The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-29
C0L0RED PEOPLE PROTEST.
CLAIM CHIEF REEDS ORDER
GIVES TOO MUCH LATITUDE.
Meeting Held Preliminary to . Gem
era1 Mass Meeting Which II
Scheduled for Saturday Night
Judge Cams Pointed Remarks.

The order of Chief Of Police Reed to
his patrolmen to arrest on sight any col
ored woman whom they suspect OF being
a pickpocket has aroused a storm Of In
dignation among the colored people Of the
city, and Immediately upon reading a ;
order OF the chief as published In the Post
Inteligencer yesterday morning, steps
were taken to hold mass meeting of col
ored people last night at the Sleeping Car
Porters' Club on lower Yesler way.
At the appointed time about fifty col
ored people assembled. w. II. Hender-
son called the meeting to order.
1--WE are assembled to protest against
the unreasonable order OF the chief Of
police" he said, wherein he gives his
officers free rein to arrest any colored
woman they even suspect Of being pick
pocket. After this order was promulgat-
ed my wife was arrested while going
peaceably about her business. She sue
was not what he suspected, and fortu-
nateiy did not have to spend the night In
Walter Green was elected secretary. and
then George Miller took the floor.
'.Mr. President" he said, there must
be someway de police learn about what
%sy is i9ks e N sntchn aes
heah and can speak for hisself."
WILEY Wiley BSenfon; ex-dog ca. catcher, evidently
W
take the floor in his own defense.
"Mistah president" he declared in .
broad Mississippi dialect, II undehstands,
truth in it." Then Mr.. Wiley Benton took
his seat, apparently satisfied that he had
gested that the meeting was not called for
the purpose of ascertaining who had been
Switching" and the incident closed.
nont After debate 81 Srss ssst to
lutions denouncing the chiefs order as too
broad, the resolutions to be presented at a
general mass meeting to be held Satur-
the debate, however, one sarcastic MEM
Der suggested that committee be APP
pointed to point out white. pickpockets to
ton received second, but the chair failed
to put II. Several speeches were made IN
which the speakers asserted that they had
that under Chief Reeds order the police
were given wide latitude to- arrest any
and all colored women, regardless of de-
grses st Of drsspee ts d6orsd womsr sra
brought before Judge Cam and charged
with vagrancy. j. ~ Hawkins, VIII H:
Morris and, 8. M. shipley. were on hand
to defend them, and asked chat the cases
be continued until next Wednesday.
Very we'll" said Judge Cam; I'm fix
the bonds OF these women at $50 EACH"
of the women who had been standing up
sank into her seat in blank amazement,
and the jaws Of the others dropped per-
ceptibly. Mr.. Morris began to expostu-
late, but Judge Cam cut him short with:
Never mind; colored women have been
committing Wholesale robbery In this city
long enough. and I have determined to
put stop to it."
wen sue out writ of habeas corpus"
threatened Mr.. Morris.
"All right, sue 1t out" replied the court.
apparently undisturbed. and the attor-
neys went their way, while the bailiff
marched the women double file back to
Jail.
An application for a writ of habeas
corpus for the women will probably be
made this morning.
Yesterday afternoon an officer received
tip that the two women who robbed
William jackson Of $500 in the Snoqualmie
saloon on Tuesday night were concealed
in room II in the st. Charles hotel. He
went to the room and raped on the door.
but was denied admission. Then he went
before Justice Austin and swore out a
search warrant, by virtue Of which he and
Officer Adams forced their way into the
room. They found no women there but
instead found three colored men smoking
opium. They arrested the three and took
them to police headquarters. There they
gave the names of John Smith. William
jackson and William Wills. They were
1ockod