Shanghai Kelly: San Francisco's Most Dangerous Host

In 1875, a San Francisco saloon owner threw a free birthday party for 100 strangers. By morning, every single one of them was unconscious, loaded into cargo nets, and sold to three ships bound for China. This is the story of Shanghai Kelly — the man who turned kidnapping into an industry.From the trapdoors of the Barbary Coast to a Supreme Court ruling that said shanghaied sailors didn't deserve protection under the 13th Amendment, this episode covers the full machinery of 19th-century crimping — and the man who ran it better than anyone.In this episode:- Who was Shanghai Kelly — and why did he get into the business- How the crimping machine actually worked (runners, laced drinks, trapdoors, cargo nets)- The infamous 1875 birthday party — 100 men drugged in one night- The shipwreck alibi that made it all disappear- William Davis — a cabinet-maker who lost 8 years of his life to one drink- Robertson v. Baldwin (1897) — the Supreme Court ruling that kept shanghaiing legal for 50 years after slavery ended- What really happened to Shanghai Kelly This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com