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21 stories matching defam
- A High-Stakes Legal Battle Over Character and Credit
A bitter defamation suit against a bank and its officers ends in a settlement after years of legal wrangling.
- The Governor and the Libel Suit: A Battle for Political Character
When Governor Elisha P. Ferry sued the 'Democratic Press' for accusing him of selling pardons, he ignited a fierce debate about the limits of press freedom and the nature of public character.
- The Steam Engine Scandal of 1878
When Seattle’s city government faced accusations of graft over a new fire engine, the paper stepped in to defend the city council against 'personal defamation.'
- The Territorial Auditor and the Slander Machine
When the Walla Walla Statesman accused a prominent territorial official of being a fugitive felon, it sparked a local crisis in journalistic ethics and public reputation.
- The Port Townsend Sewer of Defamation
A small-town attorney attempts to build a media empire on vitriol and libel, only to be dismantled by the Governor he targeted.
- The Price of a Reputation
A local merchant sues for $7,500 after neighbors imply he was involved in a shoplifting scandal.
- Defamation Suit Filed Over 'Thieves and Skinners' Remark
A local merchant is suing for $10,000 in damages after being publicly accused of being a 'thief and skinner' by a man on Madison Street.
- The Senate Deadlock and the 'Powder Boat' of Political Defamation
As the legislative stalemate over the U.S. Senate seat continues, candidates trade accusations of corporate puppetry and corrupt influence.
- A Rabbi Fights Back: Spokane's Dr. Schreiber Sues Newspapers for Libel
After a sensational rumor circulated about him, Rabbi Schreiber was exonerated by his congregation and now plans to sue the Seattle Telegraph, Tacoma Ledger, and San Francisco Examiner for defamation.
- The Tragic End of a Nooksack Valley Feud
A bitter dispute over character defamation concludes in a double shooting and a frantic manhunt in the woods near Ferndale.
- The Political Boomerang of 1889
An editorial reflects on a controversy involving a judge candidate and the toxic, defamation-heavy political climate of young Washington State.
- The Handbill That Cost a Milkman His Customers
Fired from his wagon, E. P. Hall went into the dairy business for himself. Then the Elgin Dairy Company printed a circular accusing him of embezzlement and posted it across the city. He wants $10,000.
- A Gambling Charge, a Judge, and a Libel Threat in Whatcom
A Tacoma Ledger correspondent claims a superior court judge and a customs deputy lost Democratic Party money in a Seattle saloon. The accused demand a retraction as a faction fight boils over.
- A Neighborhood Feud Turns Into a $10,000 Lawsuit
A second-hand dealer faces a high-stakes slander trial after a dispute over children in a Third Street alley turned into public accusations against a widow.
- The Political Boss of the Post Office
A Washington D.C. power broker uses his influence to hand-pick postmasters and settle personal scores, leaving local aspirants trembling.
- The Price of Reputation in Early Seattle
A local editor defends the city's power brokers against 'malicious' newspaper attacks, arguing that persistent personal vituperation drives away the capital needed for infrastructure.
- The Unwritten Laws of Seattle’s Press
When a local paper targeted young women in its columns for 'assuming social superiority' at a dance, a vigilante citizen took matters into his own hands.
- The Scapegoat of Pierce County
A prominent local businessman finds himself the target of a smear campaign after a financial scandal guts the county treasury, revealing the toxic power of public rumor in 1870s Tacoma.
- The French Laundry War
When an abusive husband tried to have his wife and her assistant evicted and arrested, he found that the women of the 'French Laundry' weren't going down without a fight.
- The Preacher, the Presiding Elder, and the Typewritten Screed
An obscure minister accuses a Methodist leader of seduction and embezzlement, setting off a Seattle church scandal and a criminal-libel warrant.
- The Pastor, the Circular, and the Hung Jury
For three days a Seattle courtroom heard accusations of adultery, an illegitimate son, and a pastor’s libelous circular. At 12:35 a.m., the jury was still deadlocked.