refuses to move, drawing the attention of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
- Midnight Blast at a Chinese Laundry
A loud explosion near South Sixth and Washington Street sends Seattle police on a frantic manhunt for a mysterious bomber.
- The Swindler in the Customs House
A former customs official turned smuggling mastermind uses a fake 'special detective' scheme to trick colleagues and line his own pockets with molasses-filled trunks.