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1. Seattle's 1894 Election: Corruption, Fraud, and the Fight for City Hall

   As voters head to the polls, the Post-Intelligencer unleashes a blistering attack on the Democratic administration, alleging graft, forgery, and a machine determined to hold power at any cost.

   Mar 6, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle City Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

2. The Party Says Not Guilty—and Cheers the Man It Removed

   Seattle Democrats put their scandal-scarred administration on trial at Haake's Hall, buried a First Ward delegate fight, and sent David E. Durie into the mayor's race while J.M. Wolfe got the ovation.

   Feb 28, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

3. Political Chaos and the 'Colonization' of Tacoma

   As municipal elections loom, accusations of bribery, fraud, and the importation of 'heelers' from Seattle turn Tacoma politics into a desperate power struggle.

   Mar 8, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

4. City Engineer Fired Amidst Political Pressure

   A storm of public indignation follows the board of public works' decision to remove the city engineer at the behest of shadowy political 'wreckers.'

   Jan 20, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

5. 1894 Seattle Public Works Board Faces Patronage Uproar

   Seattle taxpayers are urged to demand accountability after the removal of city commissioners following charges of mismanagement and ward-heeler influence.

   Feb 17, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

6. Dirty Tricks, 1892: Yakima's Candidate for Governor Fights Back

   A Seattle paper accused the Democratic nominee of fleeing his debts and defrauding orphans. Snively's supporters called it a Republican smear—and produced letters to prove it.

   Oct 27, 1892The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyCity Hall · Scandal

7. The Fight for Private Ballots

   Spokane voters are demanding an end to the era of 'ward heelers' peering over their shoulders at the polls.

   Dec 12, 1903The Evening StatesmanSpokane, Spokane CountyCity Hall

8. Guns at the Polls: Seattle’s First Ward Primary Erupts in a Street Brawl

   Sheriff Woolery and saloon man John Considine tried to seize a Republican primary by arresting the election judges; Chief Rogers and his police fought back with warrants, clubs and drawn revolvers.

   Sep 2, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

9. The 'Bloody First' Ward Primary Fraud

   A rowdy Seattle Democratic primary descends into chaos, ballot-stuffing, and mob rule as the John Collins-Considine faction fights to maintain control.

   Feb 25, 1894The Seattle Post-Intelligencer220 Washington Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

10. The Seattle Election Telegrams: When Political Operatives Ran the Show

    Leaked ciphers from 1892 reveal a scheme where out-of-town 'detectives' and thugs were imported to manipulate local elections and manufacture scandals.

    Mar 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

11. The Sewer Blunder Heard 'Round Seattle

    A multi-thousand dollar engineering failure exposes political cronyism and a laughable construction mistake on Front Street.

    Jan 28, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

12. A Gunfighter Imported for a Seattle Primary

    Sheriff Woolery and saloon-world fixer John Considine tried to seize a First Ward Republican primary—and brought a jailed gambler along to help.

    Sep 3, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

13. A Sewer Scheme Built on Incompetence

    Citizens and taxpayers are calling out the city's reckless mismanagement of sewer construction projects downtown.

    Jan 23, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

14. The Wild 1892 Election Day Riot in Seattle’s First Ward

    While Seattle’s municipal election saw a decisive shift in power, the ballot boxes were guarded by brawls, rumors of illegal ‘hobo’ voters, and street-side skirmishes that nearly turned deadly.

    Mar 9, 1892The Seattle Post-Intelligencer4th Ave S & S Washington St, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

15. A Bloody Political Dispute in a South Third Street Saloon

    Partisanship and liquor lead to a brutal knifing after two men argue over their respective roles in local conventions.

    Oct 12, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

16. City Hall's Patronage Scandal

    Seattle taxpayers express alarm as the Board of Public Works removes the city engineer to replace him with a political loyalist.

    Jan 21, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

17. The Political Machine and the Perjury Case

    A witness linked to a local political machine waives his hearing just days before the city election, allegedly to protect prominent figures from being implicated in a naturalization scheme.

    Jul 11, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · True Crime

18. The Snohomish Turncoat

    A young legislator betrays his constituents to join a chaotic senatorial deadlock in Olympia.

    Jan 19, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

19. The Political Spoils System in City Hall

    An affidavit from a local laborer reveals that city work was being doled out strictly based on partisan political affiliation rather than merit.

    Feb 11, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

20. Voters Reject Party Bosses

    Both the Colored Men's League and the German-American Club move to cut ties with the Democratic machine over insults and corruption.

    Mar 2, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

21. Accusations of Corruption in State Capitol Planning

    The Walla Walla Statesman warns that a proposed constitutional amendment is a front for a 'boodler' syndicate in Olympia.

    Oct 27, 1892The Yakima HeraldState Capitol, Olympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

22. The Boss of Port Townsend

    A taxpayer-led revolt targets a city treasurer backed by gamblers, prostitutes, and the local political machine.

    Apr 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall

23. The Battle Over Tacoma's Waterworks

    As citizens gather to protest a municipal bond election for the private water company's plant, accusations of political bribery and corporate control boil over.

    Apr 11, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

24. Seattle’s 1891 Election-Eve Alarm: ‘Watch Until the Vote Is Counted’

    On the eve of municipal elections, the Post-Intelligencer accuses the Democratic administration of protected gambling, a looted treasury and stacked election boards—and warns Republicans that the only danger left is the count.

    Mar 5, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

25. Nine Votes to Kill Civil Service—Tacoma's Council Tries to Gut the Charter

    At a special meeting, nine councilmen back a plan to let the mayor fire city workers at will; reformists need to hold two more votes to stop it.

    Feb 12, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

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