Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-12-14
ANOTHER GOOD HE1THE.N.
Lee Chang, the Moose Greek Mar-
derer, Is Shot and Killed on the
Clearwater, UhiJe Resisting
AfreSf.

Arrest.
Our readers are familiar with the ia
that on November l2, Lee Chung, Ch
nese desperate, shot and killed two
his partners. Wong Coon Yen and Ii
TX Coon, on the well-known Moos
creek mining company's claim, nea
Elk city. The doublo murder made
considerable stir among the county Off
cials and also in the Chinese settle
ments hereabouts. Several Chinamel
went to Moose creek to arrest him, bu
falled In the attempt, and 1t was re
ported that he had passed through Lew
lston a month ago on his way to Port
land, and that he was halfway back tC
China by this time. The company tc
which the murdered men belonged off
cred $500 reward for his arrest, and bis
description was widely advertised.
Meanwhile sheriff Talkington had re-
celved information that the murderer
had been seen on the Clearwater, and
being an active and Jealous official he
proceeded to investigate, and found it a
sure enough fact. There are a good
many Cinnamon living on the Clear
water for fifteen or twenty miles above
the jackson Undergraduates, miners
and gardeners, who inhabit the little
truck patches on the margin af the
stream, and 1t soon became evident to
the mind of the sheriff that the muir
derer had been levying npon them for
the means of subsistence, and that on
account OF their fear of the desperate
he could never capture the convict
he determined upon their removal. A
posse was therefore organised and sent
to the Clearwater with under sheriff
White in charge to bring back to Mt.
Idaho every Chinaman found in the
canyon. This was done without diff
Guilty when 1t was explained to them
mat the object was to facilitate the
capture of Lee Chung, when they all
went Willingly enough, save for natu-
raj aversion to leaving their cabins and
gardens unprotected, and by and by,
the entire outfit filed into Mt. Idaho, |
and were cautioned to remain there
until further orders.
Having TINS cleared the decks for
action sheriff Talkington and his dep
uty, {. Il. Wood, proceeded to occupv
The cabin of Lee Ham, situated about
GOO yards above the bridge, and there
they awaited developments. Nor had |
they long to wait, for on Friday night,
after fifteen hours of patient waiting,
december 7, at eight o'clock the muir
derer approached the cabin, pushed the
door slightly ajar and thrust in a lighted |
chinese taper, as though his suspicious
were aroused and he desired TO light up
the room before entering. A China
mans dog had been previously shifting
around the cabin and got the white !
mems scent, for he barked prodigiously,
ana TINS circumstance may have ava
kened the suspicious of the celestial. I
VINO had probably been skulking in the
neighborhood of the cabin all day.
At any rate the light was silently with
drawn, and after moment cautiously
thrust in again. AS he was about to
withdraw it TOR the second time, the
sheriff and Wood fired simultaneously.
They were random shots, rs it was
eight O'Clock at night. and very dark.
Their only guide as target was the
position of the light, which was pre-
sumably in his outstretched hand, and
from this they guessed the correspond
Ing position of the body and blazed
away. They were armed with Win
chester shot guns. loaded with twelve /
onckshot, and a heavy grunt told them
he was hit. They then went out and
found him around the corner of the
house sitting on a pile of brush, with
buckshot in his head, having entered
square between the eyes. His left arm
was also torn TO pieces by charge.
His pistol and taper lay on the ground
beside him, and he lived for an hour
before yielding up the ghost. Exam
lnation showed that the charge from
sheriff Talkington's gun had pierced ,
the door and top batten, and then made
a center shot plumb between the ewes,
while Mr.. Woods shot had taken effect
in the arm. 1t was good work well and I
done, and white men and Chi
nese alike are thankful that the affair I
terminated as 1t did-the white people
because the county is saved the cost of :
a criminal trial with no hope of convic.
Llon, and the Chinese because they were
all SO afraid of him that not one would
have dared to testify against him if he
had been brought to trial, although sew
sral OF them saw him commit the Moose /,
creek murders.
The body was brought to Mt. Idaho ..
morning and a coroner's in
lnest held and a verdict rendered ac-
;ording to the evidence. Two Chinese
merchants from Portland and Spokane
Falls, who belonged to the same com
oany as the murdered men had come -,
up to investigate the affair, and had au. :
,horised the reward of $500. Within an ,
hour after the rendering of the verdict :
hey had weighed out and paid over the =
'ull amount and acted very honorably :
q the matter from beginning to end. :
The Chinese here, with the exception :
Of a few who belong to his company,
are very glad the miscreant is killed, as ]
ne was regarded as a desperate among
hem, and is known to have killed two
nen in China and two in California. {
md had besides threatened to kill two |
more of his partners in the Moose creek r
;laim. He was deadly shot with a
pistol and posed as holy terror among I
he little yellow men," There is a
of a feud growing out of the \
ltfair among the rival com panes, and it S
$ highly probable in the event that a
here is any more bloodshed between a
hem the white men will take a hand I