Crew Seizes Steamer for Unpaid Wages
A steamship docked in Seattle was intercepted by federal marshals after the crew sued for back pay.
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.
The steamer Henry Bailey was libeled by her crew yesterday for about $4,000 in back wages. While the papers were being made out, she started for Tacoma in tow of the tug Edna to be returned to her owners, the Pacific Navigation Company, but the steamer City of Stanwood was chartered to follow her with Deputy United States Marshal Bradley. She was overhauled about four miles beyond Alki Point and brought back. It had been known for a long time that the Bailey was losing money, though several old steamboat men claim she had business enough to make something if properly managed. It is said her total indebtedness is almost $4,000. This will fall on the bondsmen, most of whom are in Skagit county.
“She was overhauled about four miles beyond Alki Point and brought back.”
Maritime labor disputes have been a staple of the Seattle waterfront for over a century. The practice of 'libeling'—seizing a ship as security for unpaid debts—remains a powerful legal tool for crews fighting to recover wages from failing companies.
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