Mrs Hillyer What If Project - Web Upload.pptx

Presentation on the project.

1. Mrs. Hillyer “What If” Project Student/Alumni Authors Adrienne Akossiwa Amanda Aminta Andrew Cathleen Daniel Dawn Gloria Harley Jaimie Jill Kathryn Maria Maria McKayfinn Meghan Nalini Thresa Tracy Vanessa Yvette ADAPTATION OF Spring 2023 Student Conference April 2023 Presented by Dr. Lisa D’Adamo-Weinstein

2. 2 “[W]omen's letters rarely just exchange information. Instead, they tell stories; they tell secrets; they shout and scold, bitch and soothe, whisper and worry, console and advise, gossip and argue, compete and compare. And along the way, they - usually without meaning to - write history" (Grunwald and Adler, p.1).

3. In 1931, a Mrs. Hillyer wrote a letter to the Seattle Office of the Department of Justice. In the letter, she asks that they raid the home of her husband's Chinese bootlegger. You can see the letter in the Department of the Treasury General Records collection in the National Archives Catalog. Students in my Stories We Think We Know course at Empire State University are asked to create creative non-fiction responses to letters written by women from the American Revolution to the present day. One of the letters is the letter written by Mrs. Hillyer. Some of these responses inspired by her plea to the Seattle Bureau of Prohibition are wonderful imaginings of the rest of the Mrs. Hillyer story , and they inspired the “What If” p roject. Over the course of the last 4 years, I have been working with several students/alumni to create an online letter reading performance of letters inspired by Mrs. Hillyer's. Some have written from the perspective of agents in the Bureau of Prohibition, the bootlegger's lawyer, Mr. Hillyer, and even other letters "written" by Mrs. Hillyer to friends or family. All of these letters come from the imagination of the students leading us to wonder not only who Mrs. Hillyer is and what happened to her, but also the "what ifs" of potential storylines in these creative nonfiction creations.

4. Transcription: El 0109 Tom Norton [handwritten upper left corner] Possibly Mrs. Jack Hillyer 1921-3rd Ave- Apt 406 [handwritten top of page] Received Sep 23 1931 Bureau of Prohibiton Special Agents Seattle, Wash. [stamp] Seattle, Wash. Sept. 22, 1931 Dear Sir:      My husband is in the habit of buying a quart of wiskey [sic] every other day from a Chinese bootlegger named Chin Waugh living at 317- 16th near Alder Street.      We need this money for household expenses. Will you please have his place raided? He keeps a supply planted in the garden and a smaller quantity under the back steps for quick delivery. If you make the raid at 9:30 any morning you will be sure to get the goods and Chin also as he leaves the house at 10 o'clock and may clean up before he goes. Thanking you in advance  I remain  yours truly, Mrs. Hillyer

5. Little is known about Mrs. Hillyer herself.  The clerk who  logged in the letter noted that she was " Possibly Mrs. Jack Hillyer 1921-3rd Ave- Apt 406“ But my research and communications with some of the relatives of Glenna Wilke Hillyer, Jack’s wife, is most likely not the author of the letter written as Mrs. Hillyer in 1931 as they did not wed until 1937 according to a great nephew who has been working on the family history.

6. Chin Waugh (aka Chin Gum Wah) can be found in the 1930 census living at the same 317 16th Ave. address Mrs. Hillyer noted in her letter. Before Mrs. Hillyer’s complaint, he was already WELL known to police and federal officials, being arrested multiple times throughout the years for various drug charges which culminated in his being sent to McNeil Prison in Washington 1927 and finally in 1935 and fined a huge $15,000 for his participation in an opium ring.

7. Click this link to the video and news story about the history of Prohibition and rum runners and bootleggers in Seattle, Washington in the early 1900s.

8. Year Author Letter To Letter From Synopsis of Letter Letter Category F2022 Andrew Mrs Smith Mrs Hillyer written to a neighbor whose husband also goes to the bootlegger. Community S2022 Jill Mrs. Hillyer Matilde wright Supportive member of same church and talking about appreciation of the letter as a call to action Community F2021 Kathryn to the Baker Mrs Hillyer letter to the baker bootlegger Community S2021 Nalini Mrs. Sabin Mrs. Hillyer Letter to another wife regarding her husband's drunkeness - Seattle wives Community S2021 Thresa Mrs. Waugh Mrs. Hillyer Trying to shame the bootlegger's wife into discouraging him from continuing his illegal sales of alcohol. Community S2022 Amanda Mrs. Hillyer Mr. Hillyer I wrote the letter from the viewpoint of Mr. Hillyer who was tipped off about his wife's letter. I tried to create sympathy for people experiencing alcoholism . I tried to develop a history for my male character . I could not find any information on their first names so assigned them common names. As a former alcoholic , I often see many pieces that blame the addict. I don't see much sympathy for those with addiction or what drove them to addiction. Through-out this project, I thought of how addicts coped with prohibition . Though the letter was brief, I empathized more with her husband than her . I tried to add some backstory without giving so much information that it would sound unnatural . Husband and Wife S2022 Aminta Mr. Hillyer Mrs. Hillyer Letter to her husband in prison Husband and Wife S2021 Jaimie Mr. Hillyer Mrs. Hillyer I have left you because of your whiskey purchases Husband and Wife S2022 Tracy 2nd letter Mr. Hillyer 2nd letter to Mrs. Hillyer 2nd letter from Mr H to Mrs from prison Husband and Wife S2022 Yvette Mrs. Hillyer Mr. Hillyer Mr. Hillyer letting his wife know how her letter to the DoJ hurt his feelings - "You would deny a poor man his vice?" Husband and Wife

9. Year Author Letter To Letter From Synopsis of Letter Letter Category F2022 Adrienne Capt. Olmstead Mrs Hillyer telling her that he won't stop her husband and looks forward to him being the mayor Law Enforcement F2022 Akossiwa Capt. Olmstead Mrs Hillyer to help out "I have decided to personally take the matter into my hands and help you solve this issue due to your husband's role in the city of Seattle. Your husband has been a good city citizen and a great teacher for our children at the Public School of Seattle. " Law Enforcement S2022 Daniel Mrs. Hillyer Det. Tom Norton Seattle Police Department & the Noir Prose piece Supportive letter of her outreach because of family history of alcoholism. And update on raid Law Enforcement F2021 Harley Mrs. Hillyer Mr Smith report of raid and supportive information Law Enforcement F2021 Kathryn Spc Agent Donovan Mrs Hillyer Recent arrest Law Enforcement S2021 McKayfinn Mrs. Hillyer Chief Wallace Thanking her for her letter and how it has been helpful to the departmenbt ofjustice Law Enforcement S2022 Meghan Capt. James Outlier Mrs. Hillyer Written from the perspective of the prohibition officer who received and responded to Mrs. Hillyer's letter, in the Department of Justice. Law Enforcement S2022 Tracy Agent Hanks John Smith, Esq From Mr. Waugh's attorney to DoJ agent Law Enforcement S2021 Vanessa Mrs. Hillyer Anonymous S. "What about a man'sright for release." = Admonishing her and saying that they won't send her letter forward. Against prohibition Law Enforcement F2020 Cathleen Dear Friend Mrs. Hillyer Letter asking for advice of what to do because of $ and drinking of husband. Mrs. Hillyer S2022 Dawn Dear Friend Mrs. Hillyer Writes to friend saying that she has made a great mistake. After the DoJ raided and Jack was angry. Mrs. Hillyer F2022 Gloria Ann (sister) Mrs Hillyer Explains her situation and asks for help. Mrs. Hillyer S2021 Maria D. Mrs. Hillyer Telling friend about her letter to the Dept of Justice Mrs. Hillyer S2022 Maria Mrs. Darcy Mrs. Hillyer Letter to her friend asking for guidance after writing the letter and no response. Mrs. Hillyer S2021 McKayfinn Friend Ann 2nd letter to Mrs. Hillyer 2nd letter to her friend Ann - describes state of family with husband drinking. Mrs. Hillyer

10. August 20, 1931 Dear Friend, I am beyond ideas and beyond desperation. Each month, each week, each day it gets tougher and tougher to make ends meet. The bills have exceeded our pockets. Our meals are scarcer than they have been before and I fear my body will become too frail to fight to save us. I pace back and forth with worry until he pulls up to the house, hoping he hasn’t been there again, but he always has. The discussions, the fights, my begging hasn’t helped, I am not sure he can stop and don’t know if anything I do will help. I don’t know what else to do, if you have any ideas please speak up my old friend, time is waning and I am losing hope.   Your Dearest and Desperate Friend, H. 1931 Sample Other Letters by Mrs. Hillyer

11. Mrs. Hillyer, The Seattle Department of Justice appreciates your letter. I have taken it upon myself to protect you and your husband from persecution for partaking in this activity. Your husband has made quite an honorable reputation for himself and your family. What with running for mayor and all. It would be a shame to turn in your letter to arrest not only Mr. Chin Waugh but also your husband as we now have proof of his involvement. I’m sure you can understand Mrs. Hillyer. Besides once he becomes Mayor, you’ll be well enough off and won’t have to worry about affording household expenses. I will make sure your husband never finds out about your letter. I advise you to watch this one as it shrivels up and chars away in your fireplace as I have yours. I have had reports of you lurking on Alder Street by Mr. Chin Waugh’s and must ask you to stop. I can only imagine the unsufferable damage this would do to your marriage should your husband know you’re against him and causing a suspicious scene in public. Especially during these horrendous times. As for Mr. Chin Waugh, he is a very nice old man who was around far too long before this prohibition nonsense. Anyone would be a fool not to make a profit off this. Especially without that insufferable tax on it. I’d appreciate it if you could do us all a favor to turn your cheek to the information you’ve discovered. A pretty head like that shouldn’t be involved in something like this. I look forward to your husband becoming Mayor and working alongside the Department of Justice. I am certain we can put this government back in its rightful place. Good Day My Lady, Captain Frank Olmstead 1931 Other Authors of Law Enforcement Letters

12. Dear Mrs. Smith,   I am writing to confess that I have finally done it. I wrote and mailed, just yesterday a letter to the Seattle, Washington office of the United States Department of Justice regarding our husbands' shared affliction, though I did not mention you or yours by name, and named their supplier, Chin Waugh. After we spoke last week I came to realize that no plea from my lips would ever burrow deep enough into Mr. Hillyer’s good sense to do any good if so many I have given before have not done so. Neither you, nor I, could confront Chin Waugh, and even were we to do so together I trust our pleas would fall upon ears even deafer than those of our husbands. I hope that the fellows at the Department of Justice heed my advice and raid that Chin’s place and catch him in the act. To think that that Chinaman has been making a plum living taking our husbands hard earned dollars and feeding them poison for it is beyond forgiveness! We have had to go without meat two evenings each the past two weeks for lack of funds. I would not burden you with such affairs except that I know you have suffered much the same. Why these Chinese must come here to steal a living from afflicted men like our husbands is beyond me. Lock them up, or better, send them back across the ocean to their own backward land if they cannot make an honest living of themselves, I say. If the Justice men act with haste, we may have our husbands back to us, without that devil drink, within two weeks' time. I pray that it is so, whiskey makes a mean shadow of the man my husband is when he is dry. I am sure it is much the same for you.   Yours in strife, Mrs. Hillyer 1931 Sample Community Focused Letters

13. To My Dearest Husband, Mr. Hillyer, I hope this letter finds you in good health and that it finds you before your next whiskey purchase at the home of Mr. Chin. By the time you read this, I will have already left. I know you think your evening drinks are harmless, but the money spent on liquor has put us in a bind that I can no longer suffer the weight of. I am travelling to visit my mother in New York, with sincere hopes that you will have turned your cheek to this habit by the time I return. Hopefully, with a loan from my parents, we will be able to start fresh. In the house, you will find close to nothing of sustenance. After the humiliation of having to return items at the local drug store, I wasn’t able to purchase much. A carton of milk and some eggs remain in the fridge and there is still a loaf of bread in the cupboard. There is some leftover stew in the pot on the stove, I made as much as I could with the supplies left in the house. If you have not yet been made aware, I have written to the Department of Justice with a request to shut this location down. I pray that you are not angry with me. I recognize that you could see this as an act of betrayal, but no more that I feel betrayed by your reliance on your whiskey as opposed to your wife. I am hopeful that in good faith, they will not implicate you in this violation. And hopefully this will be a lesson to you to change. I shall return to you soon. All of my love, Your darling Wife 1931 Sample Husband and Wife Letters

14. I have begun ancestry research in order to find out more about the Mrs. Hillyer story. Here is the  link  to the potential family tree I have created.

15. I also created a FB group to help get the word out about the project. https://bit.ly/MrsHillyerFacebook

16. I found the names from a 1932 document at the National Archives from the Portland and Seattle agents in charge to each other detailing the Tacoma, WA police scandal. I imagined for this that Tom Norton, who was an actual deputy sheriff, was asked to step in and act as interim Sheriff. Tom Norton was cleared during an investigation that he wasn’t a bad cop and manhandled a woman. She alleged he and another cop had treated her badly. Tom was cleared but the other one wasn’t. So, I imagined that for this letter, Tom was the “good cop” in Seattle while the rest of them seemed to have went bad as part of that whole investigation later. Those articles were on Newspapers.com if you have the subscription. Chin Waugh (aka Chin Gum Wah) was not a great guy by any means. He can be found in the 1930 census living at the same 317 16th Ave. address Mrs. Hillyer listed. Before Mrs. Hillyer’s complaint, he was already WELL known to police and the feds, bring arrested multiple times throughout the years for various drug charges which culminated in his being sent to McNeil Prison in Washington 1927 and finally in 1935 and fined a huge $15,000 for his participation in an opium ring. The McNeil prison records when he was received at the prison can be found on Ancestry.com if you have the paid subscription. Chin’s passport with a photo can also be found on Ancestry.com as well. Chin Wah’s multiple arrests can be found on Newspapers.com (also, paid subscription) but is mentioned here in this blog post involving another participant in the opium ring . Tom Norton was a deputy living in Seattle in the 1932 city directories.