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143 stories matching default
- The Clerk vs. The Judge: A Battle Over Legal Authority
When a clerk in the Third Judicial District overstepped his bounds, a Chief Justice used the case of James Steel to affirm that only a judge possesses the power to declare the law.
- The Cashier Who Fled to Canada
A defaulting cashier, retrieved from British Columbia to face seventeen counts of embezzlement, finally enters the city prison.
- A County Treasurer Vanishes—and Turns Up in Honolulu
A defaulting Clallam County official is reportedly living openly in Hawaii, but an old treaty may keep him beyond the reach of Port Angeles authorities.
- City Treasurer Found Guilty of Embezzlement
After a swift trial, Seattle's city treasurer is convicted, signaling a rare victory for local reform efforts.
- Divorce Decree Overturned in Fraud Allegation
A Colfax couple's marriage dissolution is reopened after the wife claims her husband lied about her whereabouts to secure a default divorce.
- The Tax Bill Seattle Couldn't Defend
Kate Evans wins a default judgment over an illegal Twelfth Street grade assessment, exposing a $75,000 civic liability as the abandoned improvement heads back to the Supreme Court.
- The Mayor's Embarrassing Debt
Mayor Ronald finds himself in a legal and ethical bind after borrowing $1,500 from the city's disgraced, defaulting treasurer.
- The Unraveling of a Seattle Banker
When the cashier of the Snohomish National Bank was found to be a defaulter, the resulting financial ruin exposed deep cracks in the stability of local frontier finance.
- A Defaulting Treasurer’s Debt Finally Comes Due—for a Governor and His Bondsmen
A Seattle judge orders E. P. Ferry and other sureties to pay King County $29,143.60 plus years of interest for George D. Hill’s vanished public funds.
- Street Railway Lawyer Loses Case After Missing Court
A legal representative for the local street railway company loses a judgment by default after failing to appear in court.
- The Fall of the City Treasurer
Adolph Krug, Seattle’s defaulting city treasurer, returns to the city in custody after a failed flight to the East.
- The Complicated Divorce of John Cort
A local variety theater manager finds his personal life—and marriage—dragged through the courts again.
- Ballard's Council Feud: Mayor and Council Say Ex-Councilman Winsor Let His Own Trial Go by Default
The Ballard city council row continues as the mayor and council answer Thomas Winsor's reinstatement petition, accusing him of selling lumber to the city and then refusing to defend himself.
- King County's Clerk and the Ghost of a Defaulting Treasurer
A petition asks King County taxpayers to guarantee Clerk John W. Maple's bond, reviving memories of Adolph Krug's default and the 'kid committee' that controlled public money.
- The Defaulting Treasurer’s Last Stand
Seattle’s city treasurer, Adolph Krug, is sentenced to seven years of hard labor, capping a dramatic trial marked by desperate legal maneuvering to invalidate the city's charter.
- 1878 Snohomish Court Summons Names Murley and Rullan
A legal summons reveals the steep cost of debt in 1878 Snohomish, where a defaulted promissory note leads to a District Court reckoning.
- Whatcom's Mayor Reads the City Its Ledger—and Says the Spending Stops Now
With $147,000 in bonds, $77,000 in warrants and defaulted interest on the books, the new mayor demanded retrenchment and a return to municipal credit.
- The Olympia Safe Heist and the Culture of Corruption
A government agent discovered a $39,000 deficit in the Olympia sub-treasury, only for the missing funds to vanish entirely after the agent allegedly returned control to the defaulting official.
- 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.
- The Man Who Fought the Law: Riley’s Brawl with Seattle Police
In July 1876, a drunken man named Riley didn't just resist arrest—he dismantled the entire police force. It took bystanders to finally pin him down.
- Candlelight Intruder at the California House
A quiet night at the hotel was interrupted when a man was found prowling through a guest's private room with a candle.
- County Treasurer Found in Deficit
Yakima County Commissioners order legal action against bondsmen to recover nearly $12,000 in missing public funds.
- Crackdown on Illegal Liquor Sales in Puyallup
Deputy U.S. Marshals arrest two men caught selling whiskey to Indigenous workers during the harvest season.
- The ‘Loving’ Letter That Ended a Marriage
Clara B. Heaton wins a default divorce after testifying that James Heaton threatened to blow her up with dynamite—then submits his own angry letter as proof.
- Street Brawl Ends in Jail for Local Man and Indigenous Rival
A violent confrontation on Front Street leads to a swift sentencing by the local magistrate.