The record-union., 1891-03-08
LEE FONG GEES MONEY.
A Novel Contest in the Superior
Court for It.
The Contestants Divide into Two Fac
tions-A Chinaman's Estima-
ton of a Wife.

The lively and interesting contest for
the administration of the estate of Lee
Fong Gee, the wealthy Chinese butcher
who was accidentally shot and killed in
this city about three months ago, was
taken up again before Superior Judge
Van Fleet yesterday.
The courtroom was crowded with
Chinese and others who claim to have in
terests in the estate, and the numerosity
OF lawyers interested in the case was also
noticeable.
THE CONTESTANTS.
AS has been previously published in
the REcoRD-UNIoN, there are numerous
persons who are DESTROYS of handling the
the proper person to do it.
In the first place, ex-Public Admins
traitor Harlow wants to take charge, set
ting forth as his reasons that Lee Fong
Gee died intestate, and died while he
(Harlow) was Public administrators
sequently giving him jurisdiction.
The present Public Admi nistrator, Mr.
Bronner, also wants to take charge, al
leging that as he is in office now, he is
the proper person.
An alleged widow is on deck, too. She
claims that while the deceased butcher
had numerous wives in his lifetime, she
is the only genuine one left. She does
not want the letters of administration
herself, and at first requested that they
be issued to one Lee Hong, but since
then she has changed her mind again and
asks that letters issue to II gentleman
named Melville.
The next prominent person in the af-
fair is Lulu Earl, q handsome young
woman who was the daughter Of Lee
Fong Gee by a white wife. She is salts
lied that her interests will be properly
cared for, however, if either one Of the
Public Administrators get hold of the es-
tate, and has entered no petition herself
TWO FACTIONS.
The contest assumed a peculiar aspect
yesterday, when the court announced
that testimony would be heard. Instead
of each contestant looking out for HIM
self or herself, they formed into two fac
tions, with the Public Administrators
and the daughter on one side and the
widow" Lee Hong and Melville on the
other: The alleged widows interests
were looked after by Grove L. Johnson
and Albert Johnson. These attorneys
also appeared for Lee Hong. Mr.. Harlow
was represented by Robert T. Devlin,
and Mr.. Bronner by ex-Judge Arm
strong.
The first faction is united against the
widow, and if they succeed in proving
that she was not legally married to Lee
Fong Gee, and therefore not a proper per-
son to administer upon the estate, then
they will ''have it out'' between them
selves to see which member of the sue
cessful faction shall have the plum.
1t is an interesting squabble.
CALLED HER "oLD WOMAN"
The testimony taken yesterday was in
behalf of the widow" Witnesses were
summoned who swore that Lee Fong Gee
lived with this woman as man and wife,
and always spoke of her as his wife.
One witness said that Lee Fong Gee
had always referred to her as his "lupa.',
This, interpreter Fong Sing explained,
was a Chinese term meaning '.old
woman"
Judge Van Fleet asked for more def
mite information as to the application of
this term, and the interpreter said that a
Chinaman seldom refers to his better half
as his wife, but prefers to call her the
"old woman" With Cinnamon, he said,
wives were not so dear or were not re-
spected as much as they are by Ameri-
cans. They are looked upon more as
chattels than anything else.
The attorneys for the opposing faction
each took turn at cress-examining the
widows witnesses, and harassed them
numerically.
The case was not concluded, and will
be taken up again Tuesday.