Research the archive
Narrow 25,724 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 1 |
| 1903 | 3 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
25 stories matching errat
- The Man Who Feared His Own Gun
An erratic man, fearful of imagined burglars, asks the police to hold his revolver to prevent himself from doing harm, only to demand it back when he gets nervous again.
- The Unauthorized Preacher
A man committed to the state asylum after an erratic attempt to seize a local pulpit is sent back to care.
- Baseball Disgust at Madison Street Park
Seattle's home team suffers a humiliating loss to Portland, with local fans calling for the benching of star players.
- The Sad End of a Local Pet
A harmless land otter, kept as a mascot, was killed by an erratic local resident in a senseless act of cruelty.
- Tragedy on a Seattle Lot
A lonely stonecutter, haunted by his past and struggling with addiction, ends his life in a public spectacle that leaves a city stunned.
- The Tragedy of the Crippen Household
A witness recounts the chilling final days of an infant following an alleged poisoning, highlighting a web of domestic desperation and control.
- Fireboat Failure at the Waterfront
Public outcry mounts after Seattle's fireboat fails to save the burning steamer Flyer, leading to a command shake-up.
- The Sinking of the May Parker: A Maritime Fraud Trial
Accusations of insurance fraud and a conspiracy to sink a schooner in the Straits of Fuca lead to a complex trial featuring claims of insanity and corruption.
- A Tragic End for a Prosperous Rancher
A wealthy farmer near Wilbur, recently come into an inheritance, takes his own life following erratic behavior.
- The Mail-Order Crank of Seattle
A local mining broker faces prison for years of threatening and scurrilous letters sent to the Post-Intelligencer and national leaders.
- The Tragedy of a 'Model' Citizen
A wealthy man's obsession with his wife's supposed infidelity leads to a dramatic, morphine-fueled insanity trial.
- A Tragic End for a Shingle Weaver
After signs of erratic behavior, a local union man is found dead in the Stillaguamish River.
- The Knife in the Carriage
A young woman’s train ride turns into a life-or-death encounter with an escaped asylum patient.
- A Father Arrested at His Daughter's Bedside
While seven-year-old Lillian Hawkenson recovered from a leg amputation, her father's erratic behavior led to his arrest and removal from her bedside.
- City Hall Battle Over City Wires
A fiery public confrontation between the Mayor and the City Council leads to the death of an ordinance designed to move unsightly and dangerous power poles underground.
- The State's Mounting Red Ink
State Auditor T.M. Reed delivers a scathing biennial report to the legislature, blaming erratic spending and poor revenue laws for a ballooning state debt.
- The Divorce of the 'Pretty Little Cripple'
A husband’s suit for divorce against his wife, whom he accused of erratic behavior and opium use, reveals a harrowing counter-claim of domestic abuse in 1893 Seattle.
- The Unwelcome Suitor of Woodinville
A logging camp worker’s unrequited, erratic affection for a widow leads to a violent struggle and an asylum committal.
- The Hypnotist of Renton
A domestic dispute involving a 'hypnotist' neighbor turns violent, leading to arrests and a strange day at the local courthouse.
- The Con Artist Who Played Barber on Marion Street
A fake detective who swindled his way through Seattle with a short-lived barber shop is now wanted for attempted murder in New York.
- The Logging Logjam: A Close Call on the Seattle Waterfront
When a chain of logs broke loose on the Seattle waterfront, a sudden collision nearly spelled disaster for a steamship navigating the dark bay.
- The Mail Boat’s Erratic Schedule
Seattle residents and businesses are struggling with the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's unreliable mail delivery, which has turned a one-day turnaround into a three-day ordeal.
- Memorial Day 1896: A Governor, a Nativist Oration, and Thirty Graves in the Rain
Seattle's Civil War remembrance became a stage for anxiety over unemployed marchers and foreign-born workers, while veterans decorated Lake View Cemetery under a steady downpour.
- The Farmer Who Said the Colleges Were Failing Rural Washington
Addressing the state dairymen, farmer Wm. F. Izett argues that the land-grant colleges move too slowly and cost too much to save the farm — and pitches a cheaper, faster kind of agricultural school as the 'machine gun' the countryside needs.
- The Shipworm Eating Seattle’s Waterfront
Wharf owners were spending a fortune fighting a saltwater pest. The fix: fill the tide flats, cut freshwater waterways, and make the harbor safe for pilings—and insurance.
Also about this, in other words
- The Reverend and the Editor Spar Over Grammar
A local minister demands public corrections for his column, leading to a feisty rebuttal from the newspaper's editorial staff.