A Dispute Over Laundry and Etiquette
A laundryman and a theatrical man clash in a courtroom, highlighting cultural prejudices of the 1890s.
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.
Statesman John Considine appeared in a new role yesterday when he defended John Jess, a theatrical man, in Justice Caldwell’s court on the charge of assaulting Woo Kong You, a laundry man. It appeared that Jess owed You 90 cents for laundry work. You went to Jess’s apartments in the Lytell house, on Washington street. You did not rap, but opened the door a few inches and stuck his head in. Mr. Jess pushed him out and slapped his face. Justice Caldwell said that Chinamen were peculiar in their habits and customs, and to the surprise of the statesman, fined Jess $1 and costs for slapping You.
“Justice Caldwell said that Chinamen were peculiar in their habits and customs, and to the surprise of the statesman, fined Jess $1.”
This story reveals the racial bias embedded in the turn-of-the-century legal system, where an assault was trivialized by the judge as a matter of 'peculiar' cultural habits. It captures the everyday friction and power dynamics between service workers and their clients in 1890s Seattle.
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