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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 13 |
| 1893 | 10 |
| 1894 | 19 |
| 1895 | 27 |
77 stories matching solicit
- An Arrest at a Disreputable House
A theft on Washington Street leads to charges of larceny and solicitation.
- The Senatorial Bribery Scandal Rocking Olympia
A state judge admits to soliciting votes for the Senate through promises of state institution locations, casting a shadow over the political corruption of the 1891 legislative session.
- Auburn Bets on a Canal to the Sea
Townsfolk rally for the ship-canal subsidy, and one speaker vows to watch a warship sail through the new channel with colors flying.
- The Impostor and the Army
A man posing as a member of the Salvation Army was caught panhandling for personal gain, drawing a stern rebuke from the organization's local leadership.
- Seattle Tries to Buy Its Own Canal
Boosters fan out to raise a $300,000 subsidy for the Lake Washington canal and tide-flat fill, promising work to Seattle men and asking every resident to become a committee of one.
- Hard Times Hit the Congregation
The Ohaveth Sholem congregation votes to suspend the hiring of a rabbi to manage the financial fallout of the 1893 depression.
- The Portrait Scheme Scam
A group of Seattle women are out money after an elusive photography company vanishes from the Epler Block.
- Smuggling Ring Exposed at Port Townsend
A customs inspector is accused of taking bribes to let opium cross the border, revealing a deeper scandal within the agency.
- Washington's 1889 Convention Debates Land Ownership, Bribery
Delegates in Olympia debate alien land rights and anti-bribery measures for the new state charter.
- The 'Green Goods' Trap Catches the Prominent
Federal authorities warn that soliciting counterfeit money through the mail is a criminal offense, catching many high-status professionals in their web.
- A Falling Out Over the Postmastership
When two business partners both quietly sought the same political appointment, their professional union came to an abrupt end.
- The Fire Commissioner's 'Fee'
A whistleblower exposes a brazen bribery scheme within the Seattle Fire Department, revealing how public jobs were allegedly sold for cold cash.
- The Self-Defense Trial of James Murphy
A Seattle murder trial hinges on claims of a 'dangerous man,' witness bribery, and a life-or-death confrontation in a saloon.
- The Scandal of a Prospective Governor
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Henry J. Snively faces accusations of swindling orphans and bigamy as he campaigns across Washington.
- The Invisible Laborers of 1891 Seattle
A glimpse into the daily domestic and service-based grind through the classified advertisements of a booming pioneer city.
- City Council Uncovers the Seamy Side of Seattle
After a wave of burglaries, council members go on a late-night tour to witness the reality of city vice for themselves.
- Walla Walla Farmers Take on the Railroads
Local farmers organize to challenge the Northern Pacific and Hunt system over unfair freight rates.
- The Scandal of the New Zealand Dance Hall
A concerned Seattle resident warns of a dangerous 'plague spot' on South Third Street where teenagers are allegedly being lured into debauchery.
- 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 Newspaper Imposter of Mount Vernon
A traveling con artist posed as a Post-Intelligencer agent to swindle residents in British Columbia and Skagit County.
- A Mass Initiation in Colfax
An unprecedented surge in membership sees the Woodmen of the World initiate thirty-eight new members in a single ceremony.
- The Perils of Rooftop Baseball Fans
When an amateur bleacher made of nailed cleats gave way, two men plummeted twenty-five feet to the sidewalk, triggering a panic among hundreds of spectators clinging to city infrastructure.
- Adlai Stevenson’s Name Was the Bait in a Port Townsend Loan Swindle
A man claiming to be the Vice President’s cousin sold shares in a building-and-loan association, promising loans on Port Townsend real estate that never came.
- The Man Who Stopped Getting Up for Food
John Turnrose was arrested for sleeping in a Seattle shack. In police court, he said he no longer cared what happened to him.
- Seattle's Early Electric Power Wars
As rival power companies rush to wire the city, a price war breaks out, forcing residents to choose between competing arc-light contracts.