The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-18
MRS. RIGGS
DETAINED
The Federal Authorities
at the Coast
Active.
The Cali of June 8 says:

| MIS- carrie Riggs, a young anC
talented member of the Along family
| was detained for three hours on board
the steamship Coptic yesterday fore
| noon by the exigencies of the CHINESE
| exclusion act
| The lady arrived with Toney c. Afona
and Chun Wing Sen Along, her brothel
and nephew, who came from Shanghai
| by the steamship Siberia and stopped
! over at Honolulu to accompany theiI
sister hither. DR.. John Endicott Gardi-
ner, a Chinese inspector, was at the
gangplank and stopped the party. The
| brother and nephew exhibited papers
signed by the proper officials at Homo
lulu, certifying that they were Ameri-
can citizens under the act annexing Ha-
wall to the United States. Immediately
upon the production of the papers they
were allowed to land. Mrs. Carrie
Riggs, however, had no papers and DR..
Gardiner, who is one of the most cour-
teous officials in the Federal service,
informed her that under the law and
his instructions he had no discretion,
but would have to report her arrival to
his superior officer.
Mrs. Riggs was inclined to be indig-
nant, but after the situation had been
explained, she acknowledged that, I'M
pleasant as the episode had proved to
her, the inspector was simply doing his
duty and in the least offensive way
possible. DIR. Gardiner at once COM
municated with Charles Mehan, inspec-
tor in charge of the Chinese bureau,
and Mr.. Mehan directed that the usual
statement should be taken from her as
to her identity. age, birthplace, etc.
This was done and when Immigrant
Commissioner North arrived at his Of
flee shortly after 9 a. m. Mr.. Mehan laid
the facts before him, whereupon the
Commissioner ordered that she be land
ed without further ceremony. An in
spector was sent to the steamer with
the order and the lady was released
at once. The steamer arrived at the
wharf at 7:45 a. m. and Mrs. Riggs
went ashore at 1O:45 a. m.
Dr. Gardiner made the following
statement regarding the affair:
st was on duty at the gangplank
when Mrs. Riggs came down with her
brother and her nephew. Both the men
had the proper papers, signed by Ho-
nolulu officials, which entitled them to
land, but the lady had no papers such
as are required by law, or any papers
at all. In such matters the law leaves
the official without any discretion. and
it does not exempt any persons of the
Chinese race from it's requirements, no
matter whether they are married to
Americans or not. The moment that
the steamship company notifies us that
Chinese or descendants of Chinese are.
on board it is our duty to stop them
until they prove that they are en-
titled to land. If we did not do it we
would be liable to prosecution. Every
courtesy was shown the lady and her
statement was taken, as required by
the law I found her to be a lady of
and culture"
Commissioner North said that DR..
Gardiner had acted within the line of
his duty, but he appeared to be very
much nettled because the story had be-
come public.
Mrs. Carrie Riggs is well known here
and has come to visit her sister, the
wife of Admiral Whiting, commandant
of the Yerba Buena naval training sta
ton. Toney c. Along, a brother Of Mrs.
Riggs, and son of Chun Along, the VEN
cradle head of the numerous and we'll
known Honolulu family, has not been
in America since he was a little boy.
Toney Along was taken from Homo |
lulu to China by his father fifteen |
years ago and has since made his home
n Hongkong, where he is interested in |
he Douglas Steamship Company He |
eft Hongkong on the Siberia and stop |
led over at Honolulu to visit his mother |
ind renew his acquaintance with his |
,oyhood home. He has with him his
on, Chun Wing Sen Along, whom he
s taking East to have prepared to en-
err Harvard University. This youngest
Along was born in China and although
e speaks fauItless English is, accord
ng to his father, a thorough Chinaman.
-oung Along has been carefully edu-
ated by private tutors and his father
xpects that about four years in an
EASTERN school will equip the youngster
18th enough education to quality him
Or admission to Harvard, which is Mr..
fong's alma mater.
Chun Along, the founder of the fam
V and fortune of the Honolulu Afongs,
YES at Macao. He is now IS years
Id and, according to his son, is enjoy
lg the evening of his life lettering
round among the friends of his youth.
oney and his son will visit the st.
outs Exposition and other points of in
rest in the Eastern States before the
IN settles down to school and the
.ther returns to his business in Hong
1ng. Y