Same Streets

Research the archive

Narrow 22,457 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.

Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.

Refine
Published
When they were publishedBusiest year 1877, 2 stories. Pick a year or a decade to narrow to it.
Show the numbers
YearStories
18772
18831
18851
18881

5 stories matching madman

  1. The Madman of Pacific Avenue

    A mysterious stranger who claimed he could blow up trains with his mind was committed to an asylum after being found pacing outside a Halstead house. Days later, his body washed up in the bay, sparking whispers of foul play.

    May 25, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPacific Avenue, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

  2. The Madman with the Million-Dollar Conspiracy

    A wandering stranger’s frantic claims of a plot to rob him in Seattle lead to his arrest and a stark reminder: the city is growing too fast for its own good.

    Apr 27, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyLocal Legends

  3. The River Eats the Office: A Snohomish Flood Story

    In January 1877, the Snohomish River rose so high that it swallowed the rear of the Northern Star newspaper office, threatening to wash away the town's press along with its ink.

    Jan 13, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyDisasters

  4. Family Terrorized by Disturbed Man

    A young man, denied commitment to an asylum, drives his family from their home at gunpoint.

    Mar 13, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

  5. The Drunken Sailor's Plunge

    Two reporters witness the same chaotic scene at Yesler's Wharf.

    Dec 7, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

Also about this, in other words

  1. The Trial of Neil Sweeney: Sane or Mad?

    A Seattle probate court spends an afternoon determining the mental state of a man accused of madness, highlighting the precarious nature of asylum discharges and personal liberty in 1887.

    Feb 9, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle

  2. The Maniac at the Opal Saloon

    A hotel runner causes chaos after barricading himself inside a Third Street bar.

    Jul 24, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle

  3. A Machinist Committed to the Asylum

    A perfectly rational machinist is sent to Steilacoom despite his protests, leaving behind a wife and child.

    Mar 25, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle

  4. The Maniac of Huntsdale: Constable Harrow’s Fatal Standoff

    A local constable shoots and kills a man described as 'crazy' in the woods near Georgetown, sparking questions about mental health custody and frontier justice.

    Apr 11, 1899The Seattle StarGeorgetown, Seattle

  5. A Prisoner’s Descent Into Delusion in Everett

    A man awaiting extradition for murder in the Everett jail claims to be under a 'divine' sentence, prompting local officials to question his sanity.

    Jan 1, 1904The Evening StatesmanCounty Jail, Everett

  6. Violent Outbreak at Local Lodging House

    A man suffering a mental health crisis killed a fellow tenant before turning the knife on himself in a harrowing scene at a downtown lodging house.

    Dec 10, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle

  7. The Man Who Wasn't Mad: A Civil War Veteran’s Battle for Sanity

    James A. Balch, a tall, soldierly old man in a faded uniform, was held at the King County Insane Asylum for five years despite being lucid. His family fought him through habeas corpus, and today, the superintendent admitted he had recovered his reason.

    Jun 7, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle

  8. The Barber Who Inhaled Gas and Ran Screaming Down Pacific Avenue

    A faulty gas arc left a new barber violently irrational and touched off a street struggle in Tacoma.

    Jan 2, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma

Download all 5 as a spreadsheet (CSV)