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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 | 3 |
| 1885 | 11 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1893 | 23 |
| 1894 | 17 |
| 1895 | 22 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 12 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 16 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
269 stories matching pleas
- 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.
- 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- A Confession Withdrawn, a Wife Dead: The Smokalem Mystery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.
- A Family’s Quiet Plea for a Daughter
In an era of hard labor and rugged expansion, one Seattle couple sought to expand their home through an adoption request published in the local paper.
Also about this, in other words
- 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.
- 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.