The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-09-25

To Secretary I8nynrd i'm the
matter OF the killing Of Five
China mem In ShOxInOne COm n ~.

WASHINGTON, ID. C.:
SIR-In compliance with your instruc
| tions to proceed to Oro Fino mining district
and investigate in person the alleged out
| rage committed against certain Chinese
subjects at that place, left Boise City, tho
| capital of Idaho, on the eth day of July
1886, via Lewiston, where / was joined by
James II. Hawley, U. S. District Attorney
We at once started for Oro Fino, where we
arrived on the 18th instant
We made thorough investigation of the
entire transaction, and took the evidence
of all the white men and Chinese who were
cognizant of the facts. (Said atidavits ac-
company this report Pierce City is an
old mining town in the Oro Fino mining
district, situated in the high mountains of
Idaho, and about two hundred miles from
Murray, the county seat of Shoshonc coun-
ty. All the white men but about twenty or
thirty have left for other places, leaving
the mines mostly in the hands of Chinese,
who mine, pack in goods, sell supplies and
merchandise to miners and others, and are
doing very lucrative and profitable busi-
ness.
ID. NJ. Fraser was n merchant, long a resi-.
dent of this locality. and had lived there
with his family for nearly twenty years,
respected, honored and beloved bv all who
knew him. On the 10th day of September.
1885, said Fraser was murdered i'm his store
in the most brutal manner, being actually
chopped to pieces with knives and axes,
and afterwards shot When this terrible
news reached the surrouning country. that
Fraser had been thus brutally murdered
the citizens of one accord ilocked to the
scene of the murder and endeavored to
find out the wrctches who had done this
terrible deed
Facts and circumstances clearly showed
that the murder was planned. concocted
and instigated at the Chinese store of Lee
Kee Nam & Co., for the sole and only pur-
pose of closing up the American store.
thereby giving the entire mercantile trade
10 the Chinese merchants.
After an investigation of two days by the
citizens and those of the surrounding coun-
try, they held five Chinese guilty of this
foul murder, viz: Lee Kee Nam, Lee
Quong Nam, Lee All Too, Sum Sum, and
Loo Ah Wong, who were delivered by the
citizens to the deputy Sheriff with instruc-
tions to take them safely to Murray the
county seat of said county, and deliver
them to the constituted authorities for
trial. All the citizens of the surrounding
country then left for their homes. On
the 18th day Of September the deputy
Sheriff with posse of six men started with
the prisoners for Murray, the county seat
ri Shoshone county, distant about two hun
dred miles. When they had gone about four
miles on their way, where the road passes
through n dense growth of timber and
underbrusl. they were suddenly halted and
surrounded by a large number Of blackencd
and masked armed men, the sheriff and his
party were disarmed, and the prisoners
taken from them and hanged.
The statement made to the Chinese Con-
sui General THAT Fraser was the keeper
of restaurant is not true, for hc had
been heavy merchant and dealer in gen.
eral merchandise there for twenty years,
and never was connected with restaurant
in any way. The further statement that
the white miners became displeased with
said Lee kec Nam because some Of them
were refused the privilege of obtaining
goods on trust from him." is also without
Also the following statement
is entirely erroneous: "On the 10th day
of the same month man by the name of
Faninger went and searched all over the
Chinese stores and houses without saying
a word of explanation. After the search
he started for Lewiston, returning on the
same day to Oro Fino." No man by the
name of Faninger, or OF a similar name,
has ever lived in Orc Fino for the last twen-
ty years, and the distance from Oro Fino to
Lewiston is one hundred and twenty miles.
The following statement is also an un-
truth: "All communication between the
Chinese and the natives, or among the Chi
nesc themselves, from all quarters was pre-
vented"
The Cinnamon had every opportunity to
consult together, and every avenue was
open for them to prove their innocence.
Several who were held in custody proved
their innocence and were discharged by
this pretended judicial body.
The unfortunate difficulty occurred be-
fore I became Governor of Idaho, and l
deeply regret that the people of this section
should, in moment Of great excitement,
have taken the law in their own hands
and while / have not the least doubt that
the Chinese hanged were the identical par
ties who so cruelty, shockingy and brutally
murdered, without the slightest provoca-
ton Except jealousy, one of the best citi-
zcns of Idaho, the laws of the Territory are
ample for all offences committed therein.
On examination of the evidence it is
clearly shown that not dollar of the prop
erty of these Chinese merchants, or any
other Cinnamon, was stolen. wasted or
destroyed; but instead, it was looked after.
protected, kept and delivered to the brother
Of the Chinese merchant; that this large
amount of merchandise of many thousand
dollars, and also several thousand dollars
Of money and gold dust, should have re-
mained uniisturbcd, while the place was in
possession of more than hundred armed.
excited and desperate frontiersmen, clearly
shows that the object was moi to plunder or
destroy property, but to punish the devils
who had done this devilish, cowardly and
brutal act.
The Oro Fin0 country is but q few miles
from the Nex Perce Indian reservation.
These Indians are the best educated and