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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1876 | 36 |
| 1877 | 15 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 12 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 15 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 11 |
| 1888 | 13 |
| 1889 | 36 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 17 |
| 1892 | 47 |
| 1893 | 51 |
| 1894 | 64 |
| 1895 | 70 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 8 |
| 1899 | 11 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 16 |
| 1904 | 9 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 5 |
| 1909 | 15 |
| 1910 | 9 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 3 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 4 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1922 | 2 |
| 1923 | 2 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1925 | 2 |
541 stories matching confid
- A Marriage Built on Lies and Swindling
A husband files for divorce claiming his wife wasn't the 'virtuous girl' he was promised, leading his wife to reveal he was actually a confidence man trying to recruit her into his schemes.
- The Tailor-Made Confidence Man
A clever grifter leaves a trail of unpaid bills and stolen suits across North Seattle.
- The Confidence Game on the Kalama-Tacoma Line
A traveler from Missouri lost his life savings to a smooth-talking stranger on a train, proving that 'confidence men' were a perennial threat to those passing through the region.
- The Padlock Swindle on the Sidewalks of Seattle
A new arrival in Seattle was relieved of his life savings by a pair of confidence men using a trick lock and a fake partnership.
- The Bank Failed, but the Panic Didn't Come
When Merchants' National Bank closed in 1895, depositors lined up, then went home reassured. The real scramble was for the receiver's job.
- The Check Passers: Seattle Sheriff Breaks Up a Coastwide Confidence Ring
Four alleged ringleaders—including a man known to police in three cities and a woman wanted in Everett for a jail break—are arrested in Seattle.
- Newport Depositors Keep Their Nerve During the Panic of 1907
When a local bank could not quickly turn loans into cash, Newport customers agreed to accept small payments and a stockholders' guarantee instead of starting a run—a display of confidence the Spokane Review called a model for the nation.
- The Pacific House Confidence Game
A visitor from British Columbia loses his savings in twenty minutes flat at a Second Street boarding house.
- Great Northern Celebration Halted by Financial Panic
James J. Hill postpones the grand celebration of the Great Northern railway’s completion as financial instability grips the nation.
- Local Bowlers Prepare for Rival Match
The Walla Walla Athletic club squares off against visiting competitors from Pendleton in a high-stakes local ten-pin contest.
- The Old Man and the Confidence Men
An elderly traveler is swindled out of his watch and checks by a pair of smooth-talking con artists in a Seattle saloon.
- The Day Wenatchee’s Ball Team Folded Under Pressure
A local defeat at the fairgrounds reveals how quickly confidence can turn to costly errors in early 20th-century sports.
- The Confidence Man of the Colonial Hotel
A prolific hotel thief, captured in Minneapolis with $12,000 in diamonds, claims he offloaded stolen jewels in Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane.
- The Bold Bet on C Street
A local businessman purchases historic market property with eyes toward a massive redevelopment, signaling growing confidence in Tacoma's business corridor.
- The Bank of Shelton Collapses
Creditors force closure of the Mason County institution following reports of bad management and dwindling public confidence.
- The Bakery Betrayal
A local baker is swindled out of his life savings in a classic confidence game at the edge of Wright Park.
- Railroad Agent Disputes Spokane Fire Loss Estimates
A freight agent reports on the aftermath of the devastating Spokane fire, highlighting the community's resilience in the face of immense loss.
- The Gold Brick Swindle
A small-town banker loses his life savings to a sophisticated confidence scheme involving a fake Indian and a worthless brick.
- The Swindling 'Boy Preacher' of Discovery Bay
A young con artist charms his way into the confidence of local ranchers with promises of land purchases and a wealthy mother, only to vanish without paying a cent.
- The $260 Bet That Put Wenatchee on the Map
Local boys stake their reputation and cash on a baseball showdown against Seattle, signaling the town's growing confidence in the early 1900s.
- The Boom Before the Bust: Seattle’s 1892 Financial Confidence
As the city shakes off the 'dull period' of reckless credit, local bankers and businessmen find newfound optimism in a stable marketplace.
- The Fever Dream of a State Capital
North Yakima land speculators are betting their fortunes that the town will be chosen as the seat of the new state government.
- A Denver Capitalist Wants to Foreclose - and Blames the Money Question
C. W. E. Griffith came to Seattle for a superior-court fight over the ground beneath the National Bank building at South Second and Yesler, then explained why liquidation beats denial.
- The Fashion Reporter's Dilemma: Keeping Secrets in the Social Column
A Seattle newspaper correspondent reflects on the moral tightrope of reporting on local scandals while trying to maintain the trust of society figures.
- The Wealthy Tramp of the Waterfront
A disheveled rancher found sleeping on the Seattle waterfront was revealed to be carrying a small fortune, catching local police and confidence men by surprise.