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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 15 |
| 1892 | 29 |
| 1893 | 13 |
| 1894 | 32 |
| 1895 | 37 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 4 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 9 |
| 1904 | 6 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1909 | 9 |
| 1910 | 5 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 13 |
| 1917 | 4 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1925 | 1 |
287 stories matching justifi
- The Tragedy at Burlington
A domestic dispute between a stepfather and his stepson ends in a fatal shooting, ruled justifiable by a coroner's jury.
- The Tragedy at the Simon Newman Store
A violent confrontation at a local trading post ends in a coroner's verdict of justifiable homicide.
- The Whistleblower Who Won
A Seattle man is acquitted of criminal libel for writing a letter warning labor organizers against a corrupt local official.
- The Indictment of Harry Baer
A Spokane man faces a murder charge for a saloon shooting that was initially ruled 'justifiable homicide' by a conflicted jury.
- The Dynamite Murder of Tacoma: A Mob’s Verdict
In the early hours of January 1890, a Tacoma man was dragged from jail and hanged by a vigilante mob for blowing up a house and killing a sleeping family. The Seattle press offers a chilling reflection on whether such 'swift justice' is ever truly justified.
- The Axe and the Insane Asylum: A Tragedy in Snohomish
A local farmer justifies shooting a stranger who assaulted his sister, citing the attacker's history of mental illness.
- A County Treasurer’s Bond With Too Many Holes
Seattle’s newly elected county treasurer filed a surety bond riddled with defects, withdrawn signatures and backers who pledged more than they could justify.
- County Surveyor Pocketed $2 a Day From Subordinates
A Seattle newspaper exposes how the local county surveyor was illegally skimming off the wages of his subordinates for his own personal profit.
- The President’s Directive at the Hotel Tacoma
A leaked account of a 1903 banquet reveals how Theodore Roosevelt settled a local political dispute over railroad regulation with a single, sharp rebuke.
- The Deadly Cost of a Black Diamond Burglary
A thwarted nighttime break-in at a mining camp saloon ends in a fatal shooting, prompting a coroner's verdict of justifiable homicide.
- Olympia Deadlock: Minority Republicans Block US Senate Election
A legislative rebellion in the state capital threatens to leave Washington without a United States senator.
- Vigilante Expulsion in Yakima
After an arrest for public indecency, a mob seized a man from the town jail and forced him to leave the area.
- A Wife's Last Resort: Abused Woman Kills Husband in Kittitas County
After years of beatings, a Roslyn rancher's wife shoots him dead; neighbors say it was justified.
- Seattle's Streetcar Deal: Fair Terms or a Giveaway?
An 1895 editorial defends the city council's bargain with a private streetcar company, arguing that good service and future investment mattered more than squeezing out a quick profit.
- A Mystery in the School District Archives
A search through district records reveals suspicious 'straw bonds' and contract irregularities in the building of a new school.
- Vigilante Mob Targets Coal Creek Chinese Miners
A masked party of men armed with firearms forced Chinese laborers from their homes, leaving their settlement in flames.
- The Vagrancy Trap: A Precedent for Exclusion
A Marysville judge shuts down jury trials for those accused of vagrancy, empowering local police to forcibly remove 'bad characters' from the city.
- The Standoff at Vantage Ferry
The state attempts to block a private toll bridge at Vantage Ferry, pushing for a public crossing to secure federal highway aid.
- The End of the Chain Gang in Seattle
City officials move to retire the practice of using prisoners for manual street labor, shifting to rock-breaking in a bid to deter professional tramps.
- The Great Seattle-Portland Population War
In 1882, Seattle editors launched a sharp, statistical campaign to prove their city was growing faster than its southern rival.
- The Shadow of the Gallows in Early Seattle
A crowded courtroom watches as a man is sentenced to hang for a murder on San Juan Island, marking a grim moment in the early administration of justice in Washington Territory.
- The Hanford Columbian Folds
After five years of publication, the Hanford Columbian suspends operations, marking a shift in the local media landscape.
- Tacoma Postmaster Fires Women to Hire Men
Local postmaster justifies replacing female clerks with men and his own son by citing efficiency and gossip concerns.
- The Mayor Fires His Police Commissioner in a Fight Over a Den
A vice dispute between Seattle's police chief and one of his commissioners ends with Mayor Phelps wielding the axe.
- The Strict Moral Geometry of the Schoolroom
Teachers debate the merits of strict discipline, the threat of school suspensions, and the 'moral atmosphere' of the classroom.