Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-07
THE Los ANGELES OUTRAGE.

According to all accounts the affair at Los
Angeles was little better than a brutal massa-
ere. The correspondent of the San Francisco
| Chronicle says:
''The tragedy of yesterday arose from an
ill-feeling, of long standing, between two
rival Chinese companies. These parties had
difficulty with one another on the previous
day, and preliminary examination was held
in the afternoon at one of the Justices courts,
which was adjourned until the next morning
On returning to their quarters and just as
| night set in, they resumed their quarrel and
pistols were freely used; officers and citizens
| Immediately rushed to the scene to separate
and arrest the combatants. Some of the
Chinese, however, turned upon their pursuers
and fired their pistols at them, wounding one
officer in the right shoulder, shooting boy
in the leg, and citizen, named Robert
Thompson, through the breast from the eff
fects of which he died within an hour and a
half. They then sought refuge in their quar-
tiers. The block in which the Cinnamon Sc
creted themselves was surrounded by mob,
and none were permitted to leave. Shortly
after the blockade commenced one Chinaman
attempted to escape, and, with Ratchet in
hand, determined to cut his way through the
human band encircling the Chinese strong
hold. He was quickly captured, asd the con-
stables endeayored to carry him off to Jail,
but the announcement of the death of Thomp-
son being made generally known, the mob be-
came Infatuated, and several attempts were
made to wrest the prisoner from the officers.
When within about two hundred yards of the
jail the crowd closed upon the officers, and,
overpowering them, seized the Chinaman and
marched him up Temple street to the corner
of New High street. Here the cross-beams
of the sliding-door of corral offered con-
venient gibbet A rope was Immediately pro-
cured, attached to the victims neck, thrown
over the cross beam, and amid mad shouts of
the mob he was hoisted up.
This mob, consisting mainly of native Cali
fornians, returned at once to the scene, drunk
with their fiendish work. 1t was not until 10
O'Clock that any real attempt was made to
storm the strongholds of the Chinese, who
had barricaded their doors. In the meantime
several futile attempts to fire the block were
made. At 10 o'clock an entry was made into
one of the houses and the inmates. more dead
than alive, were dragged out and hurried to
the first hanging-place at hand. Four were
suspended from the sides of wagon. Six
were hung from the awning of some dwellings
on Los Angeles street.-One was a mere boy
of eight or nine years Of age. All of these
were fearfully mangled before reaching the
around their necks Immediately upon being
captured, and some of them were strangled
before being hanged.
Thieves made good use of their opportu-
nifty, breaking open every trunk in the Chi
nese quarters, and taking everything of value
Two or three dozen Cinnamon took refuge in
the city jail, where they now remain in Gus
tody.
Hints of a repetition of last evenings pro-
ceedings having been thrown out, the cid Wig
lance committee has been reorganized, and
will act should such occur.
The city is in the greatest state of excite
ment. 1t is reported that about forty of the
Chinese belonging to the other company left
town during the time of the disturbance last
evening. Only one of the parties who shot
at the officers and citizens has been identified
among the dead. The other guilty ones have
escaped while the rest of those hanged are
supposed to be innocent