The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-10-06
DID THEY DO ITg
The Burning of the Build
ingS at Rock Springs.
CHARGED AGAINST CHINESE.
Some Strong Testimony From "a
Mini.ter OF ,he GOspeP'-Evidence
OF His Wife and Daughter
The Rock Springs Trouble


CHEYENNE, Wyo., October 3. = A
special to the Sun; from Green River,
says; Some testimony of startling
character was given to the grand jury
to-day. 1t is calculated to throw a new
light upon the transactions at Rock
Springs. during the recent riot there.
Rev. Timothy Thirloway, Congrega-
tional minister, who resided at Rock
Springs with his family during the riot,
made sworn statement showing that
the Chinese set fire to their own houses
in order to prevent the white men from
robbing them of their money, which
Was buried in the ground underneath
their dwellings. Subsequent events
have sh own that this was the
case, for as soon as the Cinnamon re-
turned to Rock Springs they COM
menced excavating under the ruins and
in one instance over 5000 were found.
Timothy Thirloway, being duly sworn,
made the following statement: am a
minister OF the gospel, and was residing
at Rock Springs on the I'd of September
last, on which date a riot occurred,
in the vicinity of Chinatown. On that
day. 1 heard there was large number
of men moving around toward the
north end of Chinatown, with guns,
clubs and other 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. l
could see number of white
men on the north side OF China
town. and at the same time
four Cinnamon came out of "a house in
the southeast part of the town, only a
1nNn
some two hundred yards from the
white men. The four Cinnamon 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 two or three
minutes before coming out again. In
the meantime volley was heard on the
north side of Chinatown, and almost in
stantly the Cinnamon rushed out 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. Ny daughter, who talked
with some of the Cinnamon afterwards,
can tell you more about that, and the
object of the Cinnamon in setting their
houses on fire. The two houses that
were first burned belonged to the rail-
road company and were known as Nos
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 Eleanor Thrill
oway: 81 came to Rock Springs last
December, and have gwen instruction
to the Chinese at my fathers house in
the evening. | think we have the con-
fidence of the Chinese. who regarded us
as their. friends. Just as soon as they
returned. some came to see us and
talked 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 the China boy was
scared the American boy would get his
things, and the China boy set fire to the
houses. Lew Ack Sen, a nephew of All
Say, Chinese interpreter, also told me
the same facts about setting fire to the
house as the other Cinnamon; that
they we're afraid the white man would
find their money, and for that reason
the Chinese set fire to the houses. All
Quong said: "China boy no likee
American boy catch him things and
China boy set fire to houses"
Mrs. Eleanor ThirlOway testified sub
stantially as her husband and also that
the Cinnamon were seen running from
the houses, which Immediately, burst
forth in flames, as if touched off with
gunpowder.