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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 10 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 6 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 11 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 8 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 16 |
| 1892 | 36 |
| 1893 | 44 |
| 1894 | 61 |
| 1895 | 34 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1900 | 10 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 52 |
| 1904 | 30 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 5 |
| 1909 | 31 |
| 1910 | 4 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1916 | 6 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1923 | 6 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
454 stories matching sentenc
- A Jury Played Cards While a Murder Case Hung in the Balance
Convicted murderer Murphy was sentenced to fifteen years—again—as his lawyer attacked a jury that reportedly spent its 42-hour deliberation playing whist and pedro.
- The Hangman's Verdict: John Thompson Convicted of Murder in Snohomish
A trial that captivated the entire Territory ends with a death sentence for a man accused of killing his friend during a drunken brawl over a card game.
- A Wooden Pistol Emptied the King County Jail
Thomas Blanck, awaiting appeal for murder, locked the night jailer in a cell and walked out with eight other prisoners—armed with a black wooden fake.
- A Steep Price for a Ten-Cent Robbery
A cumulative sentence law in Washington State leads to a twenty-year prison sentence for a man who robbed a bridge pedestrian of only a dime.
- The Shadow of the Gallows in Early Seattle
A crowded courtroom watches as a man is sentenced to hang for a murder on San Juan Island, marking a grim moment in the early administration of justice in Washington Territory.
- ‘Incipient Treason’: Judge Hanford Sentences the Spokane Strikers
Seven men are jailed for contempt after a mob derails trains and seizes a roundhouse during the 1894 railroad strike. The federal judge calls it insurrection.
- Judge Bell’s Hard Line on City Crime
A Seattle judge hands down stiff prison sentences for robbery to deter the criminal element in the city.
- A Judge Refuses to Wait: William Holmes Sentenced to Hang
Convicted of murdering a fellow Newcastle miner, a Black defendant hears the death sentence after his lawyer's eleventh-hour challenge to the judge's authority is thrown out.
- The Price of a Manslaughter Verdict
A convicted man sentenced to twenty years after a jury trial that Judge Humes believed was lenient.
- The Wife Who Couldn't Bear the Badge of Shame
In 1903 Spokane, a woman secured a divorce from her husband not because he was abusive, but because his life sentence for murder made her social standing untenable.
- The Last Breath in Walla Walla: A Mother’s Collapse as Her Son Faces the Gallows
In May 1888, John Ham was sentenced to death for murder in Washington Territory. His mother, Mrs. Pyle, broke down in court, while their co-conspirator fled the state, leaving the family to face the ultimate penalty.
- The Price of Bread: A Judicial Question
After two boys were sentenced to the reformatory for stealing food, an Everett editor questions whether the legal system truly serves justice or merely punishes the desperate.
- The Pendulum Swings to the Gallows
Angus McPhail, convicted of murdering a Darrington saloonkeeper, is sentenced to death at the state penitentiary.
- The 'Strong-Arm' Sentencing of Patrick J. Murphy
A Seattle judge delivers a 15-year sentence for a robbery, signaling a crackdown on street violence and the dangers of the 'strong-arm' hold-up.
- The Tears of a Gambler
A notorious gambler facing prison time is denied a new trial and begs the court for mercy.
- The Sentencing of James McPherson
A somber day in court as a defendant is sentenced to death despite his final protestations of innocence.
- The Hanging Sentence of John Thompson
A condemned man stands in a crowded Seattle courtroom, maintaining his innocence while awaiting the gallows for a fatal brawl in Renton.
- The Druggist and the Masked Robber
A Tacoma druggist’s assailant is sentenced to 14 years after pleading guilty, closing a violent chapter on Tacoma Avenue.
- Former County Clerk Sentenced for Embezzlement
William P. Fenimore receives the minimum sentence after a jury recommends leniency due to his 'exemplary character'.
- The Dime-Novel Thug Bound for Walla Walla
After a Tacoma streetcar holdup, a convicted robber is sentenced to 14 years at the state penitentiary.
- Age Technicality May Free Convicted Youth
A young man sentenced to reform school for burglary finds a path to freedom after it is revealed he is over the legal age for juvenile detention.
- Judge Lessons for Petty Criminals
A series of court cases reveals the harsh realities and local color of Seattle's judicial system.
- The Soldier Who Missed: Why Seattle Is Rooting for a Court-Martialed Hero
Sergeant Mason’s attempt to assassinate the man who killed Garfield has turned him from a mutineer into a martyr, sparking petitions and subscriptions across the Pacific Northwest.
- The Last Laugh of Charles Nordstrom
As the Seattle Star reports on May 15, 1899, condemned murderer Charles Nordstrom sits in his cell, seemingly indifferent to the death warrant signed that morning. While the legal machinery grinds toward his execution for the murder of a police officer, one man’s sarcastic smile and contemptuous silence speak louder than any final prayer.
- The Brutal Toll of 1889’s Public Safety Panic
After a violent prison break and a string of failed robberies, three young men receive decades-long prison sentences—sparking a debate over justice, recidivism, and the city's grim penal reality.