The Steamship That Could Not Escape the Law
A legal tug-of-war on the Seattle waterfront sees a steamer caught in a cycle of seizure, release, and re-attachment.
Attachments and reattachments have been levied upon the steamer 'Haytian Republic' within the last two days. The steamer arrived early Thursday, and a Deputy United States Marshal attached her on the Gilmore and Kirkman suits for $28,000. Hardly had the steamer been released, however, than she was attached by the sheriff on suits by the same men for injuries to a wharf, and by Spencer & Co. for damage to sugar stored at the time of the accident. Because there was doubt as to who actually owned the vessel, lawyers for the plaintiffs maneuvered through federal and state courts to ensure the ship remained within the reach of the law. At 9 o’clock last night, a bond was finally approved and the steamer left at midnight.
“Hardly had the steamer been released, however, than she was attached by the sheriff.”
The waterfront remains a hotbed for civil litigation, though these days the disputes are more likely to involve multinational shipping conglomerates and environmental regulations than individual wharf damage claims. The constant cycling of legal attachments highlights the high-stakes, litigious nature of maritime commerce in a growing port city.
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