Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-24
ALLEGED CHINESE SLAVERY.
An Irate Commissioner and Pugilistic
AttorneY-The Chinese Excited

traffic in humanity is the hope expressed
on every side. The Chinese will use coin
without stint to protect themselves in this
matter. and one of their own race who acts
as informer, who would assist in deprivng
one of his countrymen of his human chat
tells, would not be considered a good risk
by a first-class life insurance company at
any price. Every point has been taken
advantage of by the attorneys for the de-
fense innumerable motions made to dis
miss TO amend the complaint and secure
the possession of detained female witnesses
by writs of habeas corpus. Saturday morn
ing General Carey had Tong Quai and Suey
Iee-women alleged to be detained as wit
nesses-brought before Judge Van Fleet on
a writ of habeaS corpus, directing Commits
sioner Bugbey and Marshal Parker to ap-
pear and show cause why the women were
restrained of their liberty.
At the hour designated the Commissioner
and Marshal Parker appeared in Court,
accompanied by their counsel, Judge S. S.
Holl, who in his return to the writ, said ::
" That well knowing the power and infu-
ence exercised over these Chinese women
by those who claim to be their masters,
the Commissioner deemed it expedient to
commit them TO the custody of an officer
with the view Of preventing those who
held them from exercising such an infu-
ence over them by threats and intiInida-
ton which will induce them not to testify
when wanted; and in pursuance thereof
he did commit them to the custody of said
| K. w. Parker. The Commissioner further
certitieS that the women requested him TO
| protect them from the claim of their mas
tiers, and desired him to put them in charge
of some person who would protect them.
That said women are not now imprisoned
by him, and were not by him imprisoned
at any time, and they are not now in his
custody but in the custody of q person
designated by him for the purposes above
set forth. That he has no desire to de-
prive them of their liberty, and is ready
10 abide by any order of this Court in the
premises, but he earnestly requests the
Court to ascertain the facts in regard to
these women, and respectfully suggests
that the women themselves will not dare
to speak the truth in regard TO their con-
dltion in the presence of those who claim
to be their masters and who have the
power TO punish them if they should OBJ
tain control of them again. Wherefore,
the Commissioner respectfully suggests
that the Court take such measures as will
leave these women perfectly free to declare
their true condition, and that when ex-
amined they be removed entirely from the
influence and out of the presence and hear
ing of those who claim to control them"
General Carey commended that this was
no answer to the writ, and read and quoted
| law in support of his position. The return
in no way answered the allegations in the
writ.
The Court held that the persons men
toned in the writ must be produced in
| Court.
The Commissioners counsel said they
had no objection to producing the women
in Court. All they desired was fair hear
ing Further than that, they had no inter
est in the case.
General Carey became very much excited
and said he charged the United States Com
missioner with having entered into con-
spiracy with his counsel, in the interest of
other Chinese.
The Court called counsel to order, saying
they would try one case at a time. So far
10 conspiracy had been charged.
| Judge Holl asked leave to make a state
to him that they are being held as slaves
ment, and said: The women had declared
by the parties named in the complaint. and
| are compelled to practice prostitution
They say they have no desire to go back to
| the house of ill-iame and follow their old
! life. We all know that the, women thus
| held are of the most timid kind and they
are easily inundated by threats. He called
| the attention Of the Court to the fact that
| the law precludes even white women from
conveyances of real estate in the presence
of their husbands-and would the Court
! bring these women into the presence and
examine them in the midst of their severe
masters? He left it to the judgment of the
Court if the woman should not be exam
| ined i'll such way and at a place where
they would be free from intimidation.
Judge Van Fleet cut off further discus
| sion by saying that he would hear nothing
| furt IN or from al fhar CiHa until
were produced in Court. He declared a
recess, and the women were sent for
Commissioner Bugbey sent for the
women, and apologized to the Court for
their nOn-appearance.
During the recess the Judge left the
Courtroom for a few moments. During
his absence General Carey and the Com
missioner entered into an animated discus
sion, in which strong language was used.
Bugbey disclaimed having acted unfairly
i'll any particular. General Carey seemed
| to be strongly Impressed otherwise He
asked the Commissioner if it were not true
| that OIL Friday further proceedings in the
cases of Lee All Dot and You Gin were
continued until 10 o'clock Saturday morn
| ing. and yet the defendants were spirited
away to San Francisco on the early train.
He challenged Bugbey to deny it; said he
| would produce a man in five minutes who
titlu SGCll ilitlJ Oil DbdIb inc Train IN COM
pany with a Deputy United States Marshal.
and denounced the action as trick"
Bugbey attempted to explain that his
ruling was not inconsistent with his sub
sequent action hut Carey interrupted the
statement, exclaiming:
Oh, you do not answer my question at
all, and you cannot
" do not propose that you shall cram
any statements down my throat, exclaimed
Bugbey.
| And propose to cram the facts of this
case down your throat, and so far into your
insides, that they will stick there for years.
exclaimed General Carey.
| And | will show that YOU are attempt
| ing to force these women back into slavery
and prostitution. in an illegal and cowardlv
manner" replied Bugbey
The men were glazing at each other saw
agely, and the last remark of Bugbev caused
Carey to let fly with his right a blow d.
rected at the face of the Commissioner.
The latter warded it off and raised his cane
to strike back, when the Deputy Sheriffs
interfered, and what promised TO be a pu-
| gilistic encounter was prevented The
| affair created considerable excitement. es-
peciaiiy among the hundred or more Chi
nese present, whose jabberipgs filled the
Courtroom with a noise equal in inharmo-
NOUS sounds to that of the confusion of
tongues at BABEL. Alter moment retiec-
ton General Carey, regretting his act, apol-
ogized to Mr.. Bugbey. The apology was
accepted and tie matter dropped.
The women having arrived, Court was
again called to order. By this time the
Courtroom, hallway and steps of the build
ing were crowded with Chinese, all of
whom seemed to be very much excited,
and fears that collision between the two
opposing factions were expressed on every
side. Judge Holl asked the Court to have
the room cleared of Cinnamon. He said
the women were inundated by their pres
ence. and the officers came near having the
women taken away from them by mob as
they entered the Courtroom.
General Carey objected. He said the
only Chinese really who were intimidators
were the two who sat near the Com mission
err They were working under the protec-
ton, by the advice and in conspiracy with
the United States Commissioner. They
had instigated this whole case, and their
sinister motives were easily OWNED. He
did not object TO their being excluded from
the Courtroom, but he did object to the
exclusion of the others.
Judge Holl in reply said that the two wo-