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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 3 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1909 | 1 |
46 stories matching indebt
- King County's Missing $61,000: Treasurer Accused of Embezzlement
A committee's report reveals that former County Treasurer George D. Hill is indebted to King County for over $61,000; the board orders legal action against him and his bondsmen.
- The Political Brawl Over Seattle’s Debt
At a heated series of ward meetings in 1892, Republicans and reformers clashed over city finances, corruption, and a controversial proposal to tax 'abandoned women and gamblers.'
- The Tragedy of a Guardian's Greed
A sick pioneer's recovery is threatened by the revelation that his own brother, who managed his affairs, billed him for everything from streetcar fares to tobacco for horses.
- The Last Stand of Bebe Low: A Saloon Keeper’s Final Plea
In August 1876, Seattle saloon owner Bebe Low publicly demanded his debts be settled before disappearing from the city, leaving behind a cryptic notice and a legacy of vanished frontier commerce.
- Settling Up Before the New Year
A Snohomish City blacksmith issues a stern public notice for customers to settle their debts before 1879.
- Collapse of the Steilacoom Distilling Plant
A creditor seeks a receiver for a charcoal and creosote plant that failed to sustain operations after only four months.
- An End to the Firm of Frost & Fowler
A straightforward dissolution notice captures the fleeting nature of 19th-century business partnerships in Snohomish County.
- The Struggle for the Ballot
A political critique on the influence of Charles M. Bradshaw in securing women's suffrage.
- The Steilacoom Gold Rush Fever
Reports from Colville suggest a new mining boom is drawing men away from the territory's established industries.
- County Commissioners Hunt Down Missing Treasurer’s Funds
A forensic audit reveals that former Yakima County Treasurer John A. Splawn left a deficit of over a thousand dollars, sparking a legal demand for repayment from his estate.
- The Tragedy of Wynooche Charley
A local Indigenous man loses his life in a sudden accident at the Cosmopolis wharf, leaving the community to mourn a familiar figure.
- Fireman Suspended for Unpaid Debts
The Seattle Fire Department takes a hardline stance against members failing to pay their financial obligations to colleagues.
- The Seattle Bazaar Bankruptcy Scandal
Bank sues Samuel Levy, alleging the Seattle Bazaar’s closure and stock seizures were a scheme to defraud creditors.
- The Struggle to Keep the Lights On
A local electric utility faces receivership as debt and equipment failures threaten to leave the city's businesses in the dark.
- The Mystery of the Missing Check
A deep-seated accounting discrepancy involving former City Treasurer W. L. Ames leads to calls for a formal investigation and legal action.
- The Stevedore’s Claim: A Waterfront Legal Battle
After loading a massive cargo of spars, timber, and planks, a Seattle laborer took the ship owners to federal court to recover his unpaid wages.
- The Sheriff’s Unwelcome Guest
An indebted Seattle businessman is arrested on a steamboat just as he was about to skip town for Whatcom.
- Theft Allegations and Anti-Asian Tropes
A railroad worker is accused of absconding with company funds in a case reflecting the xenophobic framing of the era.
- The 'Boycott' Against the Marsh Café
When the Queen City Assembly of the Knights of Labor blacklisted a local Seattle eatery over an unpaid debt to a defunct newspaper, it ignited a town-wide showdown over journalistic dignity and worker solidarity.
- The Almshouse Arbitration
King County commissioners call upon a committee of prominent citizens to settle long-standing claims over the construction of a new almshouse.
- The Skykomish Land Swindle
A judge censures a predatory agent for defrauding an elderly pioneer farmer out of his land in a mortgage scheme.
- A Grand Jury’s Gift of Milk
Seattle’s Children’s Home receives a life-changing donation from the civic body overseeing the county’s legal affairs.
- The Five Million Dollar Railroad Grudge
A prominent Walla Walla railroad contractor accuses the Northern Pacific of malicious legal tactics that destroyed his business.
- The Treasury Scandal of 1887
A team of expert auditors discovers that King County’s former treasurer, George V. Hill, systematically pilfered thousands of dollars using creative accounting and 'lost' tax records.
- The Butcher's Double Life
A local butcher's social charade collapses when his wife arrives in town from Pendleton, leading to a swift departure and unpaid debts.
Also about this, in other words
- School Board Debt Scandal
Walla Walla residents head to the polls to rectify the school board's unauthorized debt, but skeptics wonder who really benefits from the higher interest rates.