Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-18
WONG QUE.
His Mission and Work In this City
and San Francisco.


and San Francisco.
Yesterday HERALD man investigated
into the antecedents Of Wong Que, the
high binder, who preferred charges
against the Police Department which
caused such Juror during the session OF
the City Council on Monday last. 1t was
learned that Que reached Los Angeles on
May 81 or %, last, and that he was sent
for to San Francisco by All Ark, local
Chinese "boss" and head manager for
several leading Chinatown gamblers.
Que was sent from the Tong Wo faction
of the Chinese Six Companies in San
Francisco and $50 was dispatched him by
express for expenses. 1t was anticipated
that Que would bring to this city trust
ed lieutenant OF his, named Quong Lee
but this he did not do. The man Lee is
now agent for series of tan games in
Sacramento. When Que reached this
city he Immediately repaired to the
house of All Ark and there, in day or
two after his arrival he was duly
commissioned as agent to gee the
authorities and try and "fix" things so
that the raiding of tan games then being
done by the Police Department could be
stopped. Que is an oily Celestial. He
visited the Mayors Office and that of the
Chief of Police time and time again be-
fore he made his business known. He
is said to have informed Mayor Work
man that several gamblers not belonging
to the Ark syndicate were paying tie
city $25 per week per game for the privi-
lege Of running them. He would be
willing to do the same if he were allowed
to open up games. Of course this was
news for the Mayor. Que put his foot in
it by making such statement, for the
Mayor quietly started in to investigate.
Meantime the raiding by the police con-
tinued with increasing vigor. Que
then, betraying his mission, opened
up a game for himself in Niger
Alley, just below Los Angeles
street. He incurred the enmity
of All Ark's crowd and of other
gamblers. One of All Ark's men went
to him the night Que opened up and de-
that he pay the Ark syndicate
$50 week for the privilege of running or
else the Ark crowd would kill him. Que
told this man, Suey Long, that he would
not pay that much, and it was then,
about the middle of June, that the hue
and cry was raised by Que and his gang
that highbinders had been turned loose
to annihilate them. This scared the Ark
faction, and an emissary in the shape of
a special policeman, employed by the
Ark crowd, visited Que and said that if
$l5 per week per game were paid they
would let him alone. Que said he would
consider the matter, and next went and
saw Mayor Workman. He is said to
have told the Mayor all about it, and said
that the policeman had demanded that
he pay SIS per week per game. This is
said to be the way the "Chinese crooked
ness" was brought about, and it was on
account of Que's statement that men,
bers of the Council desired to see Chief
Cuddy's administration investigated.
AS to Que himself. He is accredited
the most notorious highbinder and Chi
nese cease. worker" in San Francisco, and
was sent from that city to San Quentin
prison, where he served four years for
larceny. He was member of the Sup
Wo Company Of highbinders, and was
arrested twice by Corporals AVIAN and
Hogue in San Francisco for assault to
murder. 1t was Que who, with his prin-
cipal, "Little Pete," now in Folsom Pen
itentiary arranged with a firm of iron
mongers to Iron" all fan tan rooms in
Chinatown in that city. The two then
charged enormous amounts to Chinese
gamblers for the privilege of being al
lowed to put up iron doors, walls, etc.
"Little Pete," it seems, got most of the
money collected, and refused to give Que
his share. This provoked enmity between
the two, and it was the Vaccinations prin-
cipally Of Que that sent "Little Pete" to
the Penitentiary. Que, since driven out
Of fan tan playing, together with others
of his ilk, by the Police Department, has
lived off the earnings of Chinese prosti-
tutes, and now conducts two low brothels
in Chinatown. In appearance he is of
medium build with oval countenance. A
marked feature is his very broad nose,
which is so fiat as to seem to form part of
his facial contour. He talks English flu
emily and is one of the smoothest Celes-
tials in town.