Attack on Squak Valley Chinese laborers, 1885 facts for kids
The Attack on Squak Valley Chinese laborers happened on September 7, 1885. This was in Squak Valley, which is now called Issaquah, Washington Territory. A group of men shot into tents where Chinese hop pickers were sleeping. Three Chinese men died, and three others were hurt. The attackers were later identified and went to court. However, they were all found not guilty.
This attack was part of a bigger problem. Many Chinese immigrants in the United States faced violence because of their race. In the late 1800s, there were over 150 recorded attacks against Chinese people across North America.
Some details about what happened in Squak Valley are not fully clear. We have short stories from two Chinese victims. There are also statements from those who looked into the crime. Most other information comes from the people who were on trial for the murders. Some statements made during the trials did not match what others said.
What Everyone Agreed On
In the 1880s, brothers Ingebright and Lars Wold owned a large hop farm. It was in Squak Valley, about 15 miles east of Seattle. For several years, they hired local American Indian workers to pick their hops. But in 1885, hop prices were very low. The Wold Brothers could not agree on lower pay with the Indian workers. So, in late August, they hired Quong Chong & Company from Seattle. This company brought Chinese workers to pick hops for less money.
On Saturday, September 5, thirty-seven Chinese workers arrived at the Wold Brothers' farm. They set up their tents in the farm's orchard. That same night, some local Squak Valley residents came to the Chinese camp. Samuel Robertson and DeWitt Rumsey led this group. They told the Chinese workers they should leave the Valley. One of the Wold Brothers' workers stopped them. He convinced the local men to talk to the Wold Brothers. The local men told the Wold Brothers that the Chinese must leave. They said they would force them to leave if they didn't. The Wold Brothers told the group to go away and let the Chinese work. The group then left and went home.
On Sunday, September 6, news of the Rock Springs Massacre was in the Seattle newspaper. This event involved Chinese miners in Wyoming.
On Monday, September 7, 1885, around 4 o'clock, another group of about thirty Chinese workers arrived. They were entering Squak Valley. A group of white men and Indians met them at George W. Tibbetts' store. The crowd scared the arriving Chinese. They turned around and went back the way they came. We do not know who was in the group that turned the Chinese away.
Around 10 p.m. that same night, a group of at least five white men and two Indians went to the Chinese camp. This was on the Wold Brother's farm. Several shots were fired into the tents of the Chinese workers. At least six Chinese workers were hit by the gunfire. Two men, Fung Woey and Mong Gow, died quickly. Another man, Yeng San, died the next morning. The other three wounded men, Gong Heng, Ah Jow, and Mun Gee, got better. However, Mun Gee was said to have lasting injuries.
King County Sheriff McGraw and Coroner L. B. Dawson investigated the shooting the next day. The coroner held an official meeting to look into the matter. On Tuesday, September 8, a hearing took place. Eleven men spoke under oath before a jury of six local people. These men were: Gong Heng, Joseph Day, I. A. Wold, L. A. Wold, Sam Gustin, M. De Witt Rumsey, J. A. Wold, George W. Tibbetts, William A. Wolf, Perry Bayne, and Sam Robertson. Robertson admitted he was part of the shooting. He also named others who were with him. The jury decided that the Chinese were killed "by gun and pistol wounds." They said these were caused by M. DeWitt Rumsey, Joseph Day, Perry Bayne, David Hughes, Samuel Robertson, Indian Curley, Indian Johnny, and others unknown to them.
Two days later, a grand jury formally accused all those named by the coroner's jury, except Sam Robertson. The judge gave Robertson a deal. He would not be charged if he spoke against the others.
The lawyer for the government, J. T. Ronald, decided to try Perry Bayne first. Robertson had said Bayne was the leader of those who did the shooting. On October 28, Bayne's trial began in Seattle. It lasted a full week. The jury decided he was not guilty in less than half an hour.
The lawyer then charged the same seven men, plus George Tibbetts. They were accused of starting a riot. Another trial was held in late November. All the accused were found guilty. They were each fined $500. The accused appealed their conviction to the Territorial Supreme Court. They argued that women had been wrongly included on the grand jury. In January 1888, the Court agreed with them. The Court said that all grand jury members had to be qualified voters. At that time, women could not vote in Washington Territory. All of the guilty verdicts were canceled.
Things People Disagreed On
The number of people who went to the Chinese camp on Saturday night and Monday night was unclear. Different people said there were at least seven, and as many as twenty. Everyone who spoke was unsure about the exact number and who was in the group.
At the murder trial, the accused men said they only went to tell the Chinese to leave. But they claimed that someone in the camp shot at them first. The accused said they shot back only to protect themselves.
The role of the local Indians in the attack is not clear. Several Indians said they were in the group that went to the camp. Two men, called Indian Joe and Indian Curley, were accused of murder. During Perry Bayne's trial, at least one person said the Indians ran away when the shooting started.
Sam Robertson first spoke against the other accused men. But at the trial, the accused said he was the leader. They claimed they went along mainly to stop him from hurting the Chinese.
People also gave different stories about the number and types of guns used. They also disagreed on who did or did not use them.
