In the days leading up to the expulsion, local papers note that there was an increase in gunfire in and around Chinatown between Chinese residents. The papers neglect to go into why the gunfights occurred, and instead wave them off as foolishness on the side of the Chinese. In one of these gunfights, two bystanders were hit- Councilman Kendall and a young boy. Kendall was killed while the young boy was hit in the foot by a stray bullet and survived. Within an hour, word had gotten out about Kendall’s death and hundreds of people had assembled in the area. A meeting was called at nearby Centennial Hall to determine what should be done. A committee, known as the Committee of Fifteen comprised of leading men in the city was formed to speak with the leaders of Chinatown and tell them that the Chinese had 24 hours to pack up their things and be out of Eureka.
Following the Eureka expulsion, the Committee of Fifteen encouraged other towns in the county to expel their Chinese residents. The expulsion from Eureka was praised as so thorough that not a single Chinese resident remained in the county- a myth that was widely shared for decades after the event. Local papers listed the names and businesses of the organizers for the Eureka Expulsion, encouraging readers to support their businesses and endeavors in thanks for their service on the Committee of Fifteen.