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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 27 |
| 1904 | 2 |
29 stories matching statut
- A Missing Section 25: How a Clerk's Slip Could Cost the Collins Heirs $500,000
Grandchildren of John Collins's first wife want a one-sixth share of the Seattle hotel property. The whole case turns on whether a territorial statute took effect on December 2, 1869 — or 42 days too late.
- The Forgotten Law That Listed Walla Walla's Drinkers
A judge in Walla Walla is shocking the state by enforcing an 1883 statute that forces saloon keepers to post lists of 'habitual drunkards' in their establishments.
- Washington Court Rules Fathers Have No Legal Duty to Support Illegitimate Children
A landmark decision from the state supreme court highlights a massive legal loophole regarding parental responsibility.
- The Murder That Made Washington Decide Who Counted as Tribal
In 1903 the state Supreme Court upheld Tommy Santiago Howard's manslaughter conviction for killing Kate Arquette on the Puyallup Reservation, ruling that because he had no tribal ties, state court—not federal court—had jurisdiction.
- The Governor's Gambit: McBride Vows to Keep Fighting Railroads After Legislative Defeat
Governor McBride arrives in Walla Walla from his tour with President Roosevelt, declaring that the defeat of the railroad commission bill is not the end of the battle for corporate regulation.
- A Missing Word Nearly Derailed Bellingham's First City Election
Washington's Supreme Court ruled that Whatcom and Fairhaven could hold a combined city election in December 1903, reading past a clerk's drafting error to honor the legislature's intent.
- Homestead Fraud and the Limits of Government Power
A landmark federal court ruling questions whether departmental regulations can be enforced as criminal law.
- The Supreme Court Stops Corporate Bullying
A landmark Washington State Supreme Court ruling protects minority shareholders from being forced out by predatory syndicates.
- The Mayor and the Water Works Scandal
After securing an option to buy the local water plant, the mayor of Chehalis faces a political firestorm for attempting to profit from a municipal contract.
- Jailed for a Five Dollar Debt
A Spokane barber finds himself behind bars after a landlady uses criminal law to settle a civil board bill.
- The Mayor's Private Foundry
Mayor and School Director Gilbert Hunt stands accused of using his public positions to funnel municipal and school district contracts directly into his own iron foundry.
- The Myth of the Great Land Scandal
A federal official dismisses widespread rumors of a $50 million land fraud, even as regional timber speculators continue to exploit loopholes in the law.
- The First Convict of the Gambling Law
A Spokane saloon operator becomes the first casualty of Washington's strict new anti-gambling statute, landing a one-year sentence at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla.
- The Governor’s War on the Railroad Lobby
Governor Henry McBride calls out corporate influence in the Washington state legislature during a fiery speech to Whitman County farmers.
- The State Steps In: Child Labor Crackdown
Labor Commissioner William Blackman arrives in Tacoma to investigate reports of children under 14 working in factories.
- The Gambler Who Fled the Law
After volunteering to test the legality of a new anti-gambling statute, a Spokane man skips town rather than face his penitentiary sentence.
- The Persistent Loophole in Walla Walla's Temperance Laws
While the city restricts alcohol sales to 'probated' drunkards, families find that local saloons are ignoring the law—leading to a potential wave of civil litigation.
- A Horse Driven to Exhaustion
A young man is fined after driving a stable horse twenty-five miles in extreme heat for a joyride.
- The War on Walla Walla’s Saloons
An early 20th-century editorial denounces local saloon owners as anarchists and moral threats, revealing the deep social divide over the city's 'wide-open' nightlife.
- The Rainier-Grand Hotel Swindle
A fugitive gambler arrested in Denver brings to light a high-stakes legal battle over Seattle's gambling dens.
- A Doctor Returns to Jail After Bail Trouble
Dr. W. St. John Downey finds himself back in custody after his bondsman withdraws his support.
- The Open Secret of Seattle Gambling
Despite a state felony act, city officials and police watch silently as saloons pivot to poker and rigged 'bucket-shop' stock tickers.
- The Bureaucratic Bind at Puyallup
A legal dispute over private property rights leaves the Interior Department unable to build new structures on the Puyallup Indian School grounds.
- City Officials Accused of Profiting from Municipal Contracts
An editorial warning that Walla Walla's local government may be violating state law by trading public contracts for personal gain.
- The Wage War at City Hall
Mayor Boyd locks horns with the city attorney over a mandatory $2.25 daily wage for city contract workers.