The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-07

Three violators Of Geary Law Arrested
Cases Appealed to Supreme Court.
NEW YORK, MAY 6.-Three meek appear.
ing Cinnamon who have violated the Chi
nese exclusion act by failing to register a.
required by law, walked into United States
Marshal Jacobus' office in this city
this morning and were Immediately
placed under arrest. Their names are
Wong Guam, . laborer, living at No. 4
Mott street; Lee Goe, . costumer, 2702
Third avenue, and Fong Yue Ling, No.
Mott street. They voluntarily surren-
dered themselves by advice of eminent
lawyers, in order to test the legality of the
Chinese exclusion act. They were taken
into the United States district court. where
Judge Brown was sitting prepared to hear
two of the cases.
The case of Fong Yue Ling was brought
before the United States circuit court in
which Judge Lacombe is sitting. The case
of Wong Guam was first called. The chief
lawyer for the Chinaman is Joseph HI.
Choate and with him Thomas B. Riordan.
counsel for the powerful Chinese Six Com
ponies of San Francisco. which are de-
fraying all expenses of the test cases.
Riordan came here from San Francisco
two weeks ago. United States District
Attorney Mitchell appeared to pros
ecute. Through an interpreter Wong
Guam admitted that he was q laborer,
resident in the United States on May s,
1898, when the Geary act became q law;
that he had not applied for . certificate of
residence as required by law. nor had he
troubled himself at all about it, and he
had no excuse to offer for not doing 80.
His lawyers appeared a. anxious as
Mitchell to have him adjudged guilty Of
violating the law. and Judge Brown 70.
manded him to the custody of tho United
States marshal to be deported to China.
Lee Goes case was then called. It diff
fered from Wong Quan's inasmuch - his
lawyers said he was without the necessary
certificate through unavoidable" causes,
but was not able to prove it by any white
persons. nor was he able to show by any
white persons that he was in the country
on May S. 1888, as the law requires.
According to the Geary law, when
Chinaman applies for registration
tho collector of internal revenue may
refuse to register him unless he shows by
reputable witnesses that he is entitled to
the protection that registration guaran-
tees. If. at the end of year, the China
AAoA oeiA ACAuoAuo uuICSAStcIoO uO 10 AA8Ul0
to arrest, when he then must prove by at
least one reputable white citizen that he
resided in this country prior to the passage
of the Chinese exclusion act.
Lee Goe had applied to the internal
revenue collector on April IL, but was
refused registration on the ground that
Gay Mamie, the Chinese interpreter,
whom Choate had officially designated as
a Chinese gentleman, was not in the opin-
ion Of the collector a reputable witness
because he was q Chinaman. Judge Brown
has signed papers for the expulsion of Lee
Goe. The third case was that of Fong
Yue Ling, an Americanized Chinaman,
who wears neither blouse nor queue. He
was not taken before Judge Brown, but
before Judge Lacombe, who ordered the
prisoner deported to China.
In all three cases cousel applied to Judge
Lacombe for = writ of habeas corpus,
which was denied in accordance with a
prearranged plan of counsel ON both sides.
and then counsel gave notice of appeal to
the supreme court of the United States.
The Cinnamon were admitted to bail in
$500 each, which was procured by the rep
resentatives Of the Six Companies. The
cases, the district attorney said. will be
heard by the supreme court in Washing
ton City on next Wednesday. The pro-
ceedings were closely watched by Yung
Kui. member Of the Chinese legation at
Washington City. and by Vice Consul
Wing, of this city.