No. 254.
Mr. Chang Yen
Hoon to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, March 3, 1888. (Received March 5.)
Sir: With my note of February 19, of last year, in giving you a statement of the losses sustained by Chinese subjects during the riot at Seattle, Washington Territory, I inclosed an estimate of each one’s losses. By reference to that estimate you will see that the chief sufferer was the firm of Wachong & Co., kept by Chan Yee He; the total amount of his claim was $187,814.10. An examination of the estimate will also show that I did not make a formal demand for a large part of this claim, to wit, $120,772, because I desired to avoid asking indemnity for losses not clearly sustained by international law. Consequently I only inserted then in the statement an estimate of $67,042.10 on his account. There appears now in the statement an estimate of $49,999.96, after deducting his claims based on uncollected debts amounting to $17,042.14.
Mr. Chan Yee He is a prominent and wealthy merchant. Though in the riot all his goods and houses were not robbed and burnt, yet the horrible circumstances under which this sad event took place truly claimed every sympathy, in which I have no doubt your excellency will join, and the losses to his business thus occasioned by this riot I deem it but fair to bring again to your notice with this note.
[Page 390]When the riot occurred the said firm owned a number of houses, rented to Chinese at the monthly rental of $379. The occupants were expelled from the Territory and the houses remained unoccupied for some time. The firm possessed a large stock of goods which they were forced by the rioters to ship away from the town, a portion being sent to Victoria, and the remainder to Portland. Owing to the character of the goods, of the value of $20,000, it was necessary to sell them at auction, and the sum realized from the sale was only $7,000.
At the time of the riot the firm was engaged in large public works under contract, having in their employ a large number of workmen. The greater portion of them being Chinese were driven away, but sixty remained and were kept by them eighty-two days unemployed owing to the stopping of the works on account of the riot, and they were compelled to pay them each $1 per day. Besides, their business depended entirely on the Chinese customers, and owing to the absence of the Chinese from the Territory for one year since their expulsion their business became very dull, and through that source they lost several tens of thousands of dollars. All the above are the basis of Wachong’s claims.
During the riotous proceedings the residence of Mr. Chan Yee He was invaded by the mob and his wife was dragged down-stairs from the second story and out on the street by the hair of her head. The fright and bodily injuries received made her seriously ill, and three days afterwards she was prematurely delivered of a child. After a long sickness and intense pain for several months she finally recovered her health. The insult and ill treatment thus inflicted by the wicked people on a respectable and prominent lady in this case should be looked upon as a comparatively worse case than the outrageous case of forcibly driving the Chinese from the Territory. Mr. Chan Yee He has made no claim for this outrage, but I am sure you will agree with me chat no money indemnity which might be paid could compensate for such injuries. The husband, Mr. Chan Yee He, has resided in the United States twenty-four years, and fourteen years in Seattle; he has been engaged in large business enterprises, and he pays to the United States customhouse $30,000 annually.
I have found on careful inquiry that the statement of his claims is true, he being a respectable merchant of high standing, and not on the same footing as common traders. I have, therefore, recited all the detailed circumstances of his case in this note which I did not mention in my note first presenting the claims, and I think they will commend themselves to your favorable consideration, so that his claims for indemnity may be granted him in full.
With sentiments of the highest regard, I remain, etc.,