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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 3 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 1 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1916 | 1 |
27 stories matching botch
- Half-Finished Streets and a Man-Trap on Main: The Tribune Takes the City to Task
On the morning of a council meeting, Olympia's paper catalogues the abandoned plank road, the blocked gutters, the depot sidewalk rotting for two weeks, and a hole in Main Street waiting to cost the city money.
- The Midnight Carriage in Seattle
A witness recounts a harrowing night ride through Seattle’s alleyways, carrying a trunk that smelled of 'decaying flesh' and the suspected secret of a doctor’s botched surgery.
- The City’s New Fire Engine Takes a Dive
A brand new, expensive fire engine rolls off a wharf and sinks into the bay during a botched test run.
- The Opium Smuggler's Revenge
A Whatcom man claims he was framed by corrupt officials in a botched smuggling sting, and he's ready to tell all in court.
- Seattle's 1894 Election: Corruption, Fraud, and the Fight for City Hall
As voters head to the polls, the Post-Intelligencer unleashes a blistering attack on the Democratic administration, alleging graft, forgery, and a machine determined to hold power at any cost.
- The Firebug of North Walla Walla
A vigilante guard in the northern district botched a midnight stakeout for a suspected arsonist, leaving neighbors on edge.
- The Desperate 'Stake' of a Fugitive
After shooting an employer in Seattle, a wounded man is discovered in a cabin near a brickyard, revealing a tale of poverty, gambling, and a botched robbery.
- A Night of Terror on Seventh Street
A tragic lamp accident leaves a young woman severely burned and sparks a botched emergency response from the city's fire department.
- A Botched Rescue on the Okanogan Road
A deputy's long ride to arrest a suspected murderer ended in a roadside gunfight, with the prisoner shot dead—apparently by his own son—and the young man still at large.
- Olympia's Whole City Government Quit Rather Than Face the Voters Again
After a botched bond election sank the city in debt, the mayor and councilmen resigned en masse — and the Tribune says the incoming administration must come clean about the finances before asking for another dollar.
- The Perilous Descent of Professor Parker
A daredevil aeronaut nearly meets his end in a tangle of city wires and building cornices during a botched parachute stunt over downtown Seattle.
- The Lieutenant Who Beat the Army
A National Guard officer successfully sues the state to get his job back after a botched, 'railroaded' court-martial.
- The City Hall Scandal: A Contractual Nightmare in 1887 Seattle
City council members and contractors clash over botched public works, leaving taxpayers and laborers holding the bag in a classic tale of civic mismanagement.
- The Fifteen-Cent Shooting at Newcastle
A pay-day dice game in a company saloon ends in a near-fatal shooting, leading to a botched manhunt and a casual local acceptance of violence.
- The City vs. The Citizens: A Sewer Standoff
Property owners refuse to pay for city improvements they claim were botched, poorly contracted, and overpriced.
- City Sewerage System Fails Residents
High water levels turn a poorly installed sewer line into a neighborhood health hazard in South Tacoma.
- A Scandalous Escape and Elopement in Tacoma
A prominent Tacoma man's affair with his friend's schoolmate ends in a bizarre jailhouse arrest after a botched elopement involving the man's own child.
- The City’s Botched Annexation Plan
Seattle’s attempt to annex surrounding lands hits a legal wall after a drafting error excludes parts of Ballard by mistake.
- The Price of a Salmon Strike
Seattle fishermen return to work after a botched strike leaves the local cannery empty and the profits flowing to British Columbia and San Francisco.
- The Ballard Burglary That Left a Trail
A botched break-in at a Ballard hardware store left behind the tools of the trade, complete with the thief's initials.
- Fire Department Botches North End Blaze
A carpenter shop burns to the ground as equipment fails and engines fail to build pressure.
- The City Attorney's 'Wretched' Tenure
Voters of Seattle weigh in on a candidate accused of incompetence, corruption, and botching the city's legal affairs.
- The Unholy Row at the Pool Hall
A local hothead turned a Sunday game of billiards into a brush with death after a botched pistol shot.
- Crumbled Infrastructure Uncovered After Four Years
A city commissioner reveals that a $17,000 sewer project installed four years ago was completed without cement in the pipe joints, necessitating a costly overhaul.
- Kennewick's Oiled Road Is Falling Apart—and the New Commissioner Will Inherit the Mess
A local correspondent warns that emergency warrants, neglected road districts, and a rut a foot deep will greet commissioner-elect R. E. Pratt.
Also about this, in other words
- The Machine Behind the Badge
Striking Everett machinists allege that local industry and the police have merged, with company men serving as 'special police' to suppress picket lines.
- A Boy’s Run of Unbelievable Bad Luck
After suffering a hog bite that cost him a finger, a young boy is accidentally shot by a friend while target practicing.
- The Unlucky Suicide
A farmhand attempts to take his own life twice, only to find himself frustrated by his own survival and a change of heart.
- A Local Boy’s Dangerous Encounter with a Pet Raccoon
A young newsboy known as 'Pud' loses a finger after a rough encounter with a captive raccoon.
- Mange Outbreak Hits Spanaway
A dangerous animal disease threatens the local economy, as officials scramble to isolate horses and dogs to prevent further contagion.
- The Beer Bottle Incident
A dangerous industrial accident in the heart of the city leaves a workman in critical condition.
- The North Bend Ducking Stool
When a man terrorized his family during a drunken rampage, his neighbors took justice into their own hands with an icy river dip.
- A Dangerous Close Encounter at Priest Rapids
A local farmer narrowly survives a frightening accident after his team of colts went rogue.