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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 15 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 10 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 11 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1893 | 24 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 12 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 18 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
281 stories matching plea
- A Rich Lumberman Abducted for $6,000 — and the Kidnapper's Defense Is Insanity
In Mount Vernon, the young man accused of seizing wealthy lumberman E. O. English and holding him for a $6,000 ransom abruptly drops his not-guilty plea and admits the deed — then pivots to an insanity defense.
- The Acquittal of John Williams
A jury exonerates a man accused of killing William Lockenfritz, accepting a plea of self-defense.
- The Jailhouse Docket
Four local residents, including a man accused of arson at the Hotel Dacres, enter pleas of not guilty as court proceedings begin in Walla Walla.
- The Interpreter’s Standoff
A courtroom drama unfolds when a key Indigenous interpreter refuses to work without guaranteed pay, stalling a high-stakes murder case.
- A Desperate Plea for Mercy in a Madison Street Assault
Despite the emotional pleas of a wife attempting to protect her husband, the victim of a brutal assault refuses to drop charges.
- A Land Company’s Plea to the War Department Killed a King County Bridge
The Everett Land Company blocked a Snoqualmie River crossing near Tolt by arguing it would menace navigation—then never built the steamboat line it invoked.
- The Judge Who Tried to Save a Thief
A local magistrate spent an hour trying to talk a defendant out of a penitentiary sentence, only to be rebuffed by the prisoner.
- The Prizefighter’s Penance: John L. Sullivan in Seattle
After his high-profile prizefight in the Pacific Northwest, boxing legend John L. Sullivan faces a harsh judicial reality in a Seattle courtroom.
- An Editor Pleads Not Guilty to Calling Out a Police Chief
Charles H. Lugrin of the Telegraph faced libel charges for reporting that Seattle's police chief took gambling money — and the judge warned him not to comment further.
- The Price of a Plea in the Seattle Courts
After a hung jury and two days of intense legal maneuvering, James M. Evans, charged with the murder of his wife in Franklin, admits to second-degree murder to avoid a life-or-death first-degree verdict.
- A Confession Withdrawn, a Wife Dead: The Smokalem Mystery
Jack Smokalem pleads guilty, then takes it back, as his daughter and coroners give conflicting accounts of his wife's violent death.
- Judge Lessons for Petty Criminals
A series of court cases reveals the harsh realities and local color of Seattle's judicial system.
- Swift Justice for a Railroad Theft
A man caught stealing from a freight car is arrested, tried, and sentenced to the penitentiary within the span of a few days.
- The Hidden Leper of Seattle
A Chinese immigrant, cast out by his employer, turned to the morgue in a desperate plea for medical care.
- The Court-Martial That Laughed Up Its Sleeve
In closed sessions at Olympia, Col. J. C. Haines faces charges of foul and abusive language—but his supporters say the fix is already in.
- The Solitary Tailor’s Winter Plea
A brief, wistful moment in 1884 Seattle captures the isolating struggle of early frontier life through a tailor’s longing for a coat.
- The Struggle for Sidewalk Accessibility in 1877 Seattle
An early editorial plea highlights the difficulty of navigating the city’s unpaved streets where cows, not just people, claimed the right-of-way.
- The Double Standard of the 'Siren' Argument
An editorial critique of contemporary social norms and gendered double standards following the high-profile Breckinridge scandal.
- A Family Pattern of Criminal Charges
After pleading guilty to horse theft, a local woman is sent to a reformatory while her mother faces time in the state penitentiary.
- A Burglar Caught in the Act
Howard Dodd, caught ransacking a home on North L Street, is sentenced to up to 14 years in the state penitentiary.
- A Plea for the Drowned Soldiers
A survivor of a tragic drowning incident at Fort Townsend writes to defend the character of his fallen comrades against charges of intoxication.
- A Woman’s Plea for Protection
The lawful wife of Gee Lee seeks sanctuary with the police, fearing for her life at the hands of her husband's associates.
- 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.
- A Heartbreaking Plea for a 'Stout' Boy
A desperate local advertisement seeks a home for an eight-year-old child in exchange for farm labor in the late 1870s.
- A Desperate Search for a Missing Seattle Boy
A seven-year-old child vanishes from his home on Second Avenue, sparking a plea for information.
Also about this, in other words
- The Book Agent's Quick Exit
A traveling book salesman avoids a long legal ordeal by pleading guilty and leaving town immediately.
- The Strange Case of the Smuggler-Poet
A woman caught smuggling contraband in her skirts makes a stunning plea for mercy in a Seattle courtroom.
- The Beggar’s Plea: How an Old Man’s Tears Won a Judge’s Mercy
In a touching scene at the Snohomish County Courthouse, John Burner, a destitute laborer of 73 years, pleaded guilty to grand larceny not for greed, but because his starving family had no other way to eat.
- A Web of Extortion in Seattle
A defense attorney alleges police and lawyers conspired to coerce a fourteen-year-old girl into testifying against her own stepfather.