Ethel V Hall: Queen Of The Smuggler

Ethel was married to Edward Hall her first cousin. They had owned 2 schooners, the "Ethel H" and the Comrade.







https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43922043/ethel_hall/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43923737/ethel_hall/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43932713/ethel_hall/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43933782/ethel_hall/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43935480/ed_hall/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43934302/ethel_hall/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43926103/ethel_hall_smuggler/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43927422/ed_hall/

  They smuggled chinese laborers and opium into California. Ethel was a natural, she could shoot a gun and sail the schooner. Although when she was arrested she denied her part in anything and said she was young and naive when she married her husband and had no idea what he was doing, until she was so deeply involved it was too late. When she was arrested by the police and placed in the San Francisco jail her husband fled to Mexico leaving her with the bag. 
  She was sick and only fined $10 and let go, she would die 12 March 1913 in Los Angeles.
  Edward would go on smuggling and finally got caught in 1916 and held in jail.
  The newspaper articles attached tell a wonderful tale, of a long ago time, when ships were yar, and one could sit on the dock and watch them pulling into the harbor, with their elegant white sails blowing in the wind. Ethel made something like $10,500 for smuggling the Chinese into California. 

The newspapers had ads like these.




Sad, although they want to leave their country to come to America in pursuit of dreams like everyone else who has stepped upon this dirt. They were headed to labor camps for railroads and the dark mines.

When Ethel died she was only 26 years old, the newspaper mentioned they had family in Olympia, and Seattle, WA. They Bar Leaders. Not sure what that means except they owned some bars. I didn't find any information on Ed. I made them a tree added all the newspaper articles to it through Newspapers.com. I tried to find photos of the schooners but had no luck.


I did find out in the newspaper that the Ethel H was seized in 1916 and sold, and you will never guess who bought it. Ed's lawyer.

Maybe a relative and fill in the genealogy gaps for us, In the meantime, I thought it was a daring and adventurous story that needed to be told. 

I always wanted to build a sailboat and sail with my brother to Australia. Never stop dreaming.



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