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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1864 | 5 |
| 1865 | 3 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1876 | 43 |
| 1877 | 32 |
| 1878 | 28 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1883 | 48 |
| 1884 | 19 |
| 1885 | 27 |
| 1886 | 30 |
| 1887 | 35 |
| 1888 | 15 |
| 1889 | 71 |
| 1890 | 14 |
| 1891 | 40 |
| 1892 | 150 |
| 1893 | 168 |
| 1894 | 99 |
| 1895 | 120 |
| 1897 | 3 |
| 1898 | 6 |
| 1899 | 25 |
| 1900 | 9 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 66 |
| 1904 | 62 |
| 1905 | 4 |
| 1907 | 1 |
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| 1909 | 58 |
| 1910 | 10 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 14 |
| 1916 | 22 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1923 | 8 |
| 1924 | 6 |
| 1925 | 3 |
| 1929 | 1 |
1,314 stories matching escape
- The Olympia Bear Escape
A dangerous confrontation unfolds in Olympia when an employee of the local power company is mauled while attempting to recapture escaped bears.
- Jailer Accused of Aiding Prisoner’s Escape in Tacoma
A jail cook alleges that a jailer pressured him to flee during an administrative transition, raising questions about a recent high-profile escape.
- The Fire Safety Debate of 1904
Tacoma building owners argue that 'fireproof' construction renders fire escapes redundant, but city officials stand their ground.
- The Battle for Fire Safety on Pacific Avenue
Tacoma’s People's Store faces legal action for refusing to install mandatory fire escapes.
- City Moves to Require Fire Escapes
Public safety concerns mount as officials order the proprietor of the Rainier Hotel to install life-saving fire escapes.
- Jailbreak in Walla Walla
Emil Bordeneuf escapes county jail, leaving behind a bizarre, rambling farewell letter.
- The Unsafe Penitentiary at McNeil Island
Repeated escapes from the government facility lead to complaints that the island's prison buildings are dangerously insecure.
- A Chain Gang Escapee Captured in North Seattle
Dan McMillan, who made a daring escape from a city chain gang, is finally back in custody after years on the run.
- A Narrow Escape at the Coal Mine
A coal miner in Gilman is lucky to be alive after a car accident leaves him with a broken leg.
- The Jailbreak at Fort Simcoe
A notorious murderer escapes custody in Yakima, leaving the community on edge.
- A Miraculous Escape on the Road
A local man walks away uninjured after his car flips during a collision near Hanford.
- Fire Hazards Spark Call to Expand County Hospital
Following a nearby blaze, officials realize the hospital is too crowded and lacks sufficient fire escapes.
- Two Convicts Escape Thurston County Jail
A pair of prisoners utilized a stolen bolt to force their cell door open and escape custody Saturday night.
- The Escape of 'Big Nose Pete'
A notorious Chicago burglar makes a narrow escape from a Seattle detective after an intense foot chase through a downtown saloon.
- The Great Escape from the Chehalis Reform School
Two boys break out of the state reformatory in their nightshirts, only to be recaptured after a desperate clothes-stealing spree in Centralia.
- The Inspector Checks the Sheets and the Fire Escapes
A new state lodging-house law brought an inspector to Newport, where rope escapes and alarm gongs were ordered—and innkeepers grumbled about fees and red tape.
- The Bear That Bit Back: Deputy Collector’s Narrow Escape from Tax-Collecting Felines
In a bizarre twist of frontier justice in Toledo, Washington, two tame bears were unleashed on a deputy revenue collector after their Italian owner refused to pay taxes.
- A Convent Escape and a Steamer Waiting: The Elopement That Ended in Port Townsend
When her parents opposed the match on religious grounds, Mary Emma Kealy was cloistered in a convent. She escaped in a carriage, reached a waiting steamer, and married Ward Debeck in Port Townsend.
- The Unwitting Accomplice
A Dayton woman is forced by authorities to betray an escaped convict after providing him with money and clothing.
- The Great Escape and Capture of the 'Crazy Desperado' of Mercer Slough
A man escapes from the Steilacoom asylum, survives a seventy-mile trek through the wilderness on a shattered ankle, and is eventually captured in a Bothell cabin.
- The Great Jailbreak of 1886
After being convicted of a sensational local murder, a Seattle man pulled off a daring escape from the county jail by using clever DIY tools.
- The Great Escape: Professor Baldwin’s Spectacular Deception in Seattle
In July 1876, a traveling spiritualist and escape artist took over Yeager's Hall, challenging the public to witness his 'human agency' escapes from handcuffs and pillories, exposing the mediums of the day as frauds.
- Cattle Dog Saves Teen from Cougar Attack Near Spokane
An 18-year-old hunting cattle narrowly escapes a mountain lion's spring, thanks to his loyal dog's fierce counterattack.
- Sheriff Offers $250 After Five Escape King County Jail
When five prisoners escaped from the King County jail in 1878, the local sheriff issued a bounty for their capture—a high-stakes display of frontier justice.
- Tragedy at the Seattle Penitentiary
A desperate escape attempt by three prisoners at the Seattle jail ends in a bloody shootout, leaving one dead and others wounded.
Also about this, in other words
- The Great Train Escape
A federal prisoner leaps through a train window at 30 miles per hour while handcuffed, sparking a desperate manhunt in the woods near Pasco.
- The Midnight Escape from the King County Jail
When four inmates mysteriously vanished from their cells, the local authorities were left baffled and scrambling to track them down along the muddy roads of old Seattle.
- The Great Escape at Steilacoom
Five convicts at the state penitentiary staged a daring, daylight breakout, leading to a desperate shootout in the woods.
- The Great Jailbreak of 1889
In 1889, fifteen of 31 prisoners escaped a city jail through a sawed hole in the wall; none were recaptured.
- A Fire, a Locked Door, and a Daring Escape
A local reverend barely survived the blaze that destroyed his home in Black Diamond by shattering a window to escape the flames.
- A Desperate Dash from the Marshal
A United States prisoner attempts a daring escape from a carriage in Spokane, leading to a high-stakes chase.
- A Daring Prison Break Nearly Becomes a Tragedy
A Walla Walla prisoner’s attempt to squeeze through a barred window leaves him trapped and nearly hanging by his own neck.
- A Desperate Escape from the Northern Pacific
A convicted burglar leaps from a speeding train to freedom, only to be found hiding inside a hollowed-out log.