The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-26
HAS TOO MANY WIVES
As a Result One Of Them Nav
Be Deported.
GEE LEES DOMESTIC RELATIONS
A Chinese Merchant Whose Family Is
I'm Danger OF Being Disrupted
by Federal Officials.

Gee Lee, the leading Chinese merchant
Of Seattle. Is reputed to have taken all
vantage OF the latitude allowed by the
laws OF bis native country. and violated
those Of this country. hy having taken
urto himself two wives with both OF
WHOM he is now living. Local FEDERAL off,
ciais have taken waat Gee Lee probably
regards as an undue interest In his do
mestic affairs. and as a result he now has
trouble on his hands. Not that he IS being
charged with niSamy. for the strong arm
OF the law is being stretched out against
his family for an entirely different offense.
Some months ago Chinese Inspector r.
p. Schuyler found out that Gee Lee had
more wives than the state law allows. TIE
situation presented was this: Under the
Chinese restriction Law. a merchants wife
was not suhjec. to deportation. but all
ether Chinese women not armed with snel
a certificate were liable TO deportation Mr..
ury department and was instructed 10 ar
rest the women. He proceeded TO arrs st
enc Mrs. Gee Lee. and she was brought
before Judge Halford some weeks ago for
trial. on that trial Gee Lee succeeded in
proving that ne was married TO the woman
In Victoria a good many years ago. and
consequently, as being the wife of res
sient Chinese merchant, she was dis
charged
The status Of one of the women thus
being settled. Inspector Schuyler proceeded
against ahe other one. and on Monday
Mrs Gee Lee No. 2. otherwise known as
Chun b Gee Lee. alias Chun Moy. was
brought before Judge Hanfcrd. charged
with being unsawfully in the country.
She had certificate issued by the coll
lector of customs at Portland. or. May
H. iSai but this certificate describes her
as the .sife of Gee Lee. a merchant As II
has already been established that an
other woman is the actual wife of Gee
Lee. the Federal officers hold that the GER
tidcate is OF necessity fraudulent ana VIII
not protect her from sentence o. deporta-
ton.
When the case was called Monday. the
sttorneys for the woman made Application
for continuance for one week 10 enable
them to get evidence from san Francisco.
by which they allege they can prove that
she was born in that city In ISL. and con-
sequently is not subject to deportation.
whether she is Gee Lees wife or not
This Is not the first time that Chun Nov
has been before the public and the courts.
Some years since she. to the scandal OF
Chinatown fed from her alleged iord ava
master Gee Lee. and took refuge at the
House of the Good Shepherd. Here she re-
manned for more than a year. and from
this retreat she brought suit against Gee
Lee for divorce and alimony. The matter
was settled in some manner. out OF court,
and chun Moy was persuaded TO dismiss
her suit and resume her marital relations
with Gee Lee.
Since that time the two wives have lived
in the same house in harmony. that is,
wife No l occupies what Is presumably
the parlor Of the family residence. while
Chun Moy has made her home in the base
r1ent OF the same building. II was from
there she was taken by Deputy Marshal
Quiiter on Monday last. and thither she re-
turned after furnishing the $ bail de-
mafdef by the court 10 insure her APP
Dearance for trial on Monday next.