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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1904 | 17 |
| 1909 | 25 |
42 stories matching scheme
- City Hall's Power Grab Thwarted by Citizens
Tacoma councilmen back down on plan to dismantle civil service after public outcry.
- The Painter Who Played the Local Market
A local tradesman's attempt to execute a 'get-rich-quick' scheme by double-dipping on merchant credit ends in a police court trial.
- The Bakery Betrayal
A local baker is swindled out of his life savings in a classic confidence game at the edge of Wright Park.
- The Great Telephone Wars of Tacoma
A rival phone company manager staged a bizarre arrest of his competitor to derail a franchise bid—only for the plot to unravel at the police station.
- Councilors Accused of Plotting Political Machine
Proposed charter amendments spark fears of a power grab by council leaders aiming to consolidate control over city jobs and bypass civil service protections.
- Fighting to Keep the Waterfront Open
Tacoma residents push back against an ordinance to vacate Sprague Street, which would block public access to the bay.
- The 1909 City Hall Power Grab That Tacoma Voters Were Told to Stop
A fiery Times editorial urged citizens to pack the council chamber against charter amendments it said would gut civil service, raise council pay, and hand city jobs to political loyalists.
- The Fugitive 'Dude'
A local Indigenous man is pursued by the sheriff for an alleged land fraud scheme involving Puyallup tribal property.
- City Hall's Risky Water Gamble
Tacoma officials are bypassing voter approval to fund a massive water expansion through high-interest debt that local bankers are only touching as a side deal.
- The Price of a Subway
Tacoma officials set strict financial terms for a developer hoping to build a subway franchise.
- The Iron Grip of the Railroad Lobby
Tacoma’s newspaper calls out the Northern Pacific for its historic dominance over city politics and its successful efforts to block competition on the waterfront.
- The Great Sluicing Failure
A municipal engineering project designed to clear the Union Pacific tunnel construction site ends in a clogged pipe and embarrassing failure.
- Fugitive Arrested in Tacoma for California Extortion Scheme
A man accused of swindling a California woman under the false promise of marriage is captured by local detectives.
- A Scandal in Seattle
A physician is sued for $50,000 after an alleged affair leads to a tragic disappearance at sea.
- The 'Luck Powder' Swindle
A Seattle man is arrested for selling worthless 'luck powders' to women via mail order—and then suggesting they be used as laundry detergent.
- Who Should Pay for City Fire Protection?
A debate over whether Tacoma’s waterfront industrial interests should fund their own fire safety apparatus.
- The Gold-Brick Con: A Tacoma Contractor Swindled
A Slavonian contractor loses $550 to two men posing as subcontractors in an elaborate fake-deal scheme.
- Public Backlash Grows Against Utility Monopoly
Tacoma residents are rallying against a proposed power franchise that would grant the Tacoma Railway & Power Company control over city resources.
- City Council Faces Backlash Over Secret Salary Hike
Tacoma politicians attempt to abolish civil service and quadruple their own pay while blocking the popular commission government plan.
- The Scandal of the Sandberg District
City council members launch a blistering investigation into a protected 'vice syndicate' they allege is forcing hundreds of women into a restricted district.
- The Battle for the Soul of Tacoma’s Fifth Ward
Local politicians and reformers face off over the 'wide-open' versus 'closed' town debate in a heated campaign meeting.
- City’s Water Funding Hits a Wall
High-interest demands from local banks threaten the city's $250,000 project to upgrade the Clover Creek water system.
- Tacoma’s Push for a Commission-Style Government
Local reformers demand a new city charter to operate municipal governance like a private corporation.
- The Senatorial Bomb Threat at the State House
A local man causes a panic in the Olympia senate gallery while screaming threats of violence over a U.S. Senate election.
- The Price of a 'Wide Open' Town
A citizen accuses the County Attorney of enabling a graft scheme that granted a single operator a lucrative monopoly on slot machines while allegedly shaking down other business owners.