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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 7 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 11 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 4 |
| 1899 | 2 |
| 1903 | 3 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
72 stories matching unlock
- A High-Wire Heist at Ninth and Commerce
Budding criminals scaled a twelve-foot transom to loot a hardware store, only to ignore a massive, unlocked safe in favor of a handful of change.
- The Great Jailbreak of 1878
Five inmates, including a man held for attempted murder, escaped a Seattle jail using a key hand-crafted over six weeks.
- A Costly Penny-Pinching Heist
Local burglars use high-grade explosives to crack an unlocked safe at a lumber company, netting exactly five cents in copper.
- Neglect of Duty Leads to Jailbreak
A night jailer is suspended for ten days after a lapse in security allows an inmate to escape the city jail.
- The Heist at the Seattle Saloon
Clever thieves target a West Yesler Avenue saloon, concealing themselves in a ladies' box to bypass security and escape with cash.
- The End of the Unlocked Door
A White Bluffs resident laments a recent string of thefts, signaling a loss of the community's long-held trust.
- Intoxicated Burglars Stumble into Police Trap
Three men broke into the Louvre saloon, couldn't find the cash, and ended up getting arrested after getting drunk on the stolen goods.
- The River Opens: First Steamboat Conquers the Skagit's North Fork
After settlers cleared the jam at La Conner, Captain Hill’s vessel became the first to navigate the treacherous waters of the North Fork, unlocking a new era for the region.
- The Ethics of the Sting
A century before modern debates on police entrapment, Washington courts were already grappling with the line between preventing crime and creating it.
- Locksmiths Needed for Failed Jailbreak
Six inmates in Whatcom were so eager to escape they jammed their own cell locks shut, requiring a blacksmith to cut them loose for breakfast.
- The Fight for Power on the Columbia
Settlers and a New York corporation clash in federal court over the future of the Priest Rapids dam project.
- Marshal Narrowly Survives Jailhouse Shootout
A prisoner in Colfax, suspected of being a relative of the James brothers, opens fire on the police chief while being locked in a cell.
- The Narrow Escape of 'Little Kate'
A harrowing account of a young woman's flight from a brutal employer in the Washington Territory, highlighting the vulnerability of domestic laborers.
- Actors' Trunks Looted on Train to Tacoma
A traveling theatrical troupe arrives in Tacoma only to find their costumes and jewelry stolen by 'tramps' riding the rails.
- Bank Robber Outwitted by Local Quick Thinking
A lone gunman attempted to rob the Whitman County National Bank, only to be tackled by the cashier and disarmed by local merchants.
- The Mill That Never Was: Wenatchee’s Bold Plan to Process Its Own Wool
In July 1905, local leaders argued that building a woolen mill in Wenatchee was the key to unlocking the Columbia Valley's wealth—yet the region remained dependent on raw exports.
- The Night the Spauldings Went to the Princess
A quiet night at the theatre turns sour when a burglar raids a prominent doctor's home, leaving the lights on and the windows shut behind him.
- The Failed Prison Escape of Sam Murphy
A notorious burglar's attempt to break free while being transported to Walla Walla is thwarted by a tip-off.
- Seattle Wagers Half a Million on a Canal — and a Fortune on Mud
Hoping to unlock $2 million in St. Louis money, the city scrambles for a $500,000 subsidy for the Lake Washington waterway — with the dredged earth destined to turn Elliott Bay's tide flats into gold.
- The Jailhouse Gas Leak Incident
A young woman suffering from a mental health crisis dismantles jail plumbing in a desperate attempt to end her life.
- The Jailbreak at the County Bastille
After allegedly stealing railroad tickets, a jailbird finds his freedom thanks to a lapse in security and a sympathetic sheriff.
- The Fight to Unlock Eastern Washington’s Water
Walla Walla leaders push for state irrigation reform to access millions in federal reclamation funding.
- The Jailbreak on Commercial Street
A clever prisoner manages to pick the lock of his cell and slip away into the night, leaving the sheriff scrambling for a lead.
- The Jailer’s Blunder and a Quick Escape
Three prisoners in the Yakima county jail staged a daring, if temporary, breakout after a jailer accidentally left their cell door unlocked.
- The Siege of the City Engineer’s Office
When an incoming engineer faced a stubborn incumbent, it took a locksmith, a drill, and a policeman to settle the power struggle.