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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1904 | 2 |
8 stories matching ransom
- The Councilman Who Turned Down a King's Ransom
A local bribery scandal reveals the absurdity of Tacoma's political culture, where one official boasts of refusing a $132,000 bribe.
- The Violent End of the McDonald Marriage
A domestic dispute over a $100,000 ransom led to a desperate shoot-out at the Arcade Hotel.
- The Strange Fortune of 'Blanket Bill' Jarman
A pioneer who once lived among the Samish people as a captive, then as a squatter, discovers he is an heir to English estates.
- The Boarding-House Ransom
When a sailor fell deathly ill in Tacoma, his boarding-house proprietor held him hostage, hoping to claim the dying man's life savings as an exorbitant medical bill.
- The Pirates of the Pacific: When Salvage Means Plunder
A biting critique from 1886 argues that maritime 'salvage' laws in the Pacific Northwest have transformed honest sailors into modern-day pirates who hold ships hostage for ransom.
- A Brutal Hazing at the High School
A young boy narrowly escapes death after being trapped in an outhouse by older students.
- The Lumber Barons Are Starving Themselves: Why Puget Sound Should Be Feeding Its Own Cows
A local editorial argues that Washington’s reliance on imported dairy is an economic absurdity, urging farmers to switch from beef to Devon and Jersey cattle to capitalize on our unique climate.
- The Great Strawberry Goat Caper
A backyard dispute over a fence-breaking goat results in a police court standoff.
Also about this, in other words
- The Price of a Hand: A Labor Settlement in Port Townsend
A longshoreman injured while unloading cargo from the steamship Walla Walla receives a court-ordered settlement, highlighting the physical dangers of 19th-century maritime work.
- The Auditor and the Postage Stamp Heist
A political scandal unfolds as a former auditor tries to justify cashing a $120 county warrant he was previously ordered to destroy.
- A Bank Scandal in Whateom
The Cashier of the First National Bank of Whateom faces a bench warrant over a $10,000 loan, allegedly secured with inflated land values.
- The Blackmail Artist of Seattle
A man attempts to extort cash from his former employer by sending letters from behind bars, only to find himself trapped by the very schemes he designed.
- A Banker, a Stolen Watch, and a Servant Girl’s Accusation
Herman L. Chase—already accused of assaulting his servant girl—is arrested in Tacoma after a silk robe and gold watch vanish from a hotel. His friends cry blackmail.
- The Jailer’s Trust: A Domestic Tragedy in Tacoma
A prisoner allowed a day-pass to visit his wife leaves behind a trail of blood and a horrific crime scene after a fit of uncontrollable jealousy.
- The Price of Freedom
A local man chooses to serve time in the county jail rather than have his cash bond seized to pay his legal fines.
- The Opium Sloop of Port Townsend
A routine smuggling bust on the Puget Sound uncovers a cargo of opium, a piano, and a fugitive deserter, sparking a legal struggle over seized property.