Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 5 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 13 |
| 1894 | 6 |
| 1895 | 3 |
34 stories matching extortion
- The Ex-Dog Catcher Who Turned a Liquor License Into a Shakedown
E. W. Bates was bound over for extortion after prosecutors said he threatened to have a man arrested for selling liquor without a license unless he paid up.
- The Hotel Room Trap
A father and daughter are arrested for an alleged blackmail scheme targeting prominent men in a local hotel.
- The Commissioner, the Gambler, and the Shakedown
A bold blackmail attempt at the Russell House ends in a police hunt for a notorious 'steerer' and his accomplice.
- Tacoma Councilmen Accused of Extorting Bank Loans in City Funds Scandal
An explosive card from two finance committee members denying kickbacks backfires as the Tacoma Ledger calls for a grand jury to investigate allegations of extortion involving city deposits.
- The Son-in-Law from Hell
A pioneer father-in-law sues for extortion, alleging his relative seized his farm and tossed him out in the rain.
- Tacoma Breaks the Grip of 'Blood Money'
The city council votes to seize absolute control over saloon licensing to stop property owners from extorting payments.
- A Dispute Over a Cleaned Dress Ends in a Brawl
A woman allegedly strikes a dyer with a brass lamp after a heated disagreement over a laundry bill.
- The Fireman Who Accused His Commissioner—Then Sued the City
Oswald R. Vitzthum says Seattle owes him years of pay and that he was never legally discharged after accusing a former fire commissioner of taking money for jobs.
- The City's Notorious Blackmail Sheets
How unscrupulous publishers coerced local business owners with the threat of public exposure.
- A Blackmail Scheme at the Statehouse?
Legislators suspect a proposed liquor licensing bill is less about temperance and more about extorting the state's saloon owners.
- The Trial of Ursula Boyd: A Labyrinth of Coercion
A woman stands trial for the murder of the man who, according to her testimony and a cache of intimate letters, forced her into prostitution and systematic blackmail.
- The Trial of a Seattle Predator
A harrowing look inside the coercive control and exploitation used by a man against his partner, as revealed through their private correspondence in court.
- The Midnight Extortion at the Cherry Street House
A Seattle restaurant owner claims he was held at gunpoint and forced to empty his bank account, sparking a sensational lawsuit.
- The Forced Exodus of Whidbey Island’s Chinese Community
A campaign of economic exclusion and harassment leads to the near-total disappearance of Chinese residents from Whidbey Island by 1892.
- The Dentist and the Alleged Blackmailer
A patient sues her dentist for malpractice, while he claims she is a pawn in a sophisticated extortion scheme involving drug habits and family wealth.
- The Strange Disappearance of Nellie Holgate
A young Seattle woman reported missing for weeks is found alive in South Dakota, sparking a bizarre mystery involving insurance scammers and a grieving father.
- A Detective's Bizarre Extortion Claim
A Tacoma private investigator is accused of kidnapping a woman who claims he harassed her after a dispute over a $1,000 demand.
- The Heppner Blackmail Ring
A notorious family's pattern of seduction and extortion comes to light after a daughter is arrested in Seattle.
- The Laundry Con Artists
Two men posing as city water works employees extorted a Chinese laundry owner, sparking a police crackdown on a recurring racket.
- The Rogue Commissioner of Snohomish County
Local ranchers file affidavits against a young U.S. Commissioner accused of extortion, petty larceny, and raiding the local candy supply.
- The Price of Disaster: Seattle’s Post-Fire Rent Gouging
Landlords are accused of doubling rents on business and housing, turning the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 into a predatory profit machine.
- The Salmon War: A 19th-Century Plea for Equitable Fishing
A sea captain argues that restrictive fishing regulations are designed to benefit luxury fur traders at the expense of the working class’s food supply.
- The Great Port Townsend Customs Scandal
A federal grand jury uncovers a decade-long scheme of extortion and record-tampering at the Port Townsend custom house, where officials pocketed fees and forced local shipping firms to play along.
- A Desperate Tailor's Public Plea at the Postmaster's Door
After his wife fled to Tacoma to work in the post office, a destitute man attempted to take his own life on the doorstep of her employer.
- The Judge Who Gambled Away His Office: Soderberg’s Dramatic Resignation
After the grand jury returned five indictments for extortion and malfeasance in office, District Attorney Joseph Soderberg walked into court, tendered his resignation, and declared he would repay every illegal fee to the county treasury.
Also about this, in other words
- The Express Company Accused Him of Stealing $3,000—Now He Wants $10,000
Charles Squires says Northern Pacific Express officials locked him in a hotel room, threatened arrest, and fired him over a missing gold sack without ever charging him.