As Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. C. H. Hanford had charge of the prosecution. The trial of the case before Judge Green and a jury consumed two weeks and ended in a verdict of acquittal. There was rejoicing and some noisy demonstrations in the streets by the agitators over their victory secured by the verdict, and it was during those demonstrations that a shot was fired through one of the front windows of Mr. Hanford’s house.
It was immediately after the action of the so-called Anti-Chinese Congress that a meeting of citizens was held in C. H. Hanford’s office and it was there decided to hold a public meeting for the purpose of demonstrating that the citizens of Seattle would not tolerate riotous violations of the law. A meeting was held accordingly in Frye’s Opera House and I think the date was October 4th. It was addressed by Governor Squires, James McNaught and C. H. Hanford. In Mr. 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. This statement was applauded by part of the audience and there was no strong expression of disapproval, and the meeting would have ended happily for all concerned if nothing more had been said, but Mr. Hanford’s speech was followed by one from J. T. Ronald, who was then Prosecuting Attorney. He made a vigorous declaration of his purpose to secure conviction of the prisoners accused of murdering the Chinese in Issaquah Valley. Some one carried information of Ronald’s speech to J. C. Haines, who had been retained to defend the accused persons. He, a very ready and eloquent speaker, came striding into the meeting and upon the platform, showing great excitement, and made a furious harangue which was cheered by the audience, augmented by a large number of the Anti-Chinese sympathizers who had followed Haines into the meeting, and the affair ended with a noisy demonstration entirely sympathetic with the Anti-Chinese agitators.
A few days later a meeting of citizens was held in Frye’s Opera House which was addressed by Governor Ferry, after which those present enrolled themselves as volunteer aides to the Sheriff and they were appointed and sworn as Deputy Sheriffs and an organization was so far completed that the deputies were grouped in squads with a Captain to whom they were to report immediately in case of an alarm.
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