The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-15
THE ROCK SPRINGS RIOT.
Startling Evidence Before the Grand Jury
The Chinese Said To Have Fired Their
Own HOUSES.

startling Evidence Before the Grand Jury
The Chinese Said To Have Fired Their
Own HOUSES.
GREEN RIVER, WYo., October 6.-Some
testimony of q startling character was
given to the grand jury yesterday calculated
to throw new light on tile transactions a.:
Rock Springs during the riot there. The
Rev. Timothy Thirloway, the COngrega-
tional minister who resided at Rock
Springs with his family during the riot,
made a sworn statement, showing that the
Chinese set fire TO their own houses in
order to prevent the white men from rob-
bing them of their money, which was
buried in the ground under their dwellings.
Subsequent events have shown that this
was the case, Cor as shown, as tie China
men returned TO Rock Springs they cOu-
mcnced eXcayat ~ under the ruins and in
one instance over $1,000 was fuuIt6. TIM
nthy ThiTloway being duly sworT made the
following statement: II am = minister CT
the gospel and was residing at Rock
Springs on September last on which DAY
the riot occurred and was in the vicinity of
Chinatown on that DAY. heard
there was 4 large number Of men moving
around toward the north end OF China
town with guns clubs and - rr weapons.
| stepped cut OF my house with MY wife
and saw the first two houses that We're SCI.
on fire. While We were standing there
could see a number OF white men on the
north side OF Chinatown and al the same
time four Cinnamon came out of house III
the southeast part on!y short distance
from US. They were some two hundred
yards from the white men. The four CHI
Tamen had not moved more than twenty
yards from the house with their bundles
when some one called them back. and they
remained ia the house for two or three
minutes before coming out again. In the
meantime a yOlley was heard on the north
side of Chinatown and almost instantly the
Cinnamon rushed ont of the building. They
had hardly left when We saw the building
was on fire. No white men were to be
seen near the house and it was apparent
that the house was fired by the
Cinnamon themselves. My daughter, who
talked with some of the Cinnamon
afterward, can tell you more about
the object of the Cinnamon in sPttin.: fire
to their own houses. The two houses that
were first burned belonged to the railroad
company and were known as numbers Is
dllu 10. hlllbIlS Jllo CIllllhilICi Lidb
out of No 1G, the first house set on fire,
recognized ALI QuOng" The statement of
Miss Ellen Thirloway was as follows: II
came to Rock Springs last December and
have given instruction to the Chinese at my
fathers house i'll the evening. | think
had the confidence of the Chinese, who re-
garded us as their friends. Just as soon as
they returned some of them came to see us
and told us about their troubles. All
Quong. who lived in the cellar of gang
house No. 16, which was the first house set
on fire, told me that China boy was scared,
afraid American boy would get things, and
so China boy set fire To the house Lew
Ack Sen. nephew of All Say, the Chinese
interpreter, also told me the same facts
about setting on fire the houses of other
Cinnamon and that they were afraid white
men would find their money and for that
reason the Chinese set fire to the houses.