The morning call., 1892-06-27
BUREAU OF PERJURY.
Collector Phelps Determined to
Break 1t Up.
The Scheme Of Chinese Brothel-Keepers to
Land Young Girls-Coots and Mofhtt
Make Confessions.

The arrest Of the men Mofftt and Coots
on Saturday night by Customs Inspector
PattiSon OF the charge Of swearing falsely
to the affidavit on which the Chinese girl
10y How was landed from the steamer
China on Saturday morning bids fair to be
one of the richest finds" made by the Gus
toms officers IN long time.
For several months past Collector Phelps
and his officers have been satisfied that
there existed in this city bureau, run by
white men assisted by Chinese, for the pur-
pose of landing Chinese girls upon false affi-
davitS. Tie cost aud trouble incident to
the landing OF Chinese women under the
very strict rulings Of the Federal courts in
this city in such cases, and the still more
stringent measures adopted by the Collector
of the Port to prevent the landing of chinese
women for immoral purposes, was telling
heavily upon the purses of the dealers in
supplies tor the brOthels of Chinatown, and
hence they conceived plan by which they
thought young Chinese girls from 13 TO 16
years of age could be landed and kept in
this country until they arrived at the proper
age for sale at much less cost than grown
women could be secured. That many such
children have been landed is certain.
WANT THEIR LITTLE DAUGHTER
OF late the number OF Chinese children
arriving here has attracted the notice OF the
customs officers. 1t seemed as If almost
every merchant in Chinatown bad suddenly
become deSirOus of sending for his progeny
which he claimed to have sent to China
years ago to be educated. One remarkable
fact was that all these children were sup
posed to have left here when very young,
accompanied by their mothers and that the
mothers had all died while in China, leav-
ing their little daughters in the care OF rela-
tives. Another noteworthy fact was that
the Chinese fathers here claimed to have
sent only their infant daughters abroad and
wanted only the daughters returned. Ii
there were any infant Chinese sons sent
away the fathers seemed perfectly willing
to have the boys remain in China.
These facts, together with the further
fact that a number OF new attorneys who
had never before appeared in cases where
it was sought to land Chinese were handling
the cases OF the little girls arriving from
China 10 reioin their fathers. made Col
lector Phelps put OH his thinking cap.
The result was tie seizure of the girl 10y
How, after she had been landed from the
steamship the discovery that she had been
landed by the perjury of the men Moflitt
and CoutS, and the probable discovery OF all
the men engaged in the work of securing
the landing of Chinese girls.
LOCATED THEIR MAN.
Following the arrest of Coots at 9 o'clock
Saturday night, Inspector Paltlsan and De-
teetives Cox and Glenuon commenced a
search for Monte Moliitt They located tile
man at 9l0 Sacramento street and calling
ut that place searched his room. In the
room were found documents which left no
possible doubt as to Moffitt's connection
with the Chinese bureau. One paper was
found. evidently written by an educated
Chinese, giving all the necessary informa-
ton to which Moffitt was to swear and to
which he did swear in the 10y How case
Mofftt returned to his room about 2
o'clock Sunday morning and was arrested
as he was going upstairs. He had not
heard OF the arrest of MS partner Coots, and
when questioned concerning him denied all
knowledge of the nan. Alterward, by
close questioning, Moffitt was induced to
tell the story of the job put up to land 10y
How, and in so doing he implicated one or
two well-know aud wealthy white men o.
this city, Moffi't hears = rather unsavory
reputation. and In conseque .ce the customs