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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1892 | 6 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 6 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
24 stories matching bungl
- A Bungled Case of Robbery and Bad Paperwork
A classic instance of municipal incompetence led to suspected robbers walking free after their bail money was returned due to a clerical error in the police department.
- The Corpse in the Chicken Yard
A bungled insurance swindle in 1890s Seattle turns grisly when an amateur conspiracy, a stolen body, and a coded German letter unravel in a courtroom inquest.
- A Tailor's Desperate Act of Poverty
After faking his own death to spare his family the hardship of life in Seattle, a struggling tailor makes a series of harrowing, failed attempts to end his life.
- Shipping Voters Across the Sound: Tacoma's Imported Electorate
An organized scheme ships hundreds of men from Seattle to Tacoma by rail and steamer to register and vote in April's election — and it unravels when 150 would-be voters show up at a dock looking for the man who promised to pay their fare.
- The Great Tax Assessment Debacle of 1887
King County taxpayers find themselves in an uproar as a bungled property assessment, based on a worthless abstract, threatens the city’s financial stability.
- The Tragedy of George E. Harrison
George E. Harrison, who deserted his wife and children, shot himself in Leeds, voiding his life insurance.
- The Great Jailhouse Swap
A bungling jailer manages to swap a suspected burglar with a drunk man, allowing the suspect to pay a fine and walk free while the wrong man sits behind bars.
- The Great Seattle Opium Double-Cross
A Victoria capitalist sues his smugglers for replacing high-grade opium with sawdust and molasses, revealing a bungled customs heist that captivated Seattle.
- The Great Northern Train Heist That Wasn't
A bungled opium bust and a wild chase through the woods turned an everyday commuter trip into a farce.
- The Hunt for Seattle’s Teenage Outlaw
A young robbery suspect leads police on a chase through the woods near Lake View Cemetery.
- The School Board's Bungled Building Site
A local editor criticizes the school board for purchasing a fractured plot of land divided by an alley, forcing design changes and costing the district unnecessary money.
- The Struggle for Oversight in Benton County
A local editor calls for strict financial reforms after a controversial commission deal, urging voters to tighten the purse strings of county government.
- A Brooklyn Grocer's Wild Night
A local merchant is targeted by highwaymen, only to scare off a second assailant with a police-issued pistol.
- The Great Pigeon Whiskey Heist
A Seattle police officer's bungled attempt to intoxicate local church pigeons ends in his own humiliation.
- Attempted Suicide on Fourth Street
A local woman survives an attempted act of self-harm following domestic troubles.
- The Expensive Cipher Mistake That Rocked Colfax
A bungled telegram message causes a small-town grain buyer to accidentally trigger a massive payout to local farmers.
- Streetcar Ambitions Stalled by Charter Flaw
A bungled provision in the city charter leaves rail companies unable to lay tracks, as no legal mechanism for compensation exists.
- A Bungled Burglary in Waterville
A thief breaks into a grocery store expecting a windfall, only to find the till completely empty.
- An Accidental Blast at The Tanks
A bungled attempt to extract a stuck shell from a Winchester rifle triggers a chaotic runaway at a local camp.
- Safe-Crackers Strike Yakima Avenue
A late-night robbery ends in a shattered safe and a series of bungled arrests.
- An Embarrassing Day for the Seattle Nine
The local Seattle baseball team, suffering from a complete lack of practice, was soundly defeated by the Snohomish club, leading to a new challenge match.
- The Torch That Saved the Train: How a Fireman’s Light Scared Off Bandits in South Tacoma
In a dark stretch of rail near Lakeview, engineer H.W. Burke faced down armed robbers until his fireman charged them with nothing but a lit torch.
- The Perils of the Telegraph
A look at the chaotic and often hilarious errors produced by local telegraph operators.
- The Embezzler Who Outsmarted the Law
A clever swindler uses a well-meaning student as a pawn to evade arrest, leading to a bungled sheriff's operation in Tacoma.
Also about this, in other words
- The Bunco Men Convicted
A trio of swindlers who targeted two young Norwegian women finds themselves behind bars, but the local paper blames the victims for their own misfortune.