The Trial of the Chicken Thieves
A confrontation over local theft lands ten men in court, resulting in a complex legal battle for the defense.
The ten Chinamen who were arrested in the early part of last week for stealing chickens from various dwellers in the vicinity of Lake Union, were tried in Judge Cann's Court yesterday. The trial occupied almost the entire day, and attracted quite a crowd of spectators. W. H. Mitchell defended the Mongolians ably and spiritedly, and made so good a fight for his clients that the Judge dismissed nine of the prisoners. The tenth, who was the boss or Grand Mogul of the gang, suffered the punishment of the entire crowd, being fined and costs. Mr. Mitchell gave notice that the case would be carried into the District Court.
“W. H. Mitchell defended the Mongolians ably and spiritedly, and made so good a fight for his clients that the Judge dismissed nine of the prisoners.”
This 1883 incident highlights the intense racial friction of the era, where the theft of property often served as a proxy for broader xenophobic anxieties in a rapidly growing Seattle. The legal outcome, featuring a defense attorney fighting against the mass criminalization of Chinese residents, reflects the strained effort to maintain due process in a climate of heavy exclusion.
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