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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 20 |
| 1877 | 23 |
| 1878 | 26 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 7 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1884 | 8 |
| 1885 | 23 |
| 1886 | 12 |
| 1887 | 16 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 28 |
| 1890 | 6 |
| 1891 | 32 |
| 1892 | 107 |
| 1893 | 92 |
| 1894 | 94 |
| 1895 | 109 |
| 1898 | 9 |
| 1899 | 12 |
| 1900 | 8 |
| 1903 | 62 |
| 1904 | 49 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 37 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 4 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 12 |
| 1917 | 8 |
| 1918 | 3 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 3 |
872 stories matching complaint
- The Ballard Merchant's Divorce War
A Ballard storekeeper and his wife trade accusations of cruelty, abandonment, and theft in a bitter divorce proceeding.
- Tacoma's Million-Dollar Water Deal Was Built on Bribery, Suit Alleges
A city lawsuit over the purchase of a light and water plant charged that officials and the company colluded to hide the property's true value before taxpayers bought it.
- The Price of a Marital Settlement
A wife files a scathing counter-complaint alleging coercion, threats, and a secret financial pact in a high-stakes divorce suit.
- The Saloon Men Take Newport's Dry Vote to Court
A five-man complaint asks a Superior Court judge to void Newport's local option election — not on the merits, but because the petition never named the precincts of the men who signed it.
- Postmaster's Wife Seeks Divorce Amid Political Scandal
The wife of Port Townsend's new postmaster files an amended complaint for divorce, alleging indignities that have fueled the ire of her husband's political enemies.
- The Price of a Scandal in 1877 Seattle
A public notice in the territorial court reveals the harsh, legal reality of a divorce filing on the grounds of 'frequent adultery' in late-19th-century Seattle.
- The Shadowy Slot Machine King of Tacoma
A brutal divorce filing exposes the secret owner of Tacoma's pervasive slot machine operations.
- The Unsafe Penitentiary at McNeil Island
Repeated escapes from the government facility lead to complaints that the island's prison buildings are dangerously insecure.
- The Divorce of a Pioneer: A Legal Battle in King County
In the early days of Seattle, legal proceedings were public record. This summons reveals the gritty reality of marriage dissolution in 1876, where 'abandonment' was a grounds for divorce and the courts were one of the few places to settle domestic disputes.
- The Logging Law Loophole
A court ruling renders timber-scaling laws toothless, allowing logs to be transported before taxation.
- A Domestic Siege in Tacoma
A man files for divorce, claiming his wife and nine stepchildren waged a campaign of harassment, including teapot-throwing.
- Assault at the West Street Lodging House
A local French landlady faces battery charges after a dispute, highlighting the rough-and-tumble nature of early Seattle housing.
- A Bitter Courtroom Fight Over Bank Accounts
A White Bluffs farmer sues to block his wife from withdrawing savings and accuses her of reckless spending on two Star automobiles.
- The Great Benton County Gas Scam
A complicated legal battle erupts in Spokane over who actually owns the rights to Benton County's oil and gas leases.
- Divorcing the 'Unsuitable': Seattle Legal Notices from 1872
Public legal notices reveal the stark reality of marital dissolution in early Seattle, where 'incompatibility' and 'neglect' served as grounds for separation in the King County District Court.
- "My Office Cannot Be Used by Gamblers": Tacoma's Prosecutor Explains Why He Won't Touch the Slot Machines
County Attorney Campbell says he is ready to prosecute slot-machine men any day of the week — but not on a complaint carried in by a rival operator who wants the law enforced only against his competition.
- The Mayor vs. The Chief of Police
A high-stakes power struggle unfolds in 1885 Seattle as the Mayor moves to impeach his Chief of Police for refusing to crack down on unlicensed saloons.
- The Navy Relieves the Captain of the Baltimore
Captain William Whitehead is ousted after just two months following complaints of discourtesy and a near-miss with his ship off the Oregon coast.
- Black Lawyer Denied Service at Seattle Hotel
Tacoma attorney Gustave B. Aldrich files a complaint after being refused service at the Hotel Cecil's public dining room.
- Street Hustlers Ordered Off Twelfth Street
Tacoma officials move to clear sidewalk congestion caused by street performers and vendors blocking access to the post office.
- The Price of a Quail in South Tacoma
A local woodsman faces legal trouble for out-of-season hunting as authorities crack down on regional game violations.
- The Deserted Family of Seattle
A husband is sued for divorce in 1872 on the grounds of cruel neglect and failure to provide for his family.
- The Troubles of Mike Murphy
A wealthy Tacoma businessman faces legal scrutiny for his personal habits as police weigh the cost of sobriety.
- Newport's Saloonkeepers Take Their Dry-Election Fight to the State Supreme Court
The men who lost the local option vote on September 7 say the petition was short on valid signatures. Twice now the town's lawyers have knocked the case down in Judge Sullivan's court, and an appeal to the state supreme court looks certain.
- The Ballard Sewer Standoff
A local contractor and city engineer lock horns in a heated public council meeting over the technicalities of neighborhood infrastructure.
Also about this, in other words
- A Legal Dispute Over Ballard's City Debt
Attorney Fred H. Peterson defends his professional reputation after being accused of negligence by the Ballard City Council.
- Police Commissioners Address Chinese Community Complaints
After Chinese merchants filed a petition regarding unauthorized police searches, the department claimed all raids were legal.