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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 12 |
| 1877 | 13 |
| 1878 | 12 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 13 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 24 |
| 1886 | 19 |
| 1887 | 14 |
| 1888 | 8 |
| 1889 | 28 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 43 |
| 1893 | 53 |
| 1894 | 57 |
| 1895 | 37 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 11 |
| 1903 | 6 |
| 1904 | 4 |
| 1909 | 4 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
380 stories matching commit
- The Tragedy of the State Asylum
A grim tally of patient deaths at the Washington State asylum sparks questions about the treatment of vulnerable populations committed from King County.
- A Final Request for Mercy
A desperate railroad worker took his own life in a Second Street hotel, leaving behind a note confessing he was struggling to suppress a violent urge to kill.
- The Burglar Who Stole From Himself
A clever thief in Seattle pulls off a double deception: stealing from a store and then framing a Chinese employee for the crime.
- The Thief Who Stole a Coat Under the Nose of the Law
A bold pickpocket makes the mistake of committing his crime right under the watchful gaze of a city official.
- Judge Bell’s Hard Line on City Crime
A Seattle judge hands down stiff prison sentences for robbery to deter the criminal element in the city.
- The Nine Men Who Refused to Work: Seattle’s First Labor Standoff
In December 1876, nine coal miners at the Seattle bunkers defied orders on the ship *War Hawk*, leading Commissioner Smith to commit them to jail until the vessel sailed.
- A Mental Health Crisis on the Waterfront
Judge Humes committed Charles W. Burton to the state insane asylum after he brandished an axe on the waterfront.
- The Vicious Old Man of the Jail
After a history of petty crime and violence, a troubled elderly man is committed to the state asylum due to worsening mental illness caused by years of dissipation.
- The Millionaire in the Asylum: Thomas Keeler's Chinese Indemnity Delusion
A Seattle man convinced the government owed him $1,000,000 was committed to Steilacoom after seeking payment at banks and law offices.
- The City Engineer Who Jumped: Seattle’s Mental Health Crisis in 1889
Ira Lockeard, the man who helped map the post-fire city, was committed to an asylum after leaping into Elliott Bay, revealing the hidden toll of labor and trauma on early civic leaders.
- The Sad Delusions of John Watson
A trainman found living in squalor is committed to Steilacoom Asylum after declaring himself the owner of Victoria’s townsite.
- The Troubled Life of a 17-Year-Old
A Seattle teenager with a history of employment instability and violent outbursts is committed to the Steilacoom asylum.
- A Tragic End at Sea
A sailor suffering from mental health crises committed suicide by fire while aboard the schooner Siimson.
- The Tragedy of a Seattle Clairvoyant’s Victim
A woman has been committed to the asylum at Steilacoom after a self-proclaimed 'clairvoyant' convinced her he was controlling her life through electricity.
- A Close Call for a Young Girl
A man is held for trial after attempting to assault a girl at his cabin near the foot of Pike Street.
- The Delusions of Martin Krop
A young laborer's unrequited obsession with a stranger leads to his commitment at the insane asylum.
- A Heated Dispute Over the Treatment of the Mentally Ill
A Superior Court Judge and an asylum superintendent trade sharp insults in the press over the quality of care provided to a committed patient.
- A Lodging House Dispute Turns Criminal
A domestic fallout at a Third Street boarding house leads to accusations of furniture theft and violent harassment.
- A Machinist Committed to the Asylum
A perfectly rational machinist is sent to Steilacoom despite his protests, leaving behind a wife and child.
- The Struggle for Liquor Licensing in the Municipal Court
Mrs. Graham challenges the court's fines, claiming discrimination in the enforcement of liquor laws.
- The Unlucky Escape of Frank Hogan
After four years on the run, a jailbreaker is recognized and knocked cold by the Chief of Police.
- The Refugee from Sweden
After the Great Seattle Fire, a young woman arrives from Sweden to find her only contact in America—her brother—committed to an asylum.
- The Porch Gold Delusion
A man is committed to an asylum after terrorizing a South Seattle family over a phantom treasure he believed was buried under their porch.
- An Indifferent Son and a Mother’s Exile
When a 75-year-old widow began to wander, her only son sought to institutionalize her rather than provide care.
- The Strange Tale of Henry B. Mayo
A Seattle death, a suicide note, and a landlord's theory that a man took his own life to save a condemned killer from the gallows.