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238 stories matching sue
- A Dead Unmarried Worker Was Worth Nothing—Until This Law
Washington's legislature finally let dependent parents and siblings sue when a provider was killed on the job, ending a rule that made unmarried workers cheaper to kill than to maim.
- Mary Fisher Sues Architect Jasper Fisher Over Marriage Vow
A woman sues a prominent Seattle architect for $10,000, alleging he kept her in a common-law marriage for years before abandoning her for a new bride.
- A Custom Official's Reputation Cleared
A malicious smear campaign against a Seattle official, fueled by Tacoma gossip, falls apart after the accuser retracts his claims.
- The Unlawful Demolition of a Family Home
A Seattle property owner sues for damages after his house was forcibly torn down and hauled away by a mining company.
- Sailors Sue the Ship Challenger Over Abuse at Sea
Eight sailors sue for wages and damages after allegedly being beaten with clubs and belaying pins during a voyage from Philadelphia to Tacoma.
- Families Sue Mine Owners Over Roslyn Disaster
Massive litigation is underway following a deadly mine explosion, threatening the company with bankruptcy.
- The Legal Trap of Marriage
A doctor, paralyzed after a carriage accident, finds that her husband legally owns her right to sue for her own injuries.
- The Price of a Life: Labor Fights Back Against Dangerous Legislation
Organized labor in Everett rallies against a proposed senate bill that would cap death and injury payouts for workers at $5,000.
- The Saloonkeeper and the Broken-Legged Laborer
A Seattle woman sues for the loss of her husband’s wages after a brutal assault at the St. Louis House saloon.
- Coal Miners Sue for $1.9 Million
A landmark series of lawsuits against the Northern Pacific Coal Company regarding safety and ventilation in the Roslyn mines begins in federal court.
- The Railroad Comes Collecting: Olympia's Subsidy Fight Heads to Court
Northern Pacific's own attorney admits the line into Olympia cost the company $40,000 more than it took in — and announces he will sue every citizen who signed the bond anyway.
- The Merchant, the Night Transfer and the Missing Man
Eighteen creditors accuse Simon Rumpf of hiding goods, diamonds and a Lake Washington ranch as his Richmond Palace business collapses.
- The Fatal Breakfast
A Seattle widow sues an insurance company for $10,000 after her husband died from a fish bone injury, triggering a grim post-mortem examination.
- Streetcar Passenger Sues Over Dispute
A man sues the Tacoma Railway and Power company for $1,500 after a conductor allegedly shoved him into the mud.
- A Daughter's $750 Secret: Seattle Heiress Sues Her Father's Estate
Lucy Sprague says her father, a celebrated general, sold her Ohio inheritance when she was a child and kept the money—and the guardianship—hidden for decades.
- The Water Wars: Why Seattle Should Settle with Benezette Williams
As the city prepares to sue a private developer for rights to its own water and sewer plans, this editorial argues that compromise is cheaper than litigation—and essential for public health.
- The $40,000-a-Year Makeover of Seattle's Books — and the Treasurer Who Wouldn't Sign
Seattle's new city treasurer says paying off the city's high-interest warrants will save $40,000 a year — while the city prepares to sue his predecessor over money that never made it into the till.
- The Widow’s Gamble: A Seattle Man’s Death in Alaska Triggers a Federal Insurance Battle
Mrs. By H. Rietson sues the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company for the payout on her husband Archie C. Rietson, who perished with 13 others when the steamer Jessie sank in the Kuskokwim River last June. The company refuses to pay until his death is positively proven.
- The Great Seattle Opium Double-Cross
A Victoria capitalist sues his smugglers for replacing high-grade opium with sawdust and molasses, revealing a bungled customs heist that captivated Seattle.
- The Price of a Hold-up: Passenger Sues Northern Pacific
After a daring train robbery in a sparsely settled district, a passenger sues the railroad for failing to secure the train's sleeping cars.
- The Contract Wife Who Would Not Be Shaken Off
Florence Bucklin Byers followed a wealthy Chilean consul to California, then returned to Port Townsend vowing to enforce their handwritten marriage contract—or sue him for divorce.
- The Unlit Cabin of the West Seattle Ferry
A man sues the ferry company for $5,000 after falling in the dark, claiming their failure to light the cabin led to his permanent injury.
- Injured Miner Sues for $24,300
A 21-year-old worker paralyzed in a mine cave-in takes the Seattle Coal and Iron Company to court.
- Betrayal on Vashon Island
A husband sues to recover his land and marriage, claiming he was kept in a drunken haze by neighbors who poisoned his wife's opinion of him.
- The Cattle Partnership That Could Not Be Settled in Court
A landmark Washington Supreme Court ruling in 1872 reminded settlers that you cannot simply sue your business partner; you must account for the ledger first.
Also about this, in other words
- A Divorce Suit Reveals a Secret Life
A Seattle woman sues for divorce, alleging her husband is living a double life under an assumed name while employed by the city.
- The Tenant Who Found Her English in Court
A South Seattle rent quarrel ends in police court, where a tenant who needed an interpreter suddenly answers the judge in perfect English.
- A $20-a-Month Alimony Bill, a Vow to 'Starve Out,' and a Warrant
Frank Heath, a Seventh Avenue line conductor, was wanted on a warrant after his ex-wife said he refused to pay $20 a month and vowed to 'starve out' rather than comply.
- A Lawyer's Alleged Abuse Spills into Public Court
A local dressmaker sues for divorce, claiming her husband—a lawyer addicted to drugs and alcohol—threatened her with violence and neglected their children.
- A Legal Battle Over Abandonment and Affection
A Tacoma woman sues her husband's companion for $10,000, claiming the woman used 'wiles and arts' to alienate him from his family.
- A Plea for Protection and Independence
After years of alleged abuse and instability, Lucy Stewart seeks a divorce and a restraining order against her husband.
- Servant Girl Sues for Alleged Cruelty
A domestic worker alleges her employers incited their young son to assault her, leading to a miscarriage and her subsequent abandonment.
- A Mother Fights for Her Children—and the Court Hears How She Wore Men's Clothes to Save a Timber Claim
In a Seattle habeas corpus hearing, Mrs. L. L. Shaffer battles her husband for custody of their two daughters as neighbors and her stepmother testify to her character.