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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1904 | 3 |
18 stories matching purloin
- Red Pepper on the Stove, Stolen Gloves, and the School Board's Reckoning
Seattle's board of education spends an afternoon suspending pupils: a girl accused of purloining a book and a pair of gloves, two boys who peppered the stove, and a young thief who took instruments from the Central School.
- The Thief in Blue: Police Chief Exposes Captain’s Theft of Prisoners’ Belongings
A dramatic hearing reveals Officer Fayban’s accusation that Captain Henry Sheahan stole handkerchiefs, neckties, and cash from arrested men, sparking a bitter war of words between Seattle’s top law enforcement officials.
- The Stolen Petition That Could Have Split Spokane County
In 1883, a push to carve a new county out of Spokane turned ugly when a 350-name petition vanished from a Howard Street law office.
- Disgruntled Workers Dynamited Flume in Yakima
After failing to receive pay for their labor, a crew of ditch workers turned to dynamite to exact revenge on the Leadbetter Ditch Company.
- The Unmasking of 'Julius the Fugitive'
A small-town swindler’s life of crime finally catches up with him after a string of scams across the Pacific Northwest.
- The Great Egg Heist: A Drunken Chase Ends in Laughter on Pike Street
When James Quinn grabbed a case of eggs near First Avenue, Officer Cameron gave chase with drawn revolver—only for the 'thief' to surrender with a request for a cigarette.
- The Yesler Will Case: A Dead Millionaire, a Missing Will, and a Widow on Trial
In a Seattle courtroom, prosecutors argue that Mrs. Yesler conspired to destroy her husband's will—while defense lawyers call the case a web of speculation and newspaper rumor.
- The City's 'Souvenir' Epidemic
Tacoma restaurants struggle with a wave of thefts as society women and girls make off with hotel silverware as mementoes.
- The Grocer and the Cheese Thief
When local police were too busy to help, a Front Street store owner took matters into his own hands.
- The Great North End Porch Raids
A string of minor thefts in Tacoma's North End has residents tracking footprints in the snow to find the culprits who made off with their cold victuals.
- A Saloonkeeper's Wife and Her Mother Caught with $1,500 of Stolen Finery
After months of disappearing goods, a Tacoma detective followed a suspiciously bulging cloak to a house piled high with purloined hats, silks, umbrellas and perfume — and a household of weeping women, howling children and one barking poodle.
- The Case of the Missing Territorial Library Books
A government official alleges that a man named William Pickering purloined two packages of library books intended for public use.
- A Nephew, a Vault Key, and the Missing Deeds
B. F. Day says his nephew by marriage talked him into recording a deed in the younger man's name—then used a key to the safe-deposit box to make the proof of ownership disappear.
- A Petition Vanishes and the Fight to Carve Up Spokane County Turns Nasty
As Olympia weighs a bill to split off the new 'Sprague County,' Spokane Falls editors cry foul over a petition with 300 names that disappeared from an office — and defend a rival editor accused of inventing the theft.
- The Great Chicken Scandal of 1877
A wave of missing poultry in early Seattle highlights the city's growing anxiety over poverty, xenophobia, and the 'vagabond' population of the waterfront.
- The Great Strawberry Goat Caper
A backyard dispute over a fence-breaking goat results in a police court standoff.
- The Scandalous Tale of the Stolen Will
A Seattle attorney dismisses rumors of a purloined inheritance as a malicious shakedown attempt by a disgruntled servant.
- Theft Attempted During Church Service
Two young boys are caught trying to steal an usher's coat during a church service, only to be arrested by a member of the congregation.
Also about this, in other words
- A Pugilistic Showdown at the Machine Shop
A staged prizefight between two local heavyweights turns into a public spectacle.
- The Pugilistic Excursion to the Sound
A staged prize fight on a remote island ends in a farce, leaving the crowd with nothing but a boat ride and a band concert.
- The Green Smuggler and the Tricky Trunk
A novice opium smuggler is nabbed in Puyallup after his anxious behavior at the train station tipped off the local police chief.
- The Brutal Burlesque at Port Gamble
A Masonic initiation ceremony goes too far, leaving the audience horrified by realistic theatrics.
- A Local Boy’s Dangerous Encounter with a Pet Raccoon
A young newsboy known as 'Pud' loses a finger after a rough encounter with a captive raccoon.
- A pugilist's brutal night in the street
After being turned away from a hotel bar, professional boxer Jim Hall finds himself on the wrong end of a cabman's brawl.
- A Puyallup Hop Grower’s London Cable
Louis Gunter locks in two years of his crop at 25 cents a pound—after sending samples to the London brewer who once employed him in Hamburg.
- A Monument for the Lamented Coats
Indigenous communities gather at Puyallup to honor a leader with a grand memorial and traditional potlatch.