George Kinnear

“ Then the Home Guards, Rifles and Cadets conducted the Chinese to their quarters and then marched to the Court House, which from that time on, with Company D, was their Headquarters.
Immediately Guards were put out in different parts of the city.
The mob had full confidence when they started out in their lawless movement that they would succeed. When some of their men had been shot down as they said in cold blood, they then became desperate and maddened and were ready to attempt anything. After the shooting they lacked leadership and organization, but other leaders sprang up. ”

“ If the life of the State is threatened or turbulent violence raises its hand against the supremacy of the Law, we are justified, nay, more than that, it is our bounden duty to sacrifice human life, if necessary, in the defense of our Lord and King—The Law. ”

“ When General Gibbon came with his troops, he at once issued the following order:
“The President of the United States has issued a proclamation commanding all disturbers of the peace in the City of Seattle to disperse by 6 o’clock on the 10th inst. All evil-disposed persons are therefore warned to obey the legal command of the President at the peril of their lives.
“All true and loyal Americans will array themselves on thethe side of law and order; all others are warned that they will incur the penalty of law breakers. ”

“ A squad of 18 men from the Home Guards escorted an officer to the front of Dexter Horton’s Bank, where the Governor’s proclamation was read to the howling mob. They were furious at the presence of the armed men and would have attacked, had the Guards not promptly returned to their quarters at the Engine House. The removal of the Chinese from their homes continued till there were about 350 herded on Ocean Dock awaiting the transportation by rail or steamer to carry them away. A strong guard of rioters was placed over them. ”

“ The deplorable situation and the cause of all our trouble was—two few men were willing to throw themselves into the breech to defend the right at any cost, and too many were afraid to do anything to check the tide of lawlessness. Professional men were afraid they would lose some of their clients. Merchants were fearful they would be boycotted. The merchants in the building in which Judge Burke had his office said he must vacate and leave the premises for fear the building would be fired or blown up. But the Judge stayed. He was one of the men who put down the mob. ”

“ The patriotic fires which burned in your young hearts and guided your quickened steps were inspired by the fact that the life of our Sovereign King, The Law, was in peril, that help was far distant and your presence an urgent necessity. ”

“ Immediately after the troops left, the mob began to organize an armed force to take possession of the City and shoot down any armed opposition. They drilled their men in several secret places in the city and county and so alarming was the situation, the constant drilling of our force of 400 men lasted several months, and so intense did the feeling become that our men declared that if they had to meet an armed mob they would shoot down every one they could find. ”

“ A general unrest existed all over the country, business was depressed, times were stringent, men were out of employment, the usual distress that goes with such periods prevailed, making it easy for designing men to organize discontented forces to attack some real or imaginary cause of their troubles, and in this section of the country where there were many Chinese employed, it was believed that if the Mongolians could be driven out of the country, more employment would be given to white labor. ”

“ But the City was completely in the hands of the mob. The Acting Chief-of-Police Murphy and nearly all of the police force were aiding in the lawless acts.
Early in the day Gov. Watson C. Squire, being in the city, issued his proclamation ordering them to desist from violence, to disperse and return to their homes. Their only answer was yells and howls of defiance. He ordered out two military companies stationed in the City to report to the Sheriff of the County for the purpose of enforcing the laws. ”

“ Young Gentlemen of the University Cadets: I address you as Gentlemen, for, although the uniform you wear is not as significant of gentleness as of force, the ideal soldier is always a gentleman, even when exercising the brutal forces of war.
“It is a necessity in every society, in order to protect itself against dishonesty, turbulence or vice, to organize force for use when needed * * * but it sometimes happens that ordinary means fail to give that protection absolutely necessary to the welfare of every well-organized community. Then it is that the brutal force of armed men is called in ”

“ The lawless element in the country had succeeded in organizing mobs and expelling the Chinese from a number of towns along the Coast and in several instances drove out some of the prominent citizens who had attempted to uphold the law. ”

“ Hanford’s talk he outlined the plan of citizens to preserve peace and order in Seattle, and stated that if necessary the law-abiding citizens would form an organization to patrol the city day and night. ”