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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 4 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 3 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 5 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
45 stories matching distract
- He Walked Out of His House on Park Street and Simply Vanished
H. S. Patterson left the corner of Park Street and Boyer Avenue on a Monday afternoon. His wife was 'almost distracted,' and a diligent police search had turned up nothing at all.
- The Runaway Wife and the Saloon-Keeper's Fury
When a miner from Newcastle charged into Seattle hunting his wife, he found a city that prioritized refuge over his domestic control.
- The Electrified Rescuer
A Ballard grocer and a constable lose their suspect when a woman claiming to be possessed by electricity intervenes.
- The Glass Master of Occidental Square
A traveling exhibition of delicate glass artistry offers a whimsical distraction to 1870s Seattleites.
- A Spree of Thefts in the Yesler Block
While the police profess ignorance, a gang of well-dressed thieves terrorizes the city's merchants.
- The Great Circus Invasion of 1889
Fresh from the ashes of the Great Seattle Fire, the city found a brief, surreal escape in the arrival of a massive traveling show.
- A Near Miss at Second and Pike
A pedestrian’s moment of distraction leads to a dramatic collision with a downtown cable car, resulting in a surprising escape.
- The Bull That Terrorized Snoqualmie
A ferocious bull escapes captivity and leads the community on a chaotic chase, narrowly missing a man with an axe.
- A Fatal Fall for a Tacoma Fireman
A member of Native Hose Company No. 1 dies after falling from a wet, slick roof while responding to a call.
- Mary Stein Feist, 21, Dies by Suicide in Tacoma
A young bride, isolated and grieving for her family in Germany, takes her own life just seven weeks after her wedding in Tacoma.
- The Battle for an 'Open' or 'Closed' Tacoma
Democratic mayoral candidate George I. Wright disputes the paper's characterization of his platform as he addresses citizens at a local meeting.
- A Heartbreaking Reunion Aboard the Dakota
The final journey of a dying man and his devoted wife captures the cruel reality of terminal illness in the pioneer era.
- The Waterfront Standoff
Striking union sailors are outmaneuvered when non-union crews are covertly transported to a ship at Port Blakeley.
- Beauty Trends and Economic Betrayal
A critique of how the public's obsession with celebrity fashion distracts from the economic harm of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff.
- Four Drown at Wild Goose Bill Ferry
A ferry accident on the Columbia River leaves four men dead as their wives watch helplessly from the shore.
- Thurston County Rallies for the Union
As the Civil War ignites, Republicans in Olympia gather to declare their loyalty to the Union and choose their delegates for the coming struggle.
- The Tragedy at the Ellensburg Hotel
A newly married rancher takes his own life in a hotel room, sparking a mystery as his wife remains in a state of shock.
- The Schoolteacher's Gamble
A young rural teacher outwits a robber who targets her on the road home.
- A Disappearance in North Yakima
A local man seized his two children and fled after a bitter separation, leaving his wife and the community in the dark.
- The Scandal that Wrecked Two Homes
A betrayal of friendship and marriage in Tacoma leads to a sudden disappearance and the ruin of two local families.
- The Unfinished Business of Education
A reflection on school life, lifelong learning, and the ambitious spirit of Seattle’s youth in 1876.
- The Great Elma Bank Heist: Fire as a Distraction
Seven masked bandits robbed the Elma bank of $3,500 on Saturday night, using a strategically timed arson attack on the local school gymnasium to draw police and citizens away from the scene.
- The Boy Who Vanished: Seattle’s Great Search for Little Harry
A two-year-old toddler slipped out of his mother's sight on Commercial Street, sparking a frantic manhunt that drew hundreds of neighbors to the sidewalks.
- A Desperate Search for a Missing Brother
A railroad man travels to Seattle to find his brother, a missing locomotive fireman, offering a $200 reward for information.
- The Poker Con on the Anacortes Train
An unwary traveler loses twenty-five dollars to professional card sharps after a distraction at the window.