Hidden Gold at the Depot
Three Chinese men are detained at the Northern Pacific depot while attempting to return to China, revealing a small fortune sewn into their clothing.
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.
Wong Quok, Wong Won, and Lee Yee, the three Chinese men arrested at the Northern Pacific depot Wednesday evening by Chinese Inspector Shuler, were yesterday discharged from custody by United States Commissioner Emery. They proved conclusively that they were on their way from Eastern Washington to China when they were arrested. They bought tickets for China yesterday and will sail from Victoria Sunday morning, carrying with them $1,141 in gold coin of the United States, which is probably their savings for many years. The money was sewed in the lining of their blouses and was found only when they were searched at the county jail.
“The money was sewed in the lining of their blouses and was found only when they were searched at the county jail.”
This incident occurred during a period of intense state-sanctioned exclusion and xenophobia in Washington. The act of sewing savings into clothing highlights the extreme vulnerability of Chinese laborers in the late 19th century who had to carry their entire life’s earnings on their person to avoid theft or discriminatory banking practices.
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