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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 4 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 20 |
| 1895 | 9 |
46 stories matching willard
- The Tramp-Jail Breakout on the Waterfront
A routine arrest for vagrancy at the Seattle railyards escalated into a chaotic chase, drawing a crowd of hundreds to witness the struggle.
- Chief Willard Smashes the 'Black Jack' Tables
Police Chief Willard ended a South Third Street gambling operation by raiding the game and tossing the furniture off a high fence.
- Caught Red-Handed: A Midnight Grocery Heist
A burglar's attempt to crack open a downtown Seattle grocery store was thwarted by an alert clerk sleeping just upstairs.
- The Political Shuffle of Seattle's Police Chief
In a closed-door meeting, the police commissioners demoted Chief Willard and installed Bolton Rogers, citing a desire for 'better standards of service.'
- A Late Night Kitchen Intruder
A panicked homeowner summons the fire department and police, believing a burglar is loose in his house—only to find his own servant girl.
- The Willard Ainsworth's Dangerous Nine-Month Cruise
A Seattle sealing schooner heads for the coast of Japan and Siberia, defying revenue cutters and maritime pressure to secure a massive catch.
- 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 Opium Sidewalk Mystery
Two men were accused of smuggling nearly a hundred pounds of illicit opium, but the case crumbled under the weight of insufficient evidence.
- A Failed Holdup on the Streets of Seattle
Two highwaymen with revolvers cornered a pair of locals near the waterfront, only to discover their victims were penniless.
- The Gambling Den Raid
After the Post-Intelligencer exposes the police department's cozy relationship with local gambling halls, authorities are forced to act.
- A False Alarm on Second Street
Police rushed to a residence expecting a gruesome tragedy, only to find a quiet house and a domestic misunderstanding.
- The Case of the Fairhaven Silk Dress
A stolen dress from Fairhaven is recovered in Seattle after a swift investigation involving local police and a steamboat passenger.
- The Patent Medicine Suicide Hoax
A supposed farewell note found on Yesler Wharf turns out to be a clever, cynical advertisement for a health elixir.
- Cleopatra Arrives in Seattle
With two carloads of scenery and an army of supernumeraries, Fanny Davenport brings the glitz and drama of Ancient Egypt to the stage at the Broadway Theater.
- Tragedy at the Baxter Block
A 5-year-old boy falls to his death from the third-story porch of a residential block at Yesler and Fifth.
- Seattle’s Music Halls Went Silent Overnight
After the city council banned music halls and refunded their licenses, Seattle’s basement theaters shut down without a fight — at least for one night.
- Nellie Holgate Missing After Rowing on Lake Washington
A young woman vanishes near Lake Washington, leaving behind an insurance policy, a misplaced bonnet, and a city buzzing with scandalous theories.
- Late-Night Burglary Ends in Foot Chase
A drug store break-in at Commercial Street leads to a wild foot pursuit across downtown alleys.
- The 'Rocky Mountain Hustler' in the City Jail
A teenager’s father attempts to use the courts to release his son, who was arrested for holding up a local grocer.
- Longshoremen Wage Battle at the Docks
Tensions boil over as the Pacific Coast Steamship Company attempts to slash wages and break the power of the longshoremen's union.
- The Midnight Champagne Heist
Six boys caught red-handed in a dance hall after looting a bonded warehouse on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Salvation Army Runaway
A Spokane teenager is apprehended in Seattle while seeking a life of service with the Salvation Army.
- A Drunken Clerk Empties His Revolver at a Seattle Policeman
Harry C. Good fired four shots at Officer J. W. Glasscock at Third and Marion, wounding him twice before being disarmed.
- The Nighttime Predators of North Seattle
A string of alarming street assaults in the North end has women running for their lives, while local police claim to be in the dark.
- A Lodging-House Keeper’s Domestic Crisis
After a brief family reconciliation, a proprietor at the Babcock House finds himself abandoned by his wife and young son.