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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
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| 1878 | 4 |
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243 stories matching theft
- The Mystery of the Dacres Hotel Theft
A young boy confesses to a significant theft at a prominent hotel, but his claims about where the money went leave police and authorities at an impasse.
- The Suitcase Man's Mania
A repeat offender known as the 'suitcase man' faces a stiff prison sentence for a compulsive habit of theft.
- Copper Thieves Risk Electrocution for Profit
A wandering laborer is arrested in Pasco for allegedly stripping high-voltage lines, part of a spree of thefts terrorizing local utilities.
- The Great Northern Wheat Heist
A trusted yardmaster is arrested in a scheme involving wholesale cargo theft at the Seattle docks.
- The Bellboy and the Purse Trap
A Rainier Hotel manager ends a spree of thefts by setting a sting operation for a dishonest employee.
- The Unwelcome Embrace
A Cheney woman speaks out against a preacher who combined petty theft with unwanted advances.
- The Midnight Pork-Thieves of Belltown
A wave of petty food thefts from residential pantries has Seattle neighbors on edge, prompting warnings about the 'nocturnal nippers' prowling the city's outskirts.
- The Housekeeper and the Watch
A man who unsuccessfully campaigned for a police badge finds himself chasing a thief after a disastrous job interview.
- The High Price of Ten Cents
A local man sued for damages after he was arrested, fired, and deserted by his wife over a petty accusation of wood theft.
- Youths Face Justice Over Bicycle Theft
A 14-year-old boy is sent to reform school after a series of bicycle thefts, exposing the plight of parentless youth.
- The 'Vagrant' Scourge of 1878
A Victorian-era editorial attempts to pathologize poverty and social instability in frontier Seattle by blaming 'tramps' and theft for the city’s growing pains.
- Gunpoint Justice on the Home Front
A local homeowner captures two vagrants in the act of raiding a pantry, bringing a sharp end to a string of local thefts.
- The Dream That Cracked the Theft Case
A jailed boarder's dream led police to a stolen gold watch and chain hidden under foundation blocks.
- The Depot Ticket Heist
A theft of transit tickets at the Yakima depot highlights the vulnerability of local agents to company policy.
- The Price of Friendship in the Melon Patch
A local farmer laments the 'friends' who think helping themselves to his crop is all in good fun, pushing his farm toward financial ruin.
- Detective Chief Cleared of Corruption Charges
After a contentious police board hearing, the city's detective chief beats accusations of theft and graft, while the board simultaneously disciplines subordinates.
- Petty Theft Rises During Times of Want
Mayor Richardson warns Kennewick residents to secure their property as economic desperation drives local petty crime.
- Hostile Takeover at the Grocery Counter
A local businessman alleges he was coerced into signing away his stake in the Haley Grocery Company under threat of public disgrace.
- The Lawyer Who Shaved His Beard for a Thief
In a dramatic courtroom gamble, a defense attorney shaved his own beard to demonstrate how easily witnesses might be mistaken in identifying an accused horse thief.
- A High-Stakes Coal Theft Lawsuit
Investors launch a $375,000 legal battle over coal allegedly mined without permission from their land.
- Kennewick Moves to Outlaw Itinerant Horse Traders
City council drafts a 'prohibitive' license ordinance to address a wave of petty thefts linked to transient trading camps.
- The Woman Who Sued a Justice for Conspiracy
After being committed to an asylum and accused of chicken theft, Sarah McDonough struck back at the Fremont officials she claimed were plotting to steal her property and liberty.
- The State’s Missing Millions
A massive, systemic theft within the Industrial Insurance Commission leaves taxpayers and contractors to foot the bill while officials stay silent.
- The Family Tree That Became a Tangled Mess
A courtroom drama unfolds over a bizarre multi-generational marriage that left a family in civil war.
- Two Arrested in $15 Watch Robbery Near Coal Bunkers
A late-night robbery near the Seattle coal bunkers ends in the arrest of two men.
Also about this, in other words
- The Brutal Theft Recovery in Genessee Valley
When a farmer lost $500, he turned to a horrific act of violence to extract a confession from the man he suspected.
- The Highlands Fruit Heist
A Kennewick orchardist loses his entire crop to nighttime thieves, while a neighbor's attempt to stand guard ends in a bizarre vanishing act.
- The Strange Heist at the Palmer Inn
A 'masculine-looking' woman and a mysterious accomplice used a passkey to clean out a Seattle boarding house, leaving guests with empty trunks.
- Sacred Vessels Stolen from St. Mark's
Thieves desecrated the altar at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, leaving the sanctuary in ruins and stealing holy silver.
- A Night-Time Heist at the Ayrault
While the city debated the building of a new jail, a brazen robbery at a prominent lodging house left guests missing hundreds of dollars in jewelry and gold.
- 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.
- A Messenger Boy, a Pawned Watch, and Badge No. 21
Detective Philbrick traced a stolen gold watch through Seattle pawnshops to a 17-year-old messenger who confessed to taking it while a woman slept.
- Daylight Burglary at Minor School
A bold thief locks themselves inside a Chestnut Street home to clear out jewelry while children played across the alley.