The Smuggling Sloops of Elliott Bay
Federal authorities launch an admiralty crackdown on the illicit landing of laborers along the Seattle waterfront in 1891.
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.
In the District Court of the United States for the District of Washington, Northern Division, a libel of information has been filed by the United States Attorney against the sloop 'Louisa.' The complaint alleges that on or about September 5, 1890, the vessel's master, Anthony Olin, did knowingly and unlawfully land—or attempt to land—certain Chinese laborers at Elliott Bay. These laborers, whose names are unknown, had been brought from a foreign port, namely Victoria, British Columbia, in violation of the Chinese Restriction Act. The vessel, having arrived at Elliott Bay without reporting to the Collector of Customs within the required time, has been seized and declared forfeited to the United States. A formal hearing is set for January 15, 1891, in the city of Seattle, where the U.S. Marshal will take possession of the vessel and its rigging.
“Said vessel did then and there knowingly, wilfully and unlawfully... land and permit to be landed said Chinese laborers.”
This 1891 seizure highlights the aggressive enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act in Seattle, a policy that systemically barred Chinese immigrants from the city's labor and housing markets. Today, the same waterfront where these 'libels' were filed serves as a center for global commerce, a stark shift from the nativist protectionism of the late 19th century.
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