Page:Anti Chinese Riots at Seattle.djvu/7

 remaining at their armory. The authorities were active during the entire night in doing everything they could to enforce the laws. Gov. Squire telegraphed the Secretary of War, also Gen. Gibbon, commanding the Department of the Columbia, the situation. About midnight an attempt was made to move the Chinese to a train and send a part of them out of the City that way, but the Seattle Rifles and Company D were sent to guard the train and succeeded in getting it out ahead of time.

While most of the mob that had not yet retired was down at the train, a squad of the Home Guards was detailed to take possession of the North and South wings of the Ocean Dock upon which were quartered the Chinese, watched over by McMillin, Kidd and others, all of whom were prevented by the Home Guards from leaving the dock.

By daylight the Seattle Rifles and University Cadets with a squad from the Home Guards were lined up across the two wing approaches to the main dock. In the early morning the mob was gathering again and soon the adjoining wharves and streets were blocked with angry men who saw they were defeated in keeping charge of the Chinese. As their numbers increased they became bolder and declared their purpose to kill or drive out the Guards.

Early that morning after warrant was issued by Geo. G. Lyon, Justice of the Peace, the leading agitators were arrested and locked in jail, where they were confined at the time the Home Guards escorted the Chinese from the dock to the Court House pursuant to the writ of Habeas Corpus issued by Judge Greene. Of course there would have been a skirmish somewhere between the dock and the Court House if the Anti-Chinese forces had not been deprived of their leaders.

At the conclusion of court proceedings, the Home Guards escorted all of the Chinese back to the dock so that those who were to leave on the “Queen” might do so and the others went to the dock to reclaim their personal effects which they carried from their houses or which were carted there by the mob. At this time the leaders who had been arrested had been released from jail on bail, at least some of them had, and they acted as a committee to disburse money which had been raised to pay the passage of those Chinese who wanted to go to San Francisco on the “Queen.” The committee, or some members of it, were permitted to go upon the dock, but the mass of Anti-Chinese forces were held in check by the Home Guards, Seattle