The Strange 'Chicken Oath' in a Seattle Courtroom
A local robbery trial takes a surreal turn as witnesses perform a traditional ritual before testifying.
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 second day of the preliminary examination of Chin Chew on the charge of robbing Chin Gee Long gave the defense a chance to develop its case and showed a crowd of people the interesting proceedings incidental to a Chinaman's taking the 'chicken oath.' Before the case was begun, Chin Chew, 'Black Jack,' and the remaining witness for the state each cut a plump chicken's neck and swore by all the gods known to tell the truth. Another peculiar thing came out when it was observed that the Chinamen had no use for the headless fowls. Incidentally, it might be mentioned that some one else did, for in a most mysterious manner the 'fine broilers' disappeared as quickly as the party interested in the oath-taking went away.
“Before the case was begun, Chin Chew, 'Black Jack,' and the remaining witness for the state each cut a plump chicken's neck and swore by all the gods known to tell the truth.”
This reporting relies on the sensationalist 'exotic' framing common in 1890s Seattle coverage of the Chinese community. It serves as a reminder of how the legal system and the press treated non-white residents not as citizens with due process, but as subjects of curiosity and performance.
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