Inquest Held for Remains Found in Seattle Cellar
A jury convenes to address the discovery of unidentified Chinese remains in a cellar, raising questions about municipal neglect and health risks.
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.
Coroner O'Donnell empaneled a jury this afternoon and held an inquest on the remains of the dead Chinamen discovered in the cellar on Main street yesterday afternoon. The verdict rendered was that they were unknown Chinamen and came to their deaths in an unknown way. The city officers were censored for neglect of duty for failing to prevent such an occurrence, and the Chinese Six Companies for exposing the city to a pestilence.
“The city officers were censored for neglect of duty for failing to prevent such an occurrence, and the Chinese Six Companies for exposing the city to a pestilence.”
This reflects the period's pervasive anti-Chinese sentiment and the scapegoating of immigrant communities for public health concerns, a recurring pattern in the history of Seattle's urban development and systemic racism.
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