Vigilantism in Wiser
A deputy sheriff takes three men into custody for the targeting of Chinese laborers.
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.
Under Items from Wiser, the paper reports that "our diligent deputy sheriff ran in three unfortunates, Saturday, for killing Chinks."
The item supplies no names, no charges, and no further account of the arrests.
“Our diligent deputy sheriff ran in three unfortunates, Saturday, for killing Chinks.”
This brief, jarring line captures the reality of the 1885-86 anti-Chinese expulsion era in the Pacific Northwest, where 'diligent' law enforcement often functioned to either participate in or reluctantly manage the systematic removal and violence against Chinese communities. It serves as a stark reminder of the exclusionist history that defined the region's development.
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