A Chaotic Brawl in Old Whitechapel

Since Whitechapel was razed by the Great Northern to make room for its depot, that portion of the city is now as quiet and orderly as the most respectable residence districts, but a little of its old-time excitement was occasioned Monday evening by a chain of events resulting from a bloody fight between Japanese sailors, being the direct cause of a policeman firing two shots, and a disastrous collision between a delivery wagon and an electric car. About 1 o'clock the bloody face of a howling Japanese, thrust out of the third-story window of a South Third Street lodging house, attracted the attention of passers-by. Officer M. Powers came bounding along like a cyclone. The sight of his uniform frightened the Japanese and he pulled in his bloody face. Leaving the building after a fruitless search, the officer came upon two other drunken Japanese fighting and he seized them by the hair and dragged them to the call box at the corner of South Third and Main streets. In less than ten seconds the patrol wagon came thundering down Third street. A delivery wagon belonging to the White Star steam laundry was driven across the electric car tracks between Washington and Main streets to avoid a collision. Almost immediately car No. 15 of the Lake Union line dashed down the grade from Yesler Avenue, colliding with the laundry wagon, upsetting it, smashing one wheel off, and knocking the horse down. In the meantime, one of the Japanese men who had been turned over to Jailer Noble in the patrol wagon jumped out and the jailer gave chase, firing two shots after him before bringing him to a halt. At the noise of the shots, the crowd grew to at least a thousand. After the wreck was cleared, the driver of the laundry wagon emerged from the wreckage, unhurt but furious.