The Italian Immigrants vs. The Employment Agent
After Italian laborers were fired from Great Northern Railroad jobs, a fraud suit against their recruiter ends in a whimper when the prosecution's witness goes missing.
D.B. Baker, an employment agent against whom a charge of deceiving an employee contrary to city ordinance 1,356, section 5, has been pending for over a year, was dismissed by Judge Humes yesterday. The case was originally tried on April 4, 1892, before Judge Rivers in the municipal court, and from the evidence adduced it appeared that F. E. Parker, acting for Howard, Henry & Co., negotiated with Baker to secure fifty men for work on the Great Northern. In consequence of this, thirty-eight Italians were engaged by Baker and forwarded to the road, but did not prove satisfactory and were discharged. It seems they paid Baker for recommending them and for traveling expenses, and considered themselves badly treated. One of them swore out a warrant, and Baker was arrested and fined. A bond was procured and the case was appealed to the superior court. When it was called yesterday, as the prosecuting witness, D. Dinegalo, failed to appear, the case was dismissed.
“It seems that they paid Baker for recommending them and for traveling expenses, and considered themselves badly treated.”
Exploitation of immigrant laborers by employment agents who charged fees for non-existent or short-term work was a common, systemic issue in late-19th century Seattle. This case illustrates the difficulty laborers faced in seeking justice through the court system, where cases could languish for over a year before being dropped due to a missing witness.
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