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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 7 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 6 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 19 |
| 1893 | 13 |
| 1894 | 23 |
| 1895 | 16 |
| 1899 | 5 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
121 stories matching error
- The Ghost of a Property Blunder
Years after a land sale to the federal government for a Seattle lighthouse, officials find a clerical error that threatens the entire title to the property.
- The City’s Botched Annexation Plan
Seattle’s attempt to annex surrounding lands hits a legal wall after a drafting error excludes parts of Ballard by mistake.
- The Madison Street Assessment Mix-Up
A clerical error by the city has suddenly shifted the burden of sidewalk taxes, creating a financial mess for homeowners.
- A Century of Title Confusion
A high-stakes legal battle begins to untangle property deeds in a neighborhood whose identity was lost in a clerical error.
- Seattle’s Sewer Construction Hits a Wall
A report from the City Engineer exposes significant budget overruns and administrative errors in the 1893 sewer bond projects, forcing an immediate halt to construction.
- The Price of a Clerical Error
A contractor’s slip of the pen costs him a major city street grading contract.
- A One-Letter Typo That Cost a Telegraph Giant $6,000
A misplaced 'a' in a cable address sent a lumber shipment's sale instructions to the wrong man, and a Seattle jury made Western Union pay.
- The Auditor's Ledger Scandal
After an investigation into King County's books, the county auditor is indicted for forgery following a chaotic attempt to clear the ledger before his term expired.
- The Supreme Court Says Willie Holmes Must Hang
A Franklin coal-town killing on pay day, a jailbreak during the Jerry Sherry escape, and a last appeal that dies on technicalities — the state's highest court affirms the death sentence for a young Black miner.
- The Great Seattle Property Map Scandal
A scathing editorial reveals that King County’s property assessments are so riddled with errors that the tax rolls are essentially worthless, leaving the local government in a state of administrative paralysis.
- Seattle's Mayor Vetoes Boiler Safety Bill Over a Clerical Error
Mayor J. T. Ronald sends a steam-boiler inspection ordinance back to the House of Delegates because a duplicated section would not survive court—and warns that a $3 inspection fee has already stirred opposition.
- The Great Assessment Scam: How King County Taxpayers Were Fooled by 'Blunders'
A local reporter exposes the absurdity of county tax assessments, where landowners receive notices for huge back-taxes on property they already paid off, forcing them to chase down exhausted commissioners in a cycle of bureaucratic error.
- The Tailor Who Vanished: Creditors Left Holding the Bag
H.L. Stanley’s shop has gone dark, leaving behind unpaid bills and bounced checks in a city already wary of financial instability.
- The Grammar Grudge of 1876
An editor and a local developer get into a petty, hilarious feud over building codes, split infinitives, and civic competence.
- The Great Hop Correction: A Merchant’s Penny and the Price of Truth
In a rare moment of journalistic humility, local merchants publicly corrected a previous error regarding hop prices, revealing the volatile nature of Seattle’s agricultural trade in February 1903.
- The Mayor's Report Card
The Post-Intelligencer critiques Mayor Ronald's annual message, specifically challenging his claims regarding police success and municipal debt.
- The Waterworks Breakdown
A comedy of errors at the Spring Hill pumping station leaves Seattle thirsty after engineers fall ill.
- The Great Washington Enrolment Error: How a Senate Amendment Slipped Into a Harbor Bill
A clerical mistake in the final printing of a river and harbor bill has inserted a controversial $10 million amendment intended for Galveston into legislation for Seattle's Elliott Bay, sparking threats of filibuster and legal chaos.
- The Embezzling 'Sport' Walks Free
A technical error in the wording of an indictment leads to the dismissal of charges against Elmer Mayberry, a well-known local gambler.
- Seattle's Nonpareils Outplay Tacoma in a Thrilling Baseball Match
The junior champions of the Northwest dominated Tacoma with professional teamwork and acrobatic fielding, thrilling a crowd at Madison Street ball park.
- The Great Drift: Seattle’s First Regatta Ends in a Tie with the Wind
Fifteen boats battled light airs and navigational errors during the July 4th celebration on Puget Sound, proving that even in 1876, Seattle's weather was as unpredictable as its politics.
- Tragedy in the Timber: A Faller’s Fatal Error
A young logger’s life is cut short by a freak accident in the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest.
- A Bungled Case of Robbery and Bad Paperwork
A classic instance of municipal incompetence led to suspected robbers walking free after their bail money was returned due to a clerical error in the police department.
- The Auditor and the Sheriff: A Public Spat Over Corruption
In the lead-up to the 1876 election, a public war of words between King County's Auditor and former Sheriff exposes the messy, opaque, and highly questionable state of territorial bookkeeping.
- The Boy Who Played with Fire: A Seattle Tragedy on Hart Avenue
A young boy’s fatal experiment with powder and a lit candle has left his family in mourning and the neighborhood in shock.