The Mineral argus., 1884-11-06
A CIRCUS IN COURT.
Four Chinese Actors Display Their ARR,
ties Before the Judge.

Four Chinese Actors Display Thar Ah,,,
ties Before the Judge.
In San Francisco, Ang. ID, four m;
nese actors were before Judge Hoffman
on a writ of habeas corpus, to decide
whether they fall within the terms 81
the law excluding Chinese laborers
but admitting actors and artists. tn
four claimed that they had been EN-.
ployed previous to 1881, when they 70.
turned to China, at the Chinese theater
on jackson %steeet, neal Dupont. Dur
ing the course of their examination soma
doubts were cast upon their respective
abilities as opponents of the Chinese
drama, and at the request of Carroll
Cook each Of the four exerted himself
to display his dramatic worth.
Long Kwong was o Jumper" and,
rising and placing his chair on one
side, he stood on one leg, holding the
other out straight and raising both arms
heavenward, with the fingers of his
hands outstretched, he hoped around
to the infinite amusement of all in the
court room. He displayed such agility
that no n disputed his claim, and he
was discharged.
Quong Wa was q sweet singer from
the ''rice and c~hopstick" district, and
he comemnced a Chinese rendering Of
the Babies on Our Block" beginning
in a low fog-horn key and rising sud
denly to a shrek that caused the build
ing to shake and his honor to order
him discharge at once and removed
from the neighborhood for fear he
might be tempted TO tackle another bar
of the song.
All Sic was a female i~mpersonator
and went through the performance Of q
%forlorn maiden with an imaginary viii
lain still pursuing her. According to
Sizes rendering the forlorn maiden Of
the howery kingdom, when she sees u
villain approaching, holds her arms out
straight and whirls around like n top,
at the same time uttering shrill sbrieks
of terror that are supposed to pierce the
villains heart like arrows. Judge Hoff-
man ordered the versatile Sic discharg-
ed and sent to find the sweet singer.
The remaining actor, when called up
on to show his abilities, astonished
every one. First of all he kicked off
his shoes, and then proceeded to clear
the chairs from the center of the court
room. The interpreter winked at Mr..
Cook and explained that the last man was
q clown. Judge Hoffman was beginning
to look aghast at the deliberation with
which the so-called clown was prepar-
ing for his exhibition. A space of TWEEN
tip feet having been clear, the clown
stood in the middle Of the space, and
glared around with such a demoniao
grin and roll of his eyes that several of
the attorneys moved uneasily in their
seats. If was only for a moment. I'm
mediately after the Chinaman gave a
| bound in ttfe air and almost touched the
large chandelier her he rolled over and
over, this way and that, and all that was
visible was u black ball with legs and
arms flying around 1t. He was up in
the air, then at this end of the room,
then at the other. The "Beggars
Dance" which Pan-ku-keevis danced at
Hiawatha's festival was nothing in com
parison with this display of agility.
Fearful that the zeal of the actor would
lead him too far, and that he would
expire from exhaustion, Judge Hoffman
declared himself satisfied that the
clown was really a peer in his profess
sion, and other evidence of the clowns
former residence here heiug adduced,
Judge Hoffman ordered them dischar0-
ed and bail e~Xonerated.