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50 stories matching blackmail
- The Blackmailer Who Freed a Murder Defendant
James D. McGaughey walked out of a Seattle courtroom a free man after the state’s own witness admitted a blackmail scheme against the murdered doctor.
- The Scandalous Streets of 1892 Seattle
A public confrontation on Front Street reveals a desperate woman’s attempt to claim child support and a mining man’s accusations of blackmail.
- The Blackmailer of the Bird's Nest
A husband is convicted of attempting to blackmail a police commissioner, exposing his wife's past life in the Everett underworld.
- The Heppner Blackmail Ring
A notorious family's pattern of seduction and extortion comes to light after a daughter is arrested in Seattle.
- The Doctor and the Alleged Blackmail Ring
A sensational damage suit in Seattle reveals accusations of professional misconduct, bribery, and complex personal vendettas.
- The City's Notorious Blackmail Sheets
How unscrupulous publishers coerced local business owners with the threat of public exposure.
- Two Tacoma Papers Go to War Over a Bank Blackmail Charge
The Ledger accuses the News of shaking down local banks, both dailies dare each other to sue for libel, and the insults turn spectacularly personal.
- A Banker, a Stolen Watch, and a Servant Girl’s Accusation
Herman L. Chase—already accused of assaulting his servant girl—is arrested in Tacoma after a silk robe and gold watch vanish from a hotel. His friends cry blackmail.
- The Siege at the St. Charles Hotel
A young woman recounts a harrowing night of confinement after a local man tricked her into his room, only to be met with a public denial and claims of 'blackmailing.'
- The City's Legalized Blackmail
A jury exposes the Seattle Police Department for shaking down women, proving that 'reform' administration was just a veneer.
- 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 Scandal of the Police Commissioner and the Hotel Room
A sensational trial unfolds in Judge Humes' court where a husband and wife face blackmail charges against a Seattle Police Commissioner.
- The Jailbreak Plot That Rocked the County Jail
A notorious gambler and blackmailer led a group of dangerous inmates in a scheme to seize the jailer and escape through the steel tank.
- 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.
- 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 Great Port Gamble Murder Trial: A Game of Wagers and Blood
In a dramatic courtroom showdown in Seattle, the trial of Ira Hummel for the murder of Michael Michelson revealed a sordid tale of gambling debts, blackmail, and a fatal argument over a silver watch.
- A City Council, a Bank, and a $15,000 Blackmail Charge
Tacoma's council demanded that the Ledger prove its bribery allegations in person. The paper refused, calling the council unfit to investigate itself—while the Tacoma News denied that a local bank had been shaken down for $15,000.
- The Battle for the Cascades Franchise
Legislators trade accusations of 'blackmailing' and 'monopoly' while debating a massive infrastructure bill for the Columbia River.
- The Blackmailer's Dark Hole
After smuggling contraband into his jail cell, a defiant inmate is forced into solitary confinement.
- The City's Monthly 'Tax' on Prostitution
A reader questions the 'reform' administration’s police policy of extracting monthly fines from sex workers as a form of state-sanctioned blackmail.
- 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.
- Seduction Scandal Rocks Tacoma
A wealthy businessman faces arrest after being accused of enticing a 14-year-old girl into his private office, though he claims the case is a calculated blackmail attempt.
- The Watch Works in the Tin Box
A Tacoma police court tries to untangle a stolen gold watch, a suspicious express package, and a blackmailing letter.
- Police Crack Down on Local Gambling Den
After ignoring illegal banking games for some time, the city police force raids a gambling operation and arrests the dealers.
- The Theater Manager’s Brawl
John Considine, a prominent Seattle theatrical manager, faces municipal court after a violent dispute over alleged blackmail.
Also about this, in other words
- The Blackmail Artist of Seattle
A man attempts to extort cash from his former employer by sending letters from behind bars, only to find himself trapped by the very schemes he designed.
- 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.