Attempt to Deport the “Wilmington 3” Chinese Laundrymen in 1914

(This is an update to a post made on June 26, 2013 since a photograph has been found of the Sam Lee Laundry in Wilmington, N. C. where the three Chinese men were working when proceedings to deport them were started in 1914).
Sam Lee Laundry wilmington NC closeup
A brief review of the case: In 1914, a deportation case was heard in the Eastern District Court of North Carolina involving three young Chinese men, Lim Yuen, his brother Lam Gong, and another Chinese, Chan See Jock. They had come from China in 1908 and 1909 legally as sons of a merchant and a teacher.  All three were working at the Sam Lee Laundry in Wilmington, North Carolina.  As laundry workers, they were classified as laborers, and because they lacked certificates, the United States government acted to deport them.
 The District judge ruled in favor of the Chinese laundrymen, maintaining that just because they were laborers was insufficient grounds for deportation. Insofar as they had not entered illegally, which based on the 1882 Chinese Exclusion law was the only  basis for deporting them, he denied the deportation order.