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151 stories matching swear
- The Homestead Scam That Turned Public Land Into a Speculator’s Prize
An 1883 exposé from Walla Walla describes how doctors, lawyers and merchants faked frontier residency to grab government land—and why the law made perjury easy.
- A Passport and a Perjury Charge: Naturalization Fraud in Walla Walla
Adam Schmidt was bound over to a federal grand jury after a Russian immigrant testified that Schmidt told him to swear falsely about five years' residence.
- Grabbed on Main Street: The Naturalization Fixer and the Senator's Promise
Already awaiting federal trial over the too-quick swearing-in of Russian immigrants, Adam Schmidt was arrested a second time — and Senator Ankeny shook his hand in the street and vowed to see him 'down the line.'
- The Councilman and the Telephone Promoter
A City Council member swears he was offered a massive bribe, but the accused parties are laughing it off—now the council must decide who is telling the truth.
- The Judge Who Was Both Defendant and Accused
In a stunning legal double-header, Judge Wickersham is convicted of seduction in one court, then immediately indicted for perjury by the federal grand jury in the very same day.
- Knockout Drops at the Standard Saloon
A Tacoma man swears he was drugged, fleeced of $210, and knocked toothless—then asks the city to revoke the saloon's license.
- The Shadow of the Anti-Chinese Movement in Puyallup
A local meeting of citizens and the Sheriff turns into a mass swearing-in of deputy sheriffs as anti-Chinese agitation reaches a fever pitch.
- The Trial of the Man Who Named Himself 'Defendant'
A former newspaper man takes the witness stand in Seattle to explain his eccentric public preachings, his 'divine' inspirations, and his rejection of the name Jones.
- Midnight in the New York Block: A Creditor Catches a Stock Shuffle
William Harris watched from an alley as goods were moved between Rumpf's and Mayer's stores, then helped attach the stock before dawn.
- Tacoma's Water Chief Accused—and the City Hall Feud Behind It
Mayor Orr's appointment of George H. Hollidge to run Tacoma's water and light plants blew up into a public corruption fight, with secret affidavits, anonymous postal cards and a grand jury waiting.
- A Church Scandal Erupts in a Seattle Libel Trial
M. H. Nichols stood accused of criminally libeling Presiding Elder T. B. Ford. The defense spent the day trading rumors, old grudges, and one complaint about the prosecutor's booming voice.
- Candy, Land Claims and a 'Confidence Man': Arlington's Commissioner Hits Back
George Morrell denies stealing ginger snaps and swindling settlers—then accuses his accuser of running an extortion racket with a Seattle police escort.
- The Mill That Never Was: A Snohomish Land Deal and a Promise from Washington
While local men scramble for housing and business lots in the booming town of Snohomish, a mysterious letter from D.C. hints at federal support for a post route to Pullman, just as a major timber contract is awarded locally.
- The Loophole in the City Limits
A technicality regarding state versus city law leaves police empty-handed in a speeding crackdown on Pacific Avenue.
- The Typographer's Lament: A Plea for Better Penmanship
A frustrated newspaper printer turns to verse to protest the illegible handwriting of contributors, whose scribbles make the typesetter’s life a living hell.
- The Captain’s Silence: A Seattle Court Rules on Brutality at Sea
In a landmark Admiralty case heard in Seattle in 1872, Judge Jacobs holds ship owner E.A. Nickels liable for the brutal beating of sailor Frank Griffin, establishing that a captain's failure to stop abuse is an endorsement of it.
- The Wharf King’s Victory: Yesler Wins Millions in Land Battle
Judge Lichtenberg rules that the state cannot seize waterfront property without paying just compensation, halting the Harbor Line Commission and protecting H.L. Yesler’s empire.
- A Dying Declaration on South Second Street
A Chinese resident is fatally stabbed near the Standard Theater, and his accusation sends a railroad laborer to the county jail.
- Officer Censured for Beating a Citizen
A police commissioner’s inquiry reveals that an officer brutally beat an innocent Black man at Second and Union, raising questions about police conduct in early Seattle.
- The Industrial Army Marches on Washington
Seattle’s unemployed men organize a parade and embark on a cross-country trek to demand relief, setting off local tensions and federal concerns.
- A Revolver at Her Ear: Mary Steel's Third Fight for a Divorce
Mary Steel's third divorce suit against David H. Steel laid bare a bitter fight over $49,000 in Seattle and Montana property—and allegations of violence, control and intimidation.
- A Dead Man’s Name on the Payroll
A Walla Walla ex-employee files twenty charges against L. T. Erwin, accusing the Yakima Indian agent of fraud, perjury, and turning the agency into a private larder.
- The Lynching of a Teenager in Okanogan
A fifteen-year-old boy, accused of murder, was dragged from a jail cell by a masked mob and executed, igniting a cycle of violence in the Washington territory.
- The Old Man’s Last Stand: A Father’s Flight from Greedy Heirs Ends in a Sheriff’s Chase
P.V. Thorpe, an elderly pioneer fleeing false rape accusations and property theft by his son and son-in-law, was arrested for carrying a revolver in Seattle—only to be vindicated when the truth about his family’s blackmail scheme came to light.
- The Sheriff Who Wouldn't Shield the Strikers: A Labor Standoff in Newcastle
When a coal mine strike erupted in Newcastle, King County, Sheriff Cochrane refused to protect workers willing to cross the picket line, sparking a public confrontation with the mine superintendent and accusations of union intimidation.
Also about this, in other words
- The Woman Who Swore on Dynamite: A Spokane Courtroom Shock
In a rare moment of courtroom gravity, a female defendant in Spokane was asked to place her hand on dynamite instead of the Bible for her oath—leaving the room in profound silence.
- The 'Chicken Oath' in Municipal Court
To ensure truthful testimony, a Seattle courtroom turns to a traditional Chinese oath involving the decapitation of a rooster.
- The Strange 'Chicken Oath' in a Seattle Courtroom
A local robbery trial takes a surreal turn as witnesses perform a traditional ritual before testifying.
- The Chicken-Head Oath Was Not Used in This Seattle Courtroom
Chin Chew was acquitted of beating and robbing a fellow Chinese laborer, but the case is remembered for a judge's refusal to repeat a rival jurist's 'chicken oath' experiment.
- The Loyalty Oath of Lewis County
Local citizens gather to formalize their support for the Union and renounce the 'Knights of the Golden Circle' during the Civil War.
- A Furniture Store Fisticuff
A social slight between families led to a curse-filled brawl inside a Second Street furniture shop.
- Forging Checks for Unrequited Love
A local laborer's desperate attempt to cope with a broken heart leads to a criminal spree.
- The Slungshot Saloon Brawl
A scion of an ex-governor, fueled by opium and drink, faces arrest for a brazen assault in a Second Street tavern.