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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 6 |
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41 stories matching valis
- The Opium Smuggler of Whatcom
A man is caught at the border with a valise full of illicit opium, implicating a Seattle contact.
- The Case of the Counterfeit Opium
A man arrested in Everett for 'smuggling opium' into Seattle is cleared after authorities realize the suspicious substance was merely a fake product sold to con greenhorns.
- The Case of the Missing Suitcase
A boarder takes his landlords to court after his luggage mysteriously disappears from a local lodging house.
- The Dance-Hall Dandy: A Thief Undone by His Own Vanity
A railroad laborer steals a valise of clothes, then wears his finest stolen outfit to a dance hall—where a sharp-eyed policeman spots him.
- The False Alarm at the Tacoma Regatta
Two young Seattle women return home from a weekend of festivities only to find themselves arrested and cleared in a bizarre case of mistaken identity.
- The Opium Runners of Port Townsend
Customs inspectors engage in a high-stakes boat chase after catching smugglers unloading contraband in the dead of night.
- An Unlawful Entry Trial
A Chinese man arrested under the Exclusion Act is brought before the U.S. Commissioner, highlighting the pervasive surveillance of the era.
- The Stowaway with Seventeen Guns
A Victoria burglar thought he’d outsmarted police by hiding between decks on the steamer *Premier*, but a sharp-eyed customs officer at the Seattle dock caught him red-handed—and found his loot.
- The Discovery of an Abandoned Infant
A tragic mystery unfolds in Ellensburg as a newborn's remains are found in a discarded valise.
- The Confidence Game on the Kalama-Tacoma Line
A traveler from Missouri lost his life savings to a smooth-talking stranger on a train, proving that 'confidence men' were a perennial threat to those passing through the region.
- Seattle's Chief Woolery Gives the 'Hard Cases' a Meal and a One-Way Boat
Meeting every steamer from up the Sound, the police chief spots known troublemakers, feeds them, and tells them when the next boat leaves—then finds a valise of safecracking tools and giant-powder cartridges.
- The Price of a Business Failure
A telegram from creditors forces a frantic, 'regardless of cost' liquidation sale of R. Simon's men's clothing store in downtown Seattle.
- The Bellboy Who Robbed His Benefactor
A 14-year-old hotel worker and a 10-year-old accomplice were arrested after a satchel of jewelry and railroad passes disappeared from H. W. Baker's home.
- A Candidate's Disreputable Journey
A political traveler's penchant for whiskey and poker leaves his campaign coffers dry.
- The Man Who Vanished Into the Fog: A Barber’s Final Journey
Coroner Cross and Dr. Root piece together the identity of a decomposed body found near Salmon Bay, linking it to a boarder at the Commercial Hotel who may have taken his own life with morphine.
- Death in the Wyoming Saloon
A logger is found dead in a basement barroom after a night of heavy drinking, raising questions about his final hours.
- The Great Northern Train Heist That Wasn't
A bungled opium bust and a wild chase through the woods turned an everyday commuter trip into a farce.
- The Midnight Cash-Out at the N.P. Bar
A local saloon proprietor vanished with the entire week's payroll just before payday.
- The Councilman Who Said No to $132,000
Councilman Conrad rejects a massive bribe offer, triggering a city-wide scandal and the mysterious flight of a corporate agent.
- The Deportation of a Local Philosopher
After three months in jail, a 'man of mystery' is fined $31 and ordered to leave the United States forever.
- The Millionaire Forger in a Hospital Bed
A notorious mail robber and master forger is caught in Tacoma after a nationwide manhunt, but the city isn't letting him go just yet.
- The Stranger at the Clarendon Hotel
A young man arrives in Seattle, keeps to himself, and ends his life in a locked hotel room, leaving behind only a name that may not be his own.
- The Midnight Flight of a Telephone Lobbyist
A franchise promoter vanishes before a bribery investigation, leaving behind a locked room and a trail of conflicting telegrams.
- The Hammer in the Kitchen
A killer waited until the men left for a labor-hall meeting, then entered a Seattle house, beat Mrs. Miller and her baby to death, looted a valise, and set the place ablaze.
- The Ghost of a Shipwrecked Log
A bottle washed ashore at Cape Flattery brings a message from a ship doomed by fire, while a local business turns the tragedy into a strange marketing stunt.