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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 7 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 4 |
28 stories matching fletcher
- The Tragedy of the Chico Gulch
A minor dispute over a killed pet dog escalates into a brutal, fatal shooting in the quiet community of Chico, revealing the violent tensions lurking behind rural neighborly relations.
- The Saloon That Wouldn't Leave
A legal war erupts over a property lease, testing whether a landlord is responsible for ousting a tenant after selling the building.
- The Tragic Death of a Great Northern Laborer
A railroad worker dies following a brutal brawl at a Third Street saloon, leading to the arrest of a local proprietor.
- The Squatters of Front Street
When a building’s rent price surged following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the owner tried to renege on an existing lease—leading to a tense standoff and a vigilante guard force.
- The Sudden Flight of Ballard's Prominent Citizen
A local businessman flees to Chicago, leaving unfinished projects and a cryptic telegram behind, out of a sensitive fear of public scandal.
- The Dog Dispute That Led to Murder
A trivial argument over a shot dog escalated into a brutal killing at a remote logging cabin near Chico.
- Blood on the Rails Near Thorpe
A railroad conductor was nearly killed by an impudent waiter on an eastbound train, leading to a tense standoff and a dramatic shooting.
- The Tragedy at the Bridge
A jury in Kitsap County convicts a man of murder in the first degree, despite his claim that the fatal shooting of Billy Fletcher was a tragic accident sparked by a dispute over a dog.
- The San Mateo Blown Apart in Semiahmoo Bay
A coal-hauling steamer is rendered a floating wreck by a sudden gas explosion, leaving the crew battered but alive.
- The Mayor Who Refused to Apologize: A Retiring Councilman’s Bold Farewell
In a rare display of civic integrity, R.C. Macon tells Seattle's City Council he has 'no apologies to make' for his tenure, setting the stage for a contentious battle over the city clerkship.
- The $12.50 License That Became a $300 Shakedown
Expressman J.A. Fletcher said a license inspector never asked him to renew, then had him arrested, searched, and thrown into a steel cage with seven prisoners—over a $12.50 fee he says he would have paid.
- A Wooden Pistol Emptied the King County Jail
Thomas Blanck, awaiting appeal for murder, locked the night jailer in a cell and walked out with eight other prisoners—armed with a black wooden fake.
- The Wooden Revolver That Sprung Tom Blanck
A murderer awaiting appeal in the King County jail used a hand-carved fake gun to force his way past the night jailer, then vanished into the Black River woods as a sheriff's posse rushed south by special train.
- The Trial of Severus Ratten
A murder trial proceeds in Kitsap County despite defense arguments that local prejudice makes a fair hearing impossible.
- The Town That Wouldn't Sleep: Snohomish’s Fourth of July Overflow
When the steamers arrived with guests from Seattle and upriver, two hotels couldn't hold them all. The town celebrated with a reading by a woman, a poem by a local man, and a boat ride that nearly capsized on the Skagit.
- The Great Shingle Train of 1892
A record-breaking shipment of 5,000,000 red cedar shingles from Ballard mills highlights the rapid industrial growth of a young Seattle.
- Ballard’s Shingle Mills Roar Back to Life
After months of silence due to litigation and economic uncertainty, the neighborhood's mill economy gears up for a busy winter.
- The Jailer Lost the Key
A murder trial in Kitsap County is stalled after a clumsy jailer heads downtown with the only key to the prisoner's cell.
- The Automatic Entertainer's Divorce
A local husband defending a divorce suit reveals his unique business holdings in coin-operated slot machines and automatic banjos.
- Railroad Worker Killed in Pasco Yard
Charles B. Hunt dies under the wheels of a switch engine while crossing tracks at night.
- The Railroad Man Who Gave Seattle Its First Real Baseball Team — Then Lost Everything
W. R. Thornell organized the Pacific Northwest League and the 'Seattle Reds,' then lost his bank job over a forged note. Bright's disease took him at Paddock Memorial Hospital in Tacoma; he was buried in the city that once cheered him.
- The Ministers and the Mayor-Elect
A committee from the Ministerial Alliance meets with Mayor-elect Wright to probe his stance on the city's 'open' or 'closed' status, leaving the public to guess the outcome.
- Visions for Tacoma's Industrial Growth
Local business leaders and Congressman Cushman debate federal funding for harbor dredging and the city's potential as a Pacific coastal powerhouse.
- Democrats Rally to Break the Pierce County Republican Stronghold
Delegates gather at Germania Hall to nominate a full slate of candidates, hoping to disrupt the Republican dominance of Pierce County politics.
- When 500 Knights Paraded Through Seattle: The 1893 Pythian Bash
The Knights of Pythias marked their 30th anniversary with a grand parade, a ball for 1,500 at Armory Hall, and a secret ritual—while scouting land for a proposed Pythian home.
Also about this, in other words
- The Persistent Mailbox Bandit of the Pacific Coast
Mortimer Fox, a serial forger and letter-box thief, faces three years at hard labor after his final spree targeting Seattle businesses.
- A Domestic Dispute Involving a Flat Iron
A husband and wife near the Walla Walla garrison settle their marital grievances in court after a heated altercation.
- Longshoreman Injured at Commercial Dock
A dock worker is rushed to the hospital after a workplace accident involving falling lumber.
- A Saloon Death in Winlock, and a Prosecutor Who Isn’t Sure
A minister swore out a murder complaint against two saloon proprietors after F. M. Frost died from injuries received in their bar, but the county attorney doubted the evidence would hold.
- A Marriage to Avoid the Law
A kidnapping case in Kelso takes an unexpected turn when the defendants are wed in court to resolve their custody and living arrangement disputes.
- The Flat-Iron, the Umbrella, and the Inkstand: A Port Townsend Divorce Suit
J. K. Meyer's divorce petition turns a respectable Port Townsend marriage into a catalogue of thrown household goods, alleged affairs, and very public embarrassment.
- A Rancher, a Falling Fir, and a Daughter's Terrible Discovery
F. O. Hall was clearing land at Vaughn Bay when a lodged tree came down; his nine-year-old found him beneath it.
- A Violent Cutting Affray
A preliminary hearing reveals the brutal details of a knife attack at a North Fourth Street restaurant.