The Chinese Expulsion Crisis at the Seattle Waterfront
Federal authorities arrest thirty Chinese laborers arriving from British Columbia, highlighting the intense racial tensions and labor politics of the 1885 Washington Territory.
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.
Thirty Chinese individuals who were captured by United States officers at the wharf Sunday night, and lodged in jail, were brought before United States Commissioner Wilt at an early hour this morning, where they had a preliminary examination. Deputy United States District Attorney Hanford appeared on behalf of the United States. It appearing from the evidence adduced that these Chinese had come in from British Columbia contrary to law, they will be held for a further examination of the case. The evidence goes to show that a portion of them, at least, came over just previous to the hop-picking season on the steamer Klee A. Anderson. The thirty prisoners were taken this morning to McNeil Island upon the steamer Messenger in charge of Deputy United States Marshal Hopkins and Inspector Ellicott, where they will be detained until next week, when they will be brought before the Court at this place and their cases further inquired into. If it shall be proven that they are here contrary to treaty, the opinion was expressed that they will be returned to British Columbia, even if it is necessary to run them across the line surreptitiously.
“If it shall be proven that they are here contrary to treaty, the opinion was expressed that they will be returned to British Columbia, even if it is necessary to run them across the line surreptitiously.”
In 1885, Seattle was a powder keg of anti-Chinese sentiment driven by labor unions who viewed immigrant workers as a threat to wages. This report captures the exclusionary violence that would culminate in the 1886 forced expulsion of Seattle's Chinese community, a dark chapter in the city's history that persists in today's conversations about xenophobia and economic scapegoating.
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