The Forged Passports of Seattle's Chinese Exclusion Era
A federal investigation reveals how corrupt officials exploited the Chinese Exclusion Act for profit by forging entry certificates.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A federal investigation into the Chinese Exclusion Act has uncovered widespread corruption involving William A. Boyd, formerly in charge of the Chinese Bureau, and Ferdinand D. Caprice, an ex-inspector of customs. The inquiry, which began in the spring of 1887, has revealed that officials were selling fraudulent certificates to Chinese laborers, allowing them to enter the country illegally for a price of $50 each. The corruption was discovered by Caprice upon the attempted landing of a group of laborers. Further investigation showed that in 1886 and 1887, Boyd and Caprice entered into a partnership, sharing the profits from these illegal entries. The investigation is ongoing, and a hearing against the men is expected at an early date. Boyd is currently held in jail while awaiting trial.
“Both of the accused were found repeatedly signing the certificates with the forged signatures of customs officials.”
This story highlights the systemic corruption that defined the enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 19th-century Seattle. It serves as a stark reminder of how discriminatory immigration policies create black markets and power imbalances that are often exploited by the very officials tasked with enforcing them.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.