Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-10-15
THE ROCK SPRINGS RIOT.

Starelins Evideacs Before the Grand Jury
The Chinese Said ts Have Fired Their
Own Hous~s.
GREEN river, WYo, October 6-Some
testimony Of . startling character was
given to the grand jury yesterday calculated
70 throw new light on the transactions st
Rock Springs during the riot there. The
Rev. Tim"thy Thirloway, the CoDgregs-
tional minister who resided at Rock
Springs with his family during the riot,
made . sworn statement. showing that tho
Chinese set fire to their own houses In
order to prevent the white men from rob
bling them of their money, which was-
buried in the ground under their dwellings.
Subsequent events have shown that this
was the case, for Is shown, "a the China
men returned to Rock Springs they COM
menced excavat ng under the ruins and in
one instance over SC, 900 was found. TIM
othy Thirloway being duly sworn made the
following statement: II am minister OF
the gospel and was residing at Rock
Springs on September last on which day
the rot occurred and was in the vicinity Of
Chinatown on that day. l heard
there was a large number Of men moving
around toward the north end of China
town with guns, clubs and GAner weapons.
/ stepped out Of my house with my wife
and saw the first two houses that were set
on fire. While We were standing there
could see q number OF white men on the
north side of Chinatown and at the same
time four Cinnamon came out of house in
the southeast part only short distance
from US. They were some two hundred
yards from the white men. The four Chi
naMen had not moved more than twenty
yards from the house with their bundles
when some one called them back, and they
remained in the house for two or three
minutes before coming out again. In the
meantime volley was heard on the north
side of Chinatown and almost instantly the
Cinnamon rushed out of the building. They
had hardly left when We saw the building
was on IRE. 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 setting tire
to their own houses. The two houses that
were first burned belonged to the railroad,
company and were known as numbers Is
and 16. Among the Cinnamon that came
out Of No. Is, the first house set on fire,
recognized All QuOng." The statement OF
Miss Ellen ThiriOway was as follows: Il
came to Rock Springs last December and
have given instruction to the Chinese at my
fathers house in the evening. l think I
had the confidence Of the Chinese, who re-
garded Us as their friends. Just as soon a.
they returned some of them came to see us
and told us shout their troubles. All
Quong. who lived in the cellar of gang
house No. 10, which was the first house set
on fire, told me that ChinabOy 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.