Police Court Conviction of Maggie Middaugh and Marshall Robinson
A white woman and a Black man were brought before a Tacoma judge on statutory charges, with the woman's young child serving as the primary witness.
Mrs. Maggie Middaugh, white, and Marshall Robinson, colored, were arraigned before Judge Arntson in police court yesterday afternoon, charged with statutory offenses, and each received a fine of $100 and costs. The little 8-year-old son of Mrs. Middaugh was the principal witness. Mrs. Middaugh lives with her husband at Kapowsin.
“The little 8-year-old son of Mrs. Middaugh was the principal witness.”
This brief report highlights the era's policing of interracial relationships and the often cruel judicial practices that placed children in the position of testifying against their own parents. It serves as a reminder of the historical intersection of racial prejudice and the legal system in early Tacoma.
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