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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 6 |
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| 1893 | 23 |
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154 stories matching fake
- A Fake Labor Endorsement Backfires
A mysterious 'open letter' from supposed labor advocates is exposed as a fraudulent campaign tactic by the Walla Walla Trades Council.
- The Forger Who Faked His Own Death
A swindler who planted a fake death notice in a Denver paper is arrested in Seattle and returned to Colorado to face forgery charges.
- The Gold-Brick Con: A Tacoma Contractor Swindled
A Slavonian contractor loses $550 to two men posing as subcontractors in an elaborate fake-deal scheme.
- The Great Nickel Counterfeit Bust
A local slot machine monopolist calls in the Secret Service to stop a gang from minting slugs to cheat his own gambling machines.
- Stranded in Seattle by Fake Alaska Jobs
Two hundred men were swindled by a fake construction company, leaving them stranded without pay or prospects.
- A Tailor's Desperate Act of Poverty
After faking his own death to spare his family the hardship of life in Seattle, a struggling tailor makes a series of harrowing, failed attempts to end his life.
- The Swindler with the Golden Brick
A local confidence man allegedly fleeced hotels and saloons by leaving behind fake gold bricks as temporary collateral.
- Everett Labor Leaders Organize Against 'Fake' Union Labels
Amidst an ongoing strike, the local Trades Council urges members to vet their hats and local restaurants to ensure they are supporting legitimate union-made goods.
- The Tacoma Fight and the Rumors of a Fix
A boxing match at the Tacoma Athletic Association turns into a local scandal as accusations of a 'fake' emerge following a quick knockout.
- The Con Artist of Fairhaven
A smooth-talking accountant gambles away his reputation and his wife's dignity with a string of bad checks and a faked suicide attempt.
- The Broomstick Revolver: How a Seattle Inmate Whitted a Pistol in His Cell
Behind bars in the Seattle city jail, prisoner Henry Blanck carved a convincing revolver from a broom handle, stove wood and tobacco foil — a jailhouse bluff that detectives called a new chapter in the city's criminal history.
- The Sailor's Forgery
A maritime worker's quick attempt to cash a fake order ends in an arrest.
- A Violent Opium Sting Goes Wrong
An attempt by customs officers to pose as black-market buyers of 375 pounds of opium resulted in a brutal, bloody brawl that left three people hospitalized.
- The Counterfeiter of Tacoma’s Lodging Houses
A man is back in custody after passing fake gold coins on unsuspecting boarding house operators.
- The Alarmist Officer
A Seattle patrolman's attempt to slack off duty by pulling a fake fire alarm led to a public scandal and the end of his career.
- A Decoy Letter, a Lonely Road, and a Confession
Charles Wezler admits to shooting his former mother-in-law to death on a Gig Harbor country road after a fake letter lured her there — a desperate scheme over children and alimony that ended in murder.
- The Ghost Relief Recipients
A Seattle charity secretary is caught creating fake relief applications to steal funds, revealing a rot in the city's aid system.
- The Impostor and the Army
A man posing as a member of the Salvation Army was caught panhandling for personal gain, drawing a stern rebuke from the organization's local leadership.
- The Walnut Grove Tax Swindler
An imposter is visiting homes in the Walnut Grove addition, masquerading as a deputy treasurer to shake down residents for fake tax debts.
- Counterfeiters Caught in Gilman
A raid on a hotel room in Gilman reveals a makeshift mint producing fake gold coins.
- A Missing Husband and a Disputed Insurance Claim
A Tacoma woman sues an insurance company for her husband's policy, but the company claims he faked his disappearance to escape domestic strife.
- The Deaf Dodge
A local drunkard tries to outsmart a judge by faking deafness, only to be tripped up by the prospect of a free drink.
- The Ghost of the Chicken Ranch
After E.G. Radloff faked his own death by burning another man's body in his home, the insurance company he tried to defraud is finally coming for his property.
- The Great Cat Deception
A lonely Seattle resident is duped by his friends into believing a stray kitten arrived by express from Massachusetts.
- A Secret Prize Fight in the Southern Woods
A small group of spectators gathered in a secluded nook to watch a 'scientific contest' between two local pugilists.