The Unmarked Death of Bi Lee
A Chinese man, imprisoned in Seattle, is found dead in his jail cell, leaving behind only questions and a community left to claim his remains.
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.
This morning in the county jail, Bi Lee, a Chinese man who was serving a term of three years for burglary, was engaged in sweeping the corridor, being assisted by another prisoner. Bi Lee was bending over the drain at the water pipe, when his fellow-prisoner spoke to him. Not receiving a reply, he approached Bi Lee and found him dead, his head resting against the wall and him continuing in a stooping position. As the other prisoners were locked in their cells in full view of the two, and as they all confirm the story as told by the prisoner who was assisting Bi Lee, no doubt his statement is correct. Dr. Bagley was at once called, and as nothing unusual was discovered in the case, the doctor decided no further examination was necessary, as to all outward appearance Bi Lee died of heart disease. The Chinese men in the city are expected to take charge of the remains of their dead countryman.
“Not receiving a reply, he approached Bi Lee and found him dead, his head resting against the wall and him continuing in a stooping position.”
Bi Lee’s death in the King County jail offers a stark, haunting reminder of the precariousness of incarcerated life in 19th-century Seattle. While the coroner dismissed the death with cursory speed, the isolation and lack of dignity afforded to marginalized prisoners then echoes long-standing concerns regarding the treatment and visibility of the incarcerated population in our city today.
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