The Weight of a Pawned Watch
Haunted by the shame of an unpaid debt and lost gambling funds, a Seattle man takes his own life in the lodgings above Wa Chong's store.
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 Chinese cook named Lung Wey committed suicide Friday night in a lodging house over Wa Chong's store, on South Fifth street, by taking an overdose of opium, because losses at gambling prevented him from redeeming the watch of a friend which he had pawned. It is a strong point of honor among Chinamen to pay their debts promptly, no matter how small. Some weeks ago a man named Ah See borrowed $2 from Wey and promised to return the money in five days. See did not pay back the loan on the fifth day, and on the sixth day Wey hunted him up and dunned him. Lee had not the money, but he gave Wey his watch as security. After a week Lee paid Wey the $2 and demanded the watch. The watch was not forthcoming, however, for Wey had gambled, and not only was he 'broke,' but the watch was in pawn. Ah Lee was very indignant and again called on Wey last Friday evening. Wey told him that times were so hard that it would be impossible for him to get the watch out of pawn immediately. This caused Ah Lee to become all the more indignant and, after giving Wey a piece of his mind, he departed. Overcome with shame and despair, Wey retired to his lodgings and swallowed a quantity of pure raw opium. Yesterday morning Lung Wey was missed, and about 9 o'clock one of his acquaintances went in search of him. He was found dead in his bed with his mouth and eyes wide open. Lung Wey was about 25 years old and had been in America fifteen years.
“It is a strong point of honor among Chinamen to pay their debts promptly, no matter how small.”
This tragic episode highlights the precarious existence of immigrant laborers in 1890s Seattle, where honor and social standing were inextricably linked to financial stability. Today, the International District remains a center of community, though the pressures faced by its residents have evolved from the individual debt-crises of the past to the contemporary, systemic challenges of displacement and rising rents.
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